Hi All This is Brietta,
First let me start by saying if I offended anyone before or if I do with this post I apologize. With that said let me clarify my position on this and in the process I will be popping a few "in the process surprises for some people" bubbles.
First, my intent was to put a group of photos together so anyone that wanted them would have access to them. It was NEVER to profit from this effort. $15 - 20 is really cheap for the number of photos on the CD once you break it down as follows:
$1.00 a CD
$1.00 for case and label
$6.95 for shipping them to you
$1.60 for insurance on shipping (so everyone is protected and if it gets lost you get your money back and so do I and you get another CD
)
Remainder of funds from CD were under discussion to my realm for their use. Or at least a percentage was going to my realm for it. Perhaps I would have kept enough to pay for batteries or another storage disc for the next event.
So on a $15 CD, $10.55 was going into making/shipping the CD and the rest was going to my realm and/or to replace batteries, etc. So my "take on the CD" would have been $2.22 not even enough to cover batteries for the weekend actually.
Now in comparison to what I charge just to get me out of my office and out into the real world of photography that is nothing. Let me show you an example:
$150 for me to book the photo shoot (one hour of my time/travel)
$75 an hour for anything over the first hour, and I charge for my waiting time that the client is changing/deciding what they want or talking on cell phone
CD of all photos taken without editing or release to use/print them is $50
CD of all photos edited and with release to use/print them for personal use $150 or more depending on editing
Prints vary by size and medium they are laid on
*side note about editing on website...photos that would be on actual CD are edited slightly different for printing purposes -- what looks good on computer screen does not neccessarily look good in print and as for mediocre editing and the software I use -- editing was fast and done during early morning hours while I was bored and not done to print quality on purpose and any and all software I use is well within my legal rights to use, ie paid for and registered to ME!*
So to get a full day of "event" pictures would be rather expensive to say the least. A wedding/reception can run upwards of $2000 and more. I get paid to do this in real life. I am good with that, this was truly an idea to put my photos out there in one collection, on a media that is easily used by all, and to help my realm out.
Pictures would have NEVER been sold for a profit without the express written permission of the subjects involved. And speaking of the more known subjects, such as Forkbeard. I specifically marked his photo so that printing it would make it look like S---! So noone would even think about using it as their own or for profit!
As for the realm having "exclusive" rights to the photography, I have NO issue with the realms have "rights" to use them but not exclusive rights (as in I lose my rights to them and recieve no credit for them), as a matter of fact (here goes the first bubble) I was going to make CDs for the realms hosting the events and give to them free of any charge, along With a full rights disclosure to use at their discretion, and asking them to refer inquiries as to whom the photog was back to me.
Second bubble, Forkbeard, the one that is not perfectly edited of you was in the works to be completely edited, printed either on canvas or printed and framed in a leather setting for you to have. I WOULD NEVER have sold this picture to anyone for any purpose. It is NOT on the CD and never would have been no matter how many people have begged for it (you know who you are!) It was something I was in the process of doing for you. I was told you would like it when I mentioned to some.
So bottom line is: If people have issues with this then I will cease and desist. However it was never intended to be a profit making venture, it was meant to be a service to event attendees and my realm.
If there are comments that need to be made to me I would prefer them be addressed to me in private rather than clogging the boards. As of know my pictures will be pulled down and not shared until this is resolved.
As for those that ordered CDS and have sent payment, and now are voicing your discontent over this issue, your money will be returned and no CDs mailed, until this is resolved.
Brie