My kids

[Surface Tension]

My wifes birthday is coming up and I thought I'd try and take an outdoor shot of the kids, with a lens of coarse, a Kodak CX7430 4 meg a pixel to be exact

So I put the image on a CD and head to Sam's Club to use their self serve terminal to print an 8x10. In the process you have to agree that your not violating copy right laws.

I finish the task and bring the photo to the clerk and she asks who took this picture? Now I'm not a photo whiz and I figured she was going to critique me or something. Anyway I said I did. The women in line next to me said thats a nice picture, I said thanks. Well the clerk was sure I was making prints of someone else's work. I was flattered more then put off by the remark and said I just took the picture and the kids are still wearing the same clothes as in the pic. After signing some stuff saying I took the picture and being handed a pamphlet on copy right laws the clerk gave me the picture back.

I doubt it'll ever happen again to me but is there some way to prove your not coping someone else's work?

I made a frame out of sticks and birch bark and gave the picture to my wife as a gift. She really liked it.

[Tom Wilson]

Surface,

The good folks at Sam's are doing their job to protect those of us that actually do use photography to make money. The simple fact of the matter is that your photo is very, very good. It has very good composition, and great use of flash. It simply appears to be professionally done. Most people (who aren't into photography--grandma's, uncles, nieces, etc...) rarely if ever get photos to be that nice. However, there is a huge, huge problem with people taking their prints or proof files into stores and lying through their teeth that they took the photo. Sam's has been sued numerous times in the past, for reproducing copyrighted material, and so they are one of the most protective out there now. Back when I would get film developed, I used to get the same guff. You did great, and that is a wonderful photo.

[Steve Foss]

That's a great image, Frank. There's no real way to prove it isn't someone else's work. Even though you may be able to prove those are your kids, it's still possible in the clerk's mind that you took an image made by a portrait photographer, scanned it, brought it on a CD to the store and are reproducing it. That would be a copyright violation. If the photo looked like dump, you wouldn't have had to take that dump. Great photo, great gift.

[Surface Tension]

Thanks for the compliment. Coming from you guys it means a lot. I can understand why a photo shop would question some pictures. As I said its never happened to me before and it was more of a compliment then a hassel to me. I think I'll make prints for the grand parents.

I took 2 sets, the first had a little sunlight hitting my sons face, it didn't seem like much but was enough to darken the rest of the pic. Luckily we went back out to try again and the site was totally shaded. All I did was some arrangement and the camera did the rest.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Frank that is an awesome picture... there body language has the same angles as the trees in the background over your sons shoulder. Very pleaing to the eye. I think you stole the pict and STF or Tom Wislon did it.

[The_Duckslayer]

Not only is the photo superb, you have a couple of VERY good looking kids! Must get that from the wife huh? JK Take care and N Joy the Hunt././Jimbo

[Deitz Dittrich]

LOL @ duck.. now that was funny!!!!..