‘All you can eat’ packages – Why we don’t do them.

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Some photographers offer a so called ‘all you can eat‘ package – implying that and often even stating that you get get as many or all of the images from the day(S) / event(S). Sadly this is often misleading and often worthless or of no ‘real’ added value than working with professionals who offer you a ‘package’ value of images. So here are some things to consider:

  • There is a difference in the quality of food served at an ‘all you can get‘ food shop in a food hall and a ‘set meal‘ Restaurant. If you want cheap and average (Like I often do with my food) – This is for you. Do you really want this for your memories of an important event? We, like you, would think not.
  • The photographer is also unlikely to release images that he / she thinks are not of sufficient quality – even after editing. So are you really getting what you paid for – all you can eat? Sadly not, may be only what he / she decides to release to you – after deleting what ever they want – So are you really getting all your images? Doesn’t sound like it does it?
  • Would you or your guest’s really want to sit there and go through more than 50 to 200 images – Imagine yourself being asked to sit there and view image after image  – online or in an album –torturous isn’t it?
  • After a while you have just had enough and switch off and say “Saw them all online darling they were fabulous” meaning – saw about 50 and got the idea, closed the album!! We find that between 20 to 200 images is about the right amount. So choose a package that’s right for you.
  • What do you want to do with images? Blow them up? Print them on Steel, Glass, Canvass or simply Photographic Paper? Unsure? Want the flexibility to decide later?
  • Then make sure you get technical information from the photographer as to the technical specifications of EACH and EVERY image you will receive (Pixel Height, Pixel Width and PPI – prior to be being digitally enlarged)
  • Why? Because otherwise, in almost all instances we have seen, the edited images you receive will be USELESS to you to do with other than to probably print to approximately A4 at most and some times may be not even that! Some times, mostly as a result of using non-professional or non-fullframe camera’s, the images even unedited are unsuitable to print to more than A4 to the Pixel Width & Height combined with the PPI (Pixels Per Inch).
  • Digital enlargement, is often a waste of time. A poor quality image enlarged is still a poor quality image! Unless it is then significantly edited and manipulated etc – So why start with some one that cannot produce a high quality image to start with?
  • Use of terms such as High Definition and High Resolution are used at lot and this is some times designed to keep you in the dark as to what you are actually getting. Insist on knowing the Pixel Height, Pixel Width and PPI of ALL the images you are getting – should be 5716 * 3744 and 300PPI as a minimum from images taken with a Full Frame Professional Camera.
  • How do you find out the Pixel dimensions and PPI of the images?
    • Windows: Single Right Click on the Image and Single Left Click on Properties and go to Details Tab and look at the attributes.
    • Mac: Control + Click on the image and the “Get Info”
    • Feel cheated? Contact your Photographer!
  • As guide only – We have designed and completed a simple set of questions that we feel you need to ask BEFORE you engage your photographer.

Notes:

There may be errors contained in this note – this is not intentional however we ask you to not act on this information and to research and come to your own independent conclusions on this subject matter.