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As many of you know, for the past two years Christina Ann Photography has not offered digital packages.  The reasons behind this are many.  One is that consumer ready labs have much lower grade materials and, being the picky person that I am, I do not like the idea of Christina Ann Photography being represented on walls by sub-par product.  Another reason is that copyright is horribly  misunderstood.  Don’t take it personally.  Until I was officially “an artist,” copyright laws didn’t mean much to me either.  Now that it is my livelihood and means of supporting my family, it’s a pretty big deal!  However, without knowing what copyright laws allow clients to do with digital images, it’s pretty easy to break them.  I won’t go into a big dissertation on copyright, but you can read some helpful articles on how it pertains to  you here and here.

So why am I offering them now?  A big reason is that it’s what YOU want!  I know I have lost business due to not offering digital images and, honestly, that doesn’t really bother me.  What bothers me is that so many of you have faithfully been asking me to return and capture your families moments despite the fact that you really wish you could get your hands on digital copies of the pictures.  I SO appreciate all of you!  It’s a huge compliment of your faith in my abilities that you continue to choose to use me despite the disc of images you wish you were walking away with.  Another big reason is that my time is very limited.  In case you didn’t know, on top of being a wife, a mommy of two and a photographer, I also work two other jobs.  Ordering, packaging, delivering and shipping can be a very time consuming process.  Adding digital images will hopefully let me give a little bit more time back to my family.

So…on to the details!

What will I get with my digital package?
There are two different digital packages.  One consists of your 10 favorite images for $125, the other option is your complete gallery for $150.  All images will be sized to gift print size and smaller (high-resolution) and will be given to you with limited copyright release for personal printing.

What is “gift print size?”
Gift print sizes are pictures sized 8×10 and smaller.  Yes, this means that larger wall art and custom products will still need to be ordered directly through me.  Remember the above statement on me being picky?  It’s a quality control issue!  Trust me, when your large prints and canvases don’t fade, discolor or disintegrate in three years, you’ll thank me.

What do you mean by “limited copyright release?”
Copyright laws state that the photographer is the owner of the image from the moment it is first taken.  This means the photographer has sole rights to say how the image is used.  I realize this might not make much sense (“Uhh…I paid you to take my pictures and it’s a picture of ME!”) but the laws are in place to protect artists and to insure that they can maintain a living from their work.  A disc of images, even paid for, does not give one sole rights to the images, meaning ownership of the images still belongs to Christina Ann Photography.  With limited copyright release you will be able to print as many 8×10 and smaller copies of your images as you so desire for personal use.  If you want to print them for family members and give them as gifts – go for it!  If you want to print one of every image and put them in a scrapbook, whew, this is way cheaper than ordering a print of every image!

Soo…what can I NOT do with the images on the disc, then?
Copyright law states that you cannot:

1) alter the images in any way, meaning you may not crop them differently, re-edit them, colorize or de-colorize them or change them in any way from the original image
2) sell copies for profit
3) enter the photos in any contests
4) print images larger than 8×10 or custom products such as canvases, cards, albums etc.

I promise, these are not just my silly rules.  These actions are considered copyright infringement.  Because of this, be sure to let me know ahead of time if there are any images that you would like turned black and white, cropped differently or any touch-ups that you would like done.  Trust me, the quality which I can provide in these areas will give a much better end result!

Will the images be watermarked?
No!  It would actually be illegal for a printer to print them if they were!  It technically is also illegal for a printer to print them without a copyright release, so make sure you keep it in a safe place for any future copies you may want to make.  You will still receive watermarked images for online sharing.  Please do NOT use the regular images for online sharing.  Images are more easily stolen online than any other way.

Do I have to order the digital package to get gift print sized pictures?
Nope!  The digital packages will be provided a la carte just like all other print options.  If you just want one BIG canvas and two smaller pictures for the grandparents, that’s all you need to order!  You can still order any size individually with no obligation to purchase any size as either a print or a digital package.

**For a limited time, clients who have had sessions prior to the release of the digital package can save BIG on digital images.  If you are a client who has not yet placed their minimum order, the package remains at full price.  If you have previously had a session and placed an order between $100-$200, you may request a full digital package for $50.  If you had a previously had a session and placed an order greater than $200, you may request a full digital package for $25.  To discuss ordering your digital package from a previous session, please contact me at christina@christinaann.com.  This offer will expire on April 30, 2012.

If you have additional questions concerning the new digital package and/or policies of Christina Ann Photography, please leave them in the comment section of this post so that I can answer them where everyone can see.  Chances are if you have the question, so does everyone else!

And, because no post should go pictureless, here’s a sweet detail shot from a recent newborn session…