Why are photos so expensive

[OSUZorba]

Photos are actually developed in chemicals and not 'printed' on a three color printer. That process would be far too slow, a lot more expensive, and deliver a lower quality photo that can fade quickly. They do recycle the paper and silver oxides from the prints that are not purchased by cruisers.

 

I consider $19.95 to be very expensive compared to the prices we paid years' ago when they had cheaper 5x7's. We normally get our 2 free photos and call it a day.

 

Now days almost all professional photographs are printed, not developed. They are printed on photographic paper, using high end archival photographic ink. They are high end, specialized printers, paper and ink, but still printers.

[memassey]

We don't mind paying their prices for (some of) the posed pro-shots. However, we won't pay $10+ for the random shots taken while in ports or at the pool or at supper - if they sold these at $3-5 each we would buy all of them!

[S.A.M.J.R.]

The Disney photopass system is very good.

And a pretty good bargain IMO.

 

An AI we stayed at last year had photographers roaming the pool deck with animals to take pictures of people holding the animals (you weren't allowed to take your own picture). At the end of the week, we went to their kiosk. They wanted $15/picture to put them on CD... no printing at all.

 

I don't know how many pictures a cabin generally ends up with, but I'm guessing <50(?). IMO, $150 for an "every picture" CD would be reasonable. Maybe $150 if you order before you board/as you board, then $200 if you order it later.

[davenew]

I have seen people taking photos of their photos. I am not a camera buff so could they get good pictures doing this ?

Depends on the camera or phone lens quality and photo quality settings.

Most digital cameras/phones now have 12+ megapixel lenses etc. Most of the cruise cameras are Nikon's and probably have similar quality electronics.

Nothing will be as good as the orignal due to minor distortion, hand shake etc, but if you set for this, they are acceptable for the amount of thime you will view them later. :D

[davenew]

Now days almost all professional photographs are printed, not developed. They are printed on photographic paper, using high end archival photographic ink. They are high end, specialized printers, paper and ink, but still printers.

Even the canvas prints are "printed" and not developed.

In the old days you would "fix" the print, or encapsulate with a plastic film, but now they use laser printers.

Just ask my DW, who tried to remove a mark from our cruise canvas print with a damp cloth.

I now have a white mark on my black tux where the ink came off :eek:

[Mr. Click]

As a professional photographer for too many years I don't think the price of $19.95 for a single 8x10 is out of line at all. When you consider the costs, the equipment--my total capital investment is over $40K, the cost of the staff, even if they work for peanuts and the cost of the computers and software and the processing, whether it is ink printed or regular photo paper. None of this is cheap and they feel they have a captive market. DW always wants to buy some pictures of us because it is the one time I am actually in some pictures. With that said, I find the quality of the work is generally pretty poor and the ship's photographers pretty annoying and pushy. We had one break into song "Don't go breaking my heart" when we told her no thank you as we left the ship in one port and again at dinner one night. Not professional at all. I also don't like they way they take over areas of the ship on formal nights and literally block anyone's access to the area. Oh, I charge a minimum of $8 for a single 8x10 print and that is after I get paid my hourly rate for shooting an event. That is the same 8x10 I pay Costco to print for $1.49 on real photo paper and I always make my prints lustre, not glossy. Just hate that glossy look.

[smoosh21]

I do think in these days of digital photography they could just show the photos on a screen and you could order if you want them. Seems strange they would take the room in printing and showing all photos the way they do.

 

The photos are very expensive but still cheaper than going to a studio and having them done so for relatives and memories and for someone who is usually behind the camera and never gets a photos with hubby it is a nice treat to get one :)

 

They are moving in this direction. They have kiosks now that allow you to swipe your sea pass card and bring up pictures of your group. All of the photos taken of you on board are not printed out.

[m*u*g*]

Not saying these photographers are your typical professionals, but better than the pop-up variety you see hawing their services in your neighborhood after getting a camera for Christmas.

 

Try a real professional and see what they charge. My instructor will charge $325 for a 11x14 and can sell those all day long. Quality is the difference.

[Paul65]

We recently had our pictures taken for a church photo directory. They essentially take the pictures and put the directory together for free, in exchange for the opportunity to try to sell pictures to the members. If we wanted to buy pictures, they wanted almost $70 for a single 8x10 or sheet of two 5x7s. And you don't get the copyright release with that.

 

If you want to have professionally done pictures, the cruise prices are actually pretty good. If you don't care about having them taken by a professional photographer, just have someone take a picture of you with your own camera.

[Don Pedro]

They sort of do. They scanned my Seapass card before taking my photo. But this wasn't done all the time. I guess they are trying to phase this system in. But you can't view them online at home.

 

The Disney photopass system is very good.

 

My understanding is that, at least on the Oasis and Allure, they use facial recognition software that is linked to the security photo taken when you processed onto the ship. On your sea pass card there is an entry that says photo followed by a couple numbers. When you go to the photo area that number tells you what folder to pull to see your photos.

 

I know I had several photos in my folder and never had my sea pass card scanned before the photos were taken.

[A&L_Ont]

Those 4 were from the first couple voyages and they were actually much cheaper than.

 

 

Now your comment makes more sense.:)

[chadbeck]

I'm not sure why you'd think reusing paper versus buying new paper would be a huge waste of money. :confused:

 

Because they are getting it for around .20 a sheet or less if I can get it for that so I'm sure it's even less. There is know way they can reuse it that cheap. Even if you figure they can do do the entire process with labor for .50 figuring on a ship like allure you have 4 pictures taken that would be $7200 a week cheaper using new. Now look at it for 52 weeks fleet wide now we are in the millions. I'm not saying they don't recycle the paper just not going through the process of making it new photo quality paper

[davenew]

As a professional photographer for too many years I don't think the price of $19.95 for a single 8x10 is out of line at all. When you consider the costs, the equipment--my total capital investment is over $40K, the cost of the staff, even if they work for peanuts and the cost of the computers and software and the processing, whether it is ink printed or regular photo paper. None of this is cheap and they feel they have a captive market. DW always wants to buy some pictures of us because it is the one time I am actually in some pictures. With that said, I find the quality of the work is generally pretty poor and the ship's photographers pretty annoying and pushy. We had one break into song "Don't go breaking my heart" when we told her no thank you as we left the ship in one port and again at dinner one night. Not professional at all. I also don't like they way they take over areas of the ship on formal nights and literally block anyone's access to the area. Oh, I charge a minimum of $8 for a single 8x10 print and that is after I get paid my hourly rate for shooting an event. That is the same 8x10 I pay Costco to print for $1.49 on real photo paper and I always make my prints lustre, not glossy. Just hate that glossy look.

I was also a photographer for many years, and I find the quality of the posed phhotographs really poor. They are obviously trained to take many shots without any idea of composition.

I am 6" 2" and they always stand me so that my DW is sitting. The height variation is pathetic. :D

[time4u2go]

Because they are getting it for around .20 a sheet or less if I can get it for that so I'm sure it's even less. There is know way they can reuse it that cheap. Even if you figure they can do do the entire process with labor for .50 figuring on a ship like allure you have 4 pictures taken that would be $7200 a week cheaper using new. Now look at it for 52 weeks fleet wide now we are in the millions. I'm not saying they don't recycle the paper just not going through the process of making it new photo quality paper

 

.50 for labor to reuse? Seriously? I don't see how it's anywhere near that expensive. I doubt it's a manual process, with people doing it by hand or anything.

 

If it was cheaper to buy new than to reuse, don't you think they'd be doing that?

[chadbeck]

.50 for labor to reuse? Seriously? I don't see how it's anywhere near that expensive. I doubt it's a manual process, with people doing it by hand or anything.

 

If it was cheaper to buy new than to reuse, don't you think they'd be doing that?

 

 

That also would include whatever the cost of the chemicals, machine/equipment-whatever. That is my point is I don't think they are "washing" photo paper. I think what the photographer meant was they recycle the paper just like they recycle a paper cup. Did you think the process was just drop it in the box and it would come out perfect photo paper again with no cost? If someone is making $10per hr that is $.16ish per minute to just push a button, walk, do whatever. That is what I pay for the same photo paper.

 

 

Sorry this is a stupid debate that really doesn't matter either way. I'll stop

[Paul65]

Sorry this is a stupid debate that really doesn't matter either way. I'll stop

 

I'm with you on this, though. I've seen people claim that they "wash off the ink and reuse" the photo paper, but I don't think that sounds very likely to me. If it's true, I'd be curious to know more about the process of how that works.

 

Either it would have to be crappy ink that doesn't adhere well to the paper or they'd have to use some special chemicals that dissolve the ink without damaging the paper. And surely, even if that were possible, there would be some limit to how many times a sheet of photo paper could be reused. How do they track how many times it's been through the process? And is someone sorting through to throw out pieces that get creased or wrinkled?

 

I just find it highly doubtful that these things get reused. And even so, it would be a waste of ink, which can be more expensive than the paper.

[PLEIKU68]

Talking as a pro photographer they are great value, half the price I charge.

 

How many of you tip the photographer?? Not many at a guess.!

 

 

What are you smoking ? You charge $40 a shot and expect a tip ! :eek:

[Paul65]

What are you smoking ? You charge $40 a shot and expect a tip ! :eek:

 

I think that was the point, that the photographers are NOT working for tips. They have to make their money off the photos. :cool:

[Jason12]

What are you smoking ? You charge $40 a shot and expect a tip ! :eek:

 

I don't smoke :)

 

I never expect or have ever taken a tip I'm British..just curious cause the US cruisers say they tip everyone but never heard anyone say they tip them.?

 

As for the paper issue, onboard prints are chemical lab based papers and cost pennies to produce, ink printing costs 10 times that of a lab print and takes 10 times longer. And yes they shred unused prints.

[hersheyk19]

I was on your same sailing and we did purchase 2- 8X10 photos for $30 (had a coupon for buy 1, get 1 1/2 off as a gold member). We took hundreds of our own pics, but we really liked the formal pic with the background of the whole Oasis on the ocean in the background. It would have been hard to get a nice pic like that with my tiny camera. I couldn't ever get the whole ship into 1 picture. So we did splurge but will probably never buy another photo from them.

[mommabean]

When Radiance and Rhapsody are in Australia, the 8x10s are $24.95. As soon as they leave Hawaii to head back to Alaska, the price is again lowered to $19.95.

 

The 5x7s are higher in Australia, too.

 

In fact the price of just about everything on board is higher in Australia except for the specialty restaurants which stay the same and the bag of laundry which is lowered to $15. :confused:

 

Gina

[PeterPan]

I am interested in how you use a chemical process to print digital photos. Where does the negative come from? Frankly, I doubt they use chemicals on the ship. Here is a short video from the company that provides photo services on many ships:

 

http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=SF3Bwcz1klU&desktop_uri=%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DSF3Bwcz1klU

 

I also don't think they use ink. There are thermal transfer photo printers capable of printing an 8 x10 in seconds.

 

http://www.adorama.com/IFJASK40008.html?utm_term=Other&utm_medium=Affiliate&utm_campaign=Other&utm_source=cj_3726866

 

The video clearly shows photos coming off a printer, not out of a chemical bath.

[feealicious]

LOL those prices are a tad ridiculous, and the photos are just okay IMO. I am taking my Mark with me to shoot and am so so excited to take pictures myself, for free! :) I am a professional photographer and saw samples of the photos taken on the ship, and ones posted by people and laughed out loud. Those are just simple snapshots. Not worth what they try to charge! CANNOT wait to share some of my photos with everyone from the cruise next week! Here is one of my shots from the beach last summer: