Fun & Formal . . . Elegant & Enjoyable! ™

Negatives (High-Resolution Files)

Not only do you keep the negatives, but they are actually worth keeping!

The changing face of Photography:

Film to Digital - (Why original full-size images are called "Negatives")

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Film has defined photography for a very long time. In fact, in the last century the two were inseperable. Then in the late 1990's digital cameras began to approach the quality of film. However, it has only been in the past 2-4 years that digital cameras have matched - and begun to surpass - film in many respects.

At our studio we photograph exclusively with high-resolution professional digital cameras. This means that our original files are high-resolution digital files.

When it came to film cameras, most professionals used Negative film. With those studios the original image was therefore captured on Negative film, and the orignals were simply called "Negatives".

That terminology is still common today - even when the original images are actually digital files on a disc. No matter how they are called, we give you the full-resolution files - not small (pixelated) files or just printed proofs.

Controlling the Negatives

Another revolution in the realm of Professional Photography is the question over who will have access to these "Negatives." One of the main questions brides ask photographers these days is whether they can keep the "Negatives."

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Here at Bair Photography we believe in giving the customer what they paid for - the images themselves! This means full personal access to the high-resolution files. We do maintain comercial access (meaning we can make money off them) or in other words, meaning we can post them on our website to interest people in our work.

This concept is shaking up professional photography, and has disrupted many studio's business models. Those models rely on huge print profits - since they own the monopoly on your wedding images.

We simply charge you for our time and give you the images! We also make available our fine art-quality professonal printing at a reasonable price for the quality we offer! In any case, you may do anything with the negatives as you wish as long as it is personal (non-commercial) use!

Plus, our Negatives are actually worth keeping!

Benefits of Getting the Negatives:

You always have them! If our studio burns down, the permanent record of your special day doesn't go up in flames as well.
You can secure their safety. Copy the files - PLEASE! Yes, that's right, we encourage you to make copies of the CD's! Why? If your house burns down, but you gave a copy to every set of parents and a few close friends, then you'll always have them!!!
You can make reprints for pennies on the dollar! Now this comes with a word of caution, we don't recommend "cheap" one-hour labs. Feel free to use them for making lots of "cheap" prints, but if something is going on the wall, use a professional lab, PLEASE. They will ensure that our/your accurate color files are reproduces accurately.
You can email them to friends! Other studios may frown on this, but we don't. In fact, we even provide you with online galleries!! (Check them out!).

How to Keep Your Pictures Permanent:

Our Customers are also given the Negatives on 100% archival GOLD CD's! These CD's are made to last much longer than regualar CD's.

Fact: Normal CD-R's will degrade in 5-15 years! This is because they are made with Dyes that fade and degrade. Our Gold CD's have a shelf life of 200+ years!

See InkJetArt's website for more info.

Care of CD-R's:

Never write on them! Seriously, markers that are not water-based (like Sharpies) will damage the surface and eat through the CD coating.
Never put a label on them! Again, the adhesive will degrade the CD.
Keep them out of light, store them in an archival box.
Make "working copies" of the CD's and then lock away the originals for safe keeping! This is so important. Once you get a GOLD CD-R from us, make a copy if you can (in fact make a ton of copies on cheap CD's and sent them to parents, etc. so there are multiple back-ups), and then store away the GOLD CD-R. This prevents scratching - something even these CD's are also prone to.

Doing these things will extend the life of your CD's almost indefinitely (especially making working copies and then locking up the originals).