Your Photos… 10 FAQ’s.

1.     How long will I have to wait before I can see my photos?

It depends on how many shots were taken on the day.

• If you had a one hour shoot, you should be able to see your photos within 10 days.
• If you had a three hour shoot, you should be able to see your photos within 18 days. 

2.     Why does it take so long before I can see my photos?

• Every single shot taken on the day is individually checked for quality.
• If accepted, the file is converted to a workable format and copied to a back-up hard drive for safe keeping. The image is then enhanced to optimise colours, contrast, tonal range, luminance, etc as the original RAW file is always converted as a flat image. This is an essential part of the creative process, and is what turns a great image into a stunning image.
• The photo is then enlarged by 100% and critically inspected for quality control and minor adjustments, e.g. dust or fluff removal from shoulders, spots, etc.
• The single image file is then saved in several different formats so that it is available for professional printing, high street printing, enabled for canvas & photobook production, web use, original format and an uncompressed workable format. The files for high street printing and web use are also copied onto a CD for you.

With at least a hundred image files from a one hour shoot and around three hundred image files from a three hour shoot to individually inspect and work on, you can see why it obviously takes so much time.

This process should never be rushed. We pride ourselves in providing you with top quality photographs, created with great care and attention to every small detail.

3.    I want the best quality prints I can get, but how long will I have to wait?

• If you choose to use our professional print lab, your prints should be delivered to you within 5 working days of the order being placed. Obviously public holidays or postal strikes may cause delays, but in general, you should have your prints within a week.

4.     How long will I have to wait if I want a canvas print?

• Our canvases are crafted by hand to a very high standard and so take 7-10 days to arrive after the order has been placed.

5.     How long will I have to wait if I want a photobook?

• Photobooks take a long time to prepare and you may need to wait for 14-21 days after the order has been placed before it is ready.

6.     I'd rather get the prints done myself, can I do that?

• Yes. If you use the print files on your free CD, you can get prints made wherever and whenever you want.

It is important to know, however, that prints from high street retailers and many internet stores are very inconsistent in quality and often disappointing. Your image files will have been individually and critically inspected to ensure that they are all of top quality, but we have no control over the print process if you use any service other than the professional print lab we recommend.

7.    I got my prints done in the supermarket today but they look a strange colour. Why is that?

• The image files on the free CD we gave you are of very high quality, but we have no control over the printers you choose to use. High street printers and most internet printers use machines that are not re-set or calibrated after each run, and so toners and inks can be mis-matched leading to colour casts across your prints.

We conducted an independant test of high street printers and found huge variation in print quality.

• We used two top quality image files, one colour and one black & white, and had them on a CD identical to the those we give to our clients.
• We took the CD into high street stores offering instant digital print services and then compared the actual prints that were all obtained from the very same file on the CD.
• Colours varied greatly as colour casts from magenta tones to a dull, yellow tone were visible across the prints. This caused strange skin tones on our model, as well as odd colours visible in the greys and whites of the black & white prints. One of the colour prints also showed harsh white marks on the model's face and hands that are not present on the image files, or on any of the other prints.

We can't stop you using high street printers to print your images, if the low and inconsistent quality is acceptable to you. Please be aware though, that we will accept no responsibility for disappointing prints as a result.

8.     Why should I use the professional print lab you recommend?

• With the professional print lab we use, every photograph produced is a virtual match to the image files we have individually and critically assessed on our computer.
• We prepare each file for the specific printer used and ensure that the necessary adjustments are made before the files are posted to the lab.
• It is also worth pointing out that these professional top quality prints are at virtually the same prices as you will find on the high street!

With the multitude of high street and internet printers, we cannot match files to their machines and can only use a generic print format. Whie this should be good enough, their machines are not re-set after every run as they are in our print lab, and so colour casts and contrast imbalances are common problems in the high street.

9.     I looked at the images on the CD at home, but when I took it round to show my mum, they looked completely different on her computer. Why is that?

•  Every monitor will display colours differently. Some will be bluer than others, and some will be more yellow. The deepest blacks and brightest whites will also be displayed differently on other screens.
• The image files are individually prepared on our monitors, which are colour-calibrated to the photo industry standard prior to every processing session.
• Ambient light also strongly affects the images that are displayed on a computer screen, and that is why we re-calibrate our monitors every time we open a new image-editing session. 

10.     Do you 'airbrush' my photos?

• No, not routinely. We do remove spots and unwanted flecks from clothing or hair, but any 'weight loss' or re-sculpting would take a lot longer.

If you do want your images 'airbrushed' then let us know and we will quote you for the extra work required.