Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why are all my gallery photos watermarked?

A: The unfortunate reality is that there are just enough people willing to take the finished product of someone else’s time and material investment without paying for the final product that they essentially ruin things for everyone else.  I loathe using watermarks.  I find them obnoxious and it takes up more of my time to place them on images as well.  I am sure that anyone willing to take images without paying for the service successfully rationalizes their actions so that they would not describe themselves as stealing.  The watermark is there solely to make the preview gallery images unappealing to those people who would steal them.  The other obvious option would be to change the license terms and only provide physical products such as framed prints which would substantially raise all costs.

Q: Will the photographs I buy be watermarked?

A: No, absolutely not.  Purchased photographs are full resolution with no watermarks.  Only the gallery images are low resolution with a prominent watermark.

Q: How are my purchased photographs licensed?

A: Standard dance school sessions or personal portrait sessions are licensed for unlimited personal use.  They can be used for Facebook, LinkedIn, printed, used in digital slide shows, etc.  They are not licensed for any commercial use such as advertising. Commercial photography sessions such as corporate headshots or photographs to be used in promotional materials are licensed on a case by case basis since the terms of the license directly affect cost.

Q:  What kind of file is a .zip and what do I do with it?

A:  Photos that are sold as a package are collected together in a .zip file so that they can be a single download.  Zip files are a type of lossless file compression that is just being used in this case as a way to gather multiple photos into a single file.  The file does not affect the quality of the photos in any way.  To extract the photos simple double click on the file then drag the .jpg photographs to some other location on your computer such as the desktop.  This method works on both Apple Macs and Microsoft Windows computers.

Q: How much space is needed for action shots?

A: The minimum space required to accommodate the lights, backdrop, and a moving dancer is 25 feet long by 20 feet wide.  More space is always better as it gives more flexibility; more options.

Q: Where should I have my photos printed?

A: There are lots of good options out there today.  For mail order processing I have been very pleased with Bay Photo (https://www.bayphoto.com/).  Bay photo has lots of great options ranging from standard prints to metal prints.  Mpix (https://www.mpix.com/) is also highly reviewed, though I have no personal experience with their products.  Costco and Walgreens are both good local choices that are less expensive though they do not offer as many options.  Some online companies offer enticing coupons or very low prices and then charge higher than normal shipping and handling fees.  One example is an online printer that charges around $10 shipping and handling per print rather than per order.