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A letter on my door step. portraits are more than paper.
Posted by: | CommentsThere will be no portrait photos in this post. This letter wasn’t mailed – it was at my doorstep when I got home a couple months ago. I read it, I cried, and read it again – probably a hundred times by now. It wasn’t easy to read – and honestly, as much as it validates what I do for a living – I wasn’t sure I was going to share it either – Until today, when a past client said that my print prices were too expensive. If you choose to read through the letter, you will know why I’ve finally chosen to share it.
July 2nd, 2011
Jeanine -
Today I am writing for a couple of reasons. I have some quiet time at the moment and need to get a couple of things off my mind. I will leave this for my husband to deliver to you when he is ready.
You photographed my wedding, you photographed my first pregnancy and my first baby. I contacted you awhile back to photograph my 2nd child and family. After getting prices and realizing I would want all of the pictures as we love your work – I decided against spending $500+ – which is what I normally spend for portraits and prints with you.. Please know it is not because I don’t value your amazing eye, or how much we love the experience.
That week that I decided to NOT do a session with you, this is how I spent some money.
On Sunday I called and cancelled our session. Monday I went out and got my hair cut ($39+tip), and colored ($65), Thursday I had my nails done ($24), my family went out to dinner at a somewhat expensive restaurant for no particular reason costing us $79 + tip. This was just 4 days since canceling our session, already totaling over $200 for un necessary things. My nails only lasted about 2 weeks, my hair is gone, and seven weeks passed when I got the phone call from our doctor. It was not something I expected and the cancer has spread very quickly. I will be leaving my husband, my 6 year old girl and my now 2 year old – not by choice. It is very hard for me to talk about it which is why I need to write you.
I watch your Facebook page and your posts about the value of a photo and if I could give back all of those things that I purchased this few weeks after I cancelled my session with you, knowing what I know now, and have that session, well… I would do it in a heartbeat.
Now my time is done and there are no more chances for me. The next time someone cancels a session – my wish is that you forward this letter to them. Time is fragile, it is gone before you know you had it. If you charged $200 for one print it wouldn’t be enough for what it is actually worth. I cringe to think that my priorities were a manicure over a memory to pass onto my babies and husband.
My love and thanks for what you have given us from past photos. I am so sorry that I did not see it as more than paper until now.
Karen L.
Kissing Claus’s – Newest Decoration
Posted by: | CommentsWe now have 12 different light show songs of Christmas all set to music. Mary and I hope you're enjoying our 2009 Light Show at the beginning of "TOYLAND" Street. Stop by the house at 124 Sioux Ave in Bismarck and enjoy throughout the Holiday Season. Listen on your car radio at 104.1-FM. Our newest decoration is Kissing Mr & Mrs Santa Claus. Kinda cute, don't ya think?
Give us your comments. We'd love to hear what you have to say!
Display My Portrait in Sunlight?
Posted by: | Comments
We recently delivered this incredible Family Portrait to Heather.
After she got it home, she sent me this email: “I noticed
that our wall portrait is getting a lot of direct sunlight throughout the
afternoon. Will it be okay”
I did some research, and sent her this message:
The short answer, I’d move it if you can. I know you had a special
place for it, so it might not be practical, but here’s the scoop.
It’s interesting that the “light” that makes photography possible is also photography’s worst enemy.
When you display your portrait under direct sunlight, it is much more light per minute than ordinary room light. Sunshine is about 16 times more intense than open shade. Of course, normal room light is even less than shade. When I go in our living room with the shades open, the sunlight measures 256 time more intense than that.
Display it in sunlight if you want. It will likely look beautiful. But it could noticeably fade in a matter of months rather than years. Under normal room light only, it will fade, but much less noticeable and it will take many many years to get there.
It is for this reason, that the certificate on the back of your print says “NEVER display your print in direct sunlight, even for a few minutes per day”. Those few minutes per day add up to a year’s worth of fading in only a couple weeks.
Now, on the other hand, these modern photographic papers are more stable than they EVER have been.
They resist fading like no other time in history. The paper your portrait is on claims that it is resistant to significant fading for 100 years under normal room light. Of course, direct sunlight is not normal room light. In addition, your print is coated with a UV protectant lacquer. That coating resists the harmful UV rays.
As your photographer, we’ve done everything we can to make sure the portrait lasts a long time.
Hope this information helps.
Very interesting!
Tell us YOUR portrait story. Comment below or send us an email.
craig@craig-schmidt.com
Christmas Lights 2008
Posted by: | CommentsHope you're enjoying the computerized Christmas Light Display. Post your comments or questions here! Listen on our low power FM station at 107.3 FM and tell your friends about it too.
Have a Merry Christmas. All the best in the New Year. From Craig and Mary.
