Say I take pics at Sears (or wherever), if I scanned it to my computer,?

Question

Couldn't I make copies myself, like at self use kiosk? Or if I want to blow up a pic, if I sent it via online would they know it was professional?

I will not talk about how majority of you all that answered this question totally missed my point. Point is, I want to take pics but getting one(1) postersize alone is about $160, that is why I was thinking couldn't I just take it and get it blown up (Walgreens $16.99). You can't say its a quality thing, the paper is behind the glass who knows the quality unless they touch it. Now I get what yall are saying about watermarks etc, but if I scan a small one onto my computer, will it still show. Smaller Pics are fine, My printer dock prints up to 8/10 just fine. I was just wondering. I don't mind spending money on photos, cause I have found recently Sears is expensive. But $160 for one pic, DAMN! I guess I will be better off taking one with my camera shyt I have 6 pixels it will come out just as good. I had a feeling about copyright laws but damn its a pic of me, so you know I can't mass produce it for sell. Well I am flawless and all, lol. thanks for input

Jon W you still missed the point. Although I do appreciated your educated input. Anyway, The glass I was talking about was the glass that will be placed in front of the pic in a frame; but another reader picked that up and let me know I was incorrect. And yes I am ignorant about pictures which is why I asked. I did take one of the suggestions and found a local photographer who will sell me the rights to the pic, but he is expensive off jump, but well worth it. The money thing is not an issue, I just want to feel like I am getting my monies worth. It seemed like an cheaper way to blow up the pic that is all. I am glad you all let me know about quality, etc bc I probably would have been dissatisfied anyway if I had blown it up. Jon W it seems you were the only one to take offense, please don't get your panties in a bunch it was just a question. Thank you all for your honest answers. Happy Turkey day!

Answer 1

First, the MINUTE that a photo is taken, the photo is copyrighted at that precise second by that person taking the photo unless some signed contract exists that expressly says different.

Insofar as you making copies at home in an effort to make them cheaper... not really. First, the CD you get will only allow you to make up to a certain size and beyond that it will look fuzzy because of the pixel size they make the CD images. Secondly, the images may contain watermarks. Thirdly, your images will only come out as good as your printer, and unless your printer's printing capacity is larger than a standard size sheet of paper, the largest you can print is a 8" x 10" size. The quality of your photos will also depend largely on the quality of ink and photographic paper you use, and that can be sometimes even more expensive than if you had it done by a professional photo lab, to begin with; remember, they buy in bulk sizes that you can never afford to buy for the many stores they have and for the estimated volume they have.

Do your math and see how much it costs you to buy archival inks and archival photography paper (per photo) and compare with what you're paying at the professional photo lab. You'll be mighty surprised!

Sending images to an online professional photo lab won't work, and the same thing as trying to do them from a kiosk. They respect copyright laws with a passion (they risk too much in fines and lawsuits for what you're paying them to do... BELIEVE me).

You have no idea nor can you imagine how many times I've been questioned about MY OWN negatives at one-hour labs that don't know me! The issue of entrapment has also come up along with my having to show them my cameras and gear in my camera bag as proof that I took the photos!!!

Very, very, VERY few photo labs will take the chance of playing around with copyright laws and risk fines and lawsuits nowadays. It AIN'T worth the risk, believe me.

Answer 2

>Additional Details

9 hours ago
I will not talk about how majority of you all that answered this question totally missed my point.
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If the majority misses a point, that usually means that your point was unclear as stated.
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"Say I take pics at Sears (or wherever), if I scanned it to my computer,?"
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OK - this sentence ends with a question mark, but what is the question?
I tried to guess rather than ignore it.

"Couldn't I make copies myself, like at self use kiosk?"
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Yes.
The legality of it was additional information that I though might be handy to know.

"Or if I want to blow up a pic, if I sent it via online would they know it was professional?"
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Yes.
And, additionally, I told you how they would.
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Point is, I want to take pics but getting one(1) poster size alone is about $160,
This is your point? That one poster size alone is $160.
OK, I did not know that.
Thanks for the info.
What is the point again?
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that is why I was thinking couldn't I just take it and get it blown up (Walgreen's $16.99).
No.
And, FYI - you were told why.
And that is where the copyright issue enters the scene.

"You can't say its a quality thing, the paper is behind the glass who knows the quality unless they touch it."
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Umm... Yes I CAN say it is a quality thing.
I've been an amateur photographer for 35 years and a computer professional for 25 years

By glass, I assume that you mean a kiosk?
I don't know of any kiosks that will give you a poster size (please specify poster size - that is not a standard photo size), so I used 16x20. I think posters are usually 30 inches by something. For my statements then, reduce any quality statements by about 25% and increase prices by 25-35%
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that is why I was thinking couldn't I just take it and get it blown up (Walgreen's $16.99).poster print from an 8x10.

Normally, 8x10 is the maximum size they print
The image quality for a 16x20 from an 8x10 would be at
a minimum 4 times worse than a 16x20 printed from the original, because it is really enlarging by a factor of 4 (2x in each direction).
Ever zoom in on a jpg file enough to get the jaggies? It is similar.

The kiosk can't do it - so it is sent out. I was unclear on that point.

During the processing in the outside lab, the quality will be checked, and probably noted that it was professionally done.

Besides which, I've copied enough personal and old photos to (both by scanning and rephotographing the photo, to know that most people would not be pleased with the results.
A same-size copy is pretty good and double-size is OK at a distance.

You can't get more quality than is in the original - no matter what process you use, and quality is lost in the process (You've see a Xerox of a Xerox of a ...)
Also, most portrait studios use a matte finish which, when enlarged 4 times will become part of the image.

Now I get what yall are saying about watermarks etc, but if I scan a small one onto my computer, will it still show.
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Yes, unless you can remove it with Photo Shop or something.

Smaller Pics are fine, My printer dock prints up to 8/10 just fine. I was just wondering.
I don't mind spending money on photos,
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I did not get that feeling from you - and still don't...

cause I have found recently Sears is expensive.
But $160 for one pic, DAMN!
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Well, they don't send them out to a place that charges $18 a print.
They are usually sent to a local professional photo lab.

You can look up Photo Lab in the Yellow Pages, call some and ask them what they charge for an 16x20. I can pretty much guess it costs the photographer about 3 times more than your price quoted.
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I guess I will be better off taking one with my camera shyt I have 6 pixels it will come out just as good.
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Well then, there is no problem - is there?

I had a feeling about copyright laws but damn its a pic of me, so you know I can't mass produce it for sell.
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No we don't and the lab doesn't.
Perhaps you are a beauty queen and am selling them on the Internet.
If you were aware of copyright issues - you could have stated that and saved a lot of time. And asked about it.

If you want the copyright, and maybe even the negative - ask them first.. Some will do it for an additional fee.

Well I am flawless and all, lol. thanks for input.
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You're welcome - we could have answered
"What does the first sentence mean?"
"Yes"
"Yes"
Excuse me for trying to be helpful.


Answer number 2 has touched on the salient points.
Assuming that it is copyrighted.

I worked at a camera store in the late 70's and and filled in at a friends camera store quite a bit recently also. The photo will be stamped or water-marked.

Besides which, we're not dummies (I'm not anyway).
We see hundreds of photos a day. You think we can't tell a studio shot in a second?

The backgrounds, the lighting used - at least two in front at slightly different distances, at least one key light illuminating the hair from behind (typically the right-hand side), the type of paper, the overall quality and color.

Nobodies going to risk it for the 75 cents we're going to make off of your print.

Answer 3

Yes you can scan a photograph and print it out at a kiosk.

However, to get a "poster size" print you will not be able to print at a kiosk. You will have to send the file to a photofinisher.

The professional "quality" of the photograph is the quality of the image; not of the paper it was printed on. In other words, pictures taken in a studio setting are assumed to be taken by a professional. Even posed and well executed portraits taken outside are assumed to be professional. The lab will ask you for a signed copyright release in order for them to print it. They are not being unreasonable as they can be sued by the studio.

As far as the picture being of you so you should be able to do what you want: The image taken by the studio is their property but your image is yours. You cannot copy their images without a copyright release and they cannot use the image of you for any other purposes without a model release from you.

Professional photography labs know they are dealing with professional photographers and do not usually question them.
I am surprised to hear the photographer above say he is never questioned about his proofs he gets done at a non-professional lab. Don't take that as the norm, I had to give Walgreens and Wal-Mart a written release stating my images were taken by me before they would print my proofs. That's a little more complicated if the image is of yourself. You are not having proofs (usually small) printed - you are talking about enlargements.

If you do this, do it at your own risk.

Answer 4

Technically if you copy their pictures for any reason, and anyway, it is copywrite infringement. They have the legal right to sue you over it. I only know this because I am a photographer at a studio. I have also worked in a 1 hour photo lab with one of those Kodak Picture makers....most of them detect a certain dye, or watermark in the paper and won't allow you to copy them. The CD's that you might get from a package or whatever, are VERY low resolution and are intended for use only in like emails, or something small like that. When you bought the pictures, i am sure you signed something at some point....that was a contract stating that you would NOT copy or scan any of the pictures....so that if sears really got a bug up their butt they could sue you for copewrite infringement. Luckily they are generally too busy to bother themselves with it though, only smaller businesses tend to hold you to the contract because they have more to lose.

Answer 5

Honestly, you have copyright laws to worry about, but you can also find people who dont care about them.

Try this.. find a photographer in your area who would take the phone and let you have the digital backup of it.

I do that. .. both as the photographer, and as the person being photographed.

This gives me as the photographer more profit as I am spending less. IE I charge the same for the copyright as I do the prints but you get only one or the other.

I typicaly charge $25.00 for one image on CD. $5.00 for each additional.

I have had my work copied and enlarged. It doesnt bother me. I know some photographers get really upset but I still do not see why.

Answer 6

Physically you can make them yourself at home. However, technically it is illegal to do so. The pictures are copyrighted and most professional printers will recognize them as being so and refuse to print them because of the legality involved and the potential trouble they could get into.

Making them at home isn't going to produce a high quality product in the end anyways, so why rip off the photographer who actually worked to produce the image?

Answer 7

Legally you cannot print those photos unless heresaid phototstudio relinquishes all copyrights privelledges of those photos to you. Studios almost never do that. As to whether or not they knew it was professionally done, they wont say a thing, unless there is perhaps a studio trademark printed on the image. Fact is that I am a professional and sometimes I use these services for proofs for clients, and never have I had any photo finisher not print my photos

Answer 8

I got the disc with all the pics on it from my niece's photo sitting and I printed them out at home. I even edited some of them. I'm sure there's some hater out there that doesn't want these things done to the pics they produced, but they're S.O.L. as far as I'm concerned. It's way cheaper to print them at home.

Answer 9

Legal issues aside, scan the print and see if it even has a watermark. If it does, scan at a very high resolution and get to work...