photo formats.

bpm78

Hi,

Not sure if anyone can help here but worth a try anyways.

My problem is that I have a whole load of wedding photos.
However they are encoded in bitmap format.

Therefore I cant resize them or print them.

For whatever reason before our wedding, when talking to our photographer, we assumed that the photos would be provided to us.
While they were provided on a DVD, they are not usable per the reasons above.

So now the photographer is saying that a 80E charge per photo is now required to provide the photo in usable format.

Alternative to that is get a album which is just too expensive.

So basically we are left without any photographer photos from our wedding and simple cannot afford the options above.

Is there anyway to convert the bitmaps to a usable format?

Would appreciate any thoughts/suggestions.
Thank you.

dazftw

I will convert them for you, for free

Also name and shame that photographer who's charging you €80 per photo. It takes about 10 seconds to convert the photo! :rolleyes:

What a ****in cowboy

Paulw

dazftw wrote: »

I will convert them for you, for free(if there isn't too many)

Also name and shame that photographer who's charging you €80 per photo. It takes about 10 seconds to convert the photo! :rolleyes:

*cough copyright*

dazftw

Paulw wrote: »

*cough copyright*

what?

joolsveer

What is the issue with the format? Is jpeg not a bitmap format?

dazftw

joolsveer wrote: »

What is the issue with the format? Is jpeg not a bitmap format?

It's probably bitmap, but it will only open in photoshop or ms paint as far as I know. I'm sure OP isn't great with editing photo's.

bpm78

well if we get the album then its frees the photos (per the photographer). but that will cost at least another 1000E (after outllaying 3000 for the day itself)
so is this standard practice?
or copyright?
or a way of getting more business?

we rushed into the decision of getting him due to this high reputation.

I guess its our own fault not to have got and understood clearly all the terms of the deal.

bpm78

in relation to the format, I can open and view the files. however they are like "matchbook" photos if that makes any sense. if I save as jpeg, it wont resize. it will be blurred completely.

Paulw

dazftw wrote: »

what?

The OP may not have the right to reproduce the images provided, so converting them to jpg to allow the OP to reproduce (print) is most likely a breach of copyright.

The OP should go back and check their contract with the photographer, and have a discussion with the photographer.

Getting print quality images on CD isn't always part of the standard package, and may be an extra charge. That's how many photographer make their money - from additional prints.

dazftw

match book as in small? like the size of a match book on the screen?

bpm78

yeah match book as in small.

melekalikimaka

dazftw wrote: »

I will convert them for you, for free

Also name and shame that photographer who's charging you €80 per photo. It takes about 10 seconds to convert the photo! :rolleyes:

What a ****in cowboy

clearly the are small versions, to show what images are available to prevent printing without the COPYRIGHT OWNERS CONSENT

dazftw

Yeah it does make sense now that I know you have thumbnail size images. They're essentially proof's. I thought he provided you with the full size images in such a way you would have to give him more money no matter what.

I guess you paid him for the wedding but not actual photos.

Still though, OP probably paid well over a €1000 for this guy to shoot the wedding and now he's charging €1000 more for an album or €80 per photo. Those photo's would want to be fairly good.

daycent

bpm78 wrote: »

For whatever reason before our wedding, when talking to our photographer, we assumed that the photos would be provided to us.

That was your first mistake. You should never assume anything when it comes out to shelling out a few grand to someone for any service. Most photographers now provide high res files on disc, but it would have (or should have) been obvious to begin with. All it takes is one question to find out. It amazes me at times the lack of thought/research people put into these decisions!

Paulw

dazftw wrote: »

Still though, OP probably paid well over a €1000 for this guy to shoot the wedding and now he's charging €1000 more for an album or €80 per photo. Those photo's would want to be fairly good.

It doesn't matter if he paid €1 or €1,000,000, it's down to the contract and what was agreed. If the photographer didn't agree to provide print quality images on CD, then the OP has no choice but to go back to the photographer and come to a further agreement.

Wedding photographers vary in price, quality and what they provide. That's why it is so important to read the contract and make sure you understand what you're getting for what you are paying.

The OP didn't do enough research or didn't discuss things enough with the photographer at the start.

AnCatDubh

I think the guys above have basically outlined where things are at for you - small digital images are basically going to be useless in terms of getting any decent sized prints from them, and in any case - to do so is most likely breaching the terms of whatever contract you may have with your photographer, and in all likelihood will be breaking the photographers genuine right to the copyright of the images including all reproduction of same (unless specific assignment of the images through the contract perhaps?).

With all that covered, do I understand you correctly that you paid your photographer €3000 and haven't ended up with a single print / album out of the deal? High reputation or not, this sounds harsh.

bpm78

thanks for all the replies.

like I mentioned, it was rush last minute decision to go with this photographer. so while I take responsibility for not doing the necessary, he or his staff did not make it clear either. My assumption was obviously incorrect about the content of the dvd.

I didnt think that access to my photos would be linked to further cost either by an album or individual prints.

For thee 3000E, it covered the day, a book of the photos and the DVD (which is of no use to me).
So we have no prints for a frame at this time.

My relationship with the photographer is not very good at this point but I will have to re-address.

Thanks again for the input. you live and learn. however I;m hoping the experience will not have to stand to me in future - I'm hoping I wont need a wedding photographer again!
thanks.

PCPhoto

so you paid 3K for a photographer

and only getting a DVD of images and a photobook (containing X amount of pics)

thats a fair chunk to pay without knowing what you are getting - are the pics/proofs good ? I would assume the person is a reputable photographer and did the job properly, did you sign a contract with the photographer outlining what would be done on the day and what you would receive afterwards ?

bpm78

well I knew I was getting the photographer for the day, a book of the photos and the dvd. I knew an album would cost more. that was fine. I assumed (obviously incorrectly) that the content of the dvd would be usable in that I could simply print off a couple myself without having the expense of getting an album.

like I said, that was my own fault in a rushed decision.

the photographer is high quality and photos are high quality - no problem there. only the (hidden) expense of getting prints now (which I cant afford at this time).

Nforce

3K for a photobook and a DVD of proof images???????!!!!!


:eek:

Is the book cover diamond encrusted with gold leaf pages?

bpm78

thats very helpful NForce.
you are real comedian.

eas

hi bpm,

Shame about this situation. As PCP mentioned, I'd have a look at your contract to see what the terms of the DVD are, just to be sure.

AnCatDubh

eas wrote: »

have a look at your contract to see what the terms of the DVD are, just to be sure.

Apart from it being unfortunate as to the predicament you now find yourself in, and with the relationship fraught with the photographer themselves (as reported earlier), the above point may be salient indeed.

No legal expert here (the following does not constitute legal advice) but does the contract indicate that you clearly are getting images of very low quality in digital format - ie. is it that the reasonable expectation once the your contract has been fulfilled that you will have free to use images available to you - if my basic understanding of contract law is still valid you need offer, acceptance, and compensation. In this case the offer may be questionable which a legal eagle would need to give an opinion on.

There is a big difference between being sold the idea that you will get all of your images on DVD (reasonable expectation thinking these are usable images) and being sold the idea that you will get a DVD slideshow of your wedding images suitable for playing on your TV period.

Unfortunately you'd then be into litigation as to the original contract and whether that would be an option for you or not is likely to be for discussion - given you would thereby be taking a punt on winning/costs/etc..... (imho, the law isn't a nice place to go unless you are 100% sure of winning and even then it is only 50/50 at best your chances).

Hope it works out for you one way or the other.

bpm78

AnCatDubh, thanks alot for your thoughts.
I will revisit the situation.
thanks to all others also for the helpful responses.

Paulw

AnCatDubh wrote: »

No legal expert here (the following does not constitute legal advice) but does the contract indicate that you clearly are getting images of very low quality in digital format - ie. is it that the reasonable expectation once the your contract has been fulfilled that you will have free to use images available to you - if my basic understanding of contract law is still valid you need offer, acceptance, and compensation. In this case the offer may be questionable which a legal eagle would need to give an opinion on.

There is a big difference between being sold the idea that you will get all of your images on DVD (reasonable expectation thinking these are usable images) and being sold the idea that you will get a DVD slideshow of your wedding images suitable for playing on your TV period.

Even if you are given high res images, that doesn't automatically give you the right to make prints from them. It will depend on the contract and any license given by the photographer.

Don't assume you have the right to print images provided on CD as it still may be a breach of copyright to do so.

It always goes back to the contract and what was agreed.

AnimalRights

I'm with Darren on this, this photographer puts off more people and give photographers a bad name.
OP just pm Darren with details and let him do it, ignore everyone else.

magicbastarder

Paulw wrote: »

Don't assume you have the right to print images provided on CD as it still may be a breach of copyright to do so.

if a non-photographer was told that they would be getting a CD of images from the shoot, and there are no conditions stipulated, it's a reasonable assumption that they are being given the images for their own use, and that they are the full images.