Brandywine Digital

BACKGROUND
Why digital?	Our biggest reason for making our operation all-digital is that it is more efficient than film. It is not less expensive than film-based photography. Digital cameras cost three to five times what equivalent film cameras cost. Our cost per print and our staffing costs are considerably higher than comparable film based operation. We waste and pollute less. By not running back and forth to film labs and darkrooms we spend more time servicing our customers. Digital photography also allows us to stay through the end of some events, capturing last minute action and championship celebrations, and have those photos available for customers before they leave the venue.
What about quality?	Digital camera and photo printing technologies have improved dramatically in the last few years. Digital photo prints made with the appropriate printing technologies rival the best 35mm prints and in some ways surpass them. While it's true that a 35mm negative still contains several times more image information than the files created by any small-format digital camera, hardware and software technology are catching up rapidly and allow us to continually expand the bounds of image quality.
How long do photos stay on your system?	Photos from most events will remain available for at least one year. As costs of maintaining our image library have far exceeeded the revenue generated by the library, we are no longer maintaining photos indefinitely. Currently we have approximately two years of photos readily available.
Do you do weddings?	We avoid weddings at all costs. Over the years we've done just enough to know that it's not what we like, and we don't want to go back. There are a few wedding photographers we recommend. One can be found here: http://www.rlphoto.net
When will photos from my event be on the web site?	Typically it takes us two to three work days after an event to get everything sorted and uploaded to the web servers, but we can not and will not quote a specific time that photos will be available after an event. Bigger events, multiple events in a given weekend, and technical difficulties can cause delays. We ask for a little leeway here. At a busy tournament it is not uncommon for some of us to work 40+ hours from Friday afternoon to Sunday evening; Monday is our day off. Preparing photos for on-line viewing is a time and labor intensive process. We appreciate your enthusiasm to see photos, but every phone call and e-mail to which we have to respond regarding the status of new events takes away from our ability to process the photos, and the answer doesn't change — we're working on it, and it takes as long as it takes. It is impossible for us to predict exactly how long the entire process will take or when a particular team will come up in the rotation.
CUSTOMER SERVICE & PRODUCT INFORMATION
Why were there no photos of my kid?	We don't intentionally ignore anyone. Let's face it; we're in business to make a profit, and refusing to offer service to potential customers is just not sound business sense. There are many factors that govern why certain players get more photos than others. Due to multiple games occurring simultaneously and the processing time required to prepare the photos, there is some time limit on almost every game we photograph. During that time we have no control over how and when a coach decides to use certain players. Some players have a knack for getting closer to action than others. Every venue is different in terms of the vantage points from which we can shoot, so some players may end up in a position that keeps them further away from the camera locations. We try to get everyone; some attempts are more successful than others. There are a few guidelines you can follow to ensure you get photos. If you know beforehand that you're interested in purchasing photos, check in with us prior to a game. We don't take paid-upfront reservations, but we do take requests and we manage to fulfill more than 95% of them. Also, at some events, we get to photograph each team more than once. Check for photos after the first game, and if we haven't gotten enough good shots, let us know and we'll look for your player at the next game. Don't wait until you're on your way out the door to tell us we missed. At a large tournament, we may see over 3,000 athletes. We can't keep track of all of them without your help.
How long does it take to get my pictures after I order?	We do all of our production in cycles, so how long it takes to process your order depends on where it falls in the cycle. Some folks will see their pictures less than 36 hours after ordering. Almost all orders for straight photographic prints up to 12x18 leave here in under 5 business days, but may extend to 2 weeks during high volume periods. Specialty products (trading cards, magazine covers, etc.) and extra-large prints can take somewhat longer, as we do not run production on them as frequently. Also, failure to provide the necessary information to complete the order (such as player stats for trading cards) will result in delays.
Can I get my order rush processed?	We do not accept rush orders. Our day-to-day responsibilities are too variable for us to be able to promise rush turnarounds.
How much does your service cost?	We derive the majority of our revenue from sale of products to individual customers who participate in the events we attend, so in most casese there is no upfront cost to event organizers. In instances where we incur extraordinary expense, the level of sales is uncertain, or the photos we produce aren't destined for consumers, we bill on a time and materials basis depending on the size of the job.
What are you going to do with that print if nobody buys it? If you're only going to throw it out anyway, you should give it to me.	While many people don't like the tone of the answer, this is simply nobody's business but ours. Frankly, I don't like the tone of people who would be so crass as to ask a question like this with the air of arrogance that says I owe them something with little or no reciprocation; attempt to make me feel guilty because we'd otherwise be wasting the materials; or worst of all treat us like we're so cash-strapped that we should gratefully accept their lowball offers as if it will make or break our outing. "Your choice, dude. Sell it for $5 or don't sell it at all." This is the ultimate insult! We try to waste as little as possible and we will use some unsold prints as samples, but the fact remains that we must occasionally dispose of unsold prints. We pride ourselves on customer service, but service does not necessarilly extend to giving away (or steeply discounting) work product. That's our prerogative. If the photo is good enough to want it, we deserve to be fairly compensated for our efforts. Amen!
Why are there different prices for action photos and posed photos?	We have to charge more for action photos because the production costs are considerably higher. An average tournament involves more equipment and personnel than the typical team/league portrait shoot, and many fewer of the photos taken are sold, so those costs are reflected in the prices.
Why was I charged sales tax on shipping and handling?	If you are a resident of Pennsylvania the shipping and handling costs are part of the "full purchase price" as defined by the state's Department of Revenue, hence subject to state and local sales taxes. Click here for a link to the PA Dept. of Revenue web site for verification.
What's a memory mate?	A memory mate is the standard souvenir product offered by almost all youth sports photographers. It usually consists of a 3.5"x5" individual portrait and 5"x7" team photo combined in a sports memento folio, but our memory mates are different. We have fully customized 8x10 prints combining team and individual photos with sport-related graphics. To see a sample memory mate as well as some of our other products, please click here.
Can I have something printed on my photo?	Yes, but we may have to charge for the service depending on the complexity of the request. We offer several products (trading cards, magazine covers, posters, etc.) that allow for the addition of the player name and certain personal data. The amount of customization we can perform before we have to charge for the service is at our discretion.
TECHNICAL ISSUES
What kind of digital camera should I buy?	We use Canon and Nikon 35mm-style digital SLR camera bodies and SLR-compatible lenses for all of our work, but these are generally too expensive for the average user. For digital cameras under $1,000 we have been impressed by the Nikon Coolpix and Minolta D'Image series of cameras. Based on our subjective opinions and our observations of how many people use their cameras, we recommend looking for cameras with the following features: 3 megapixel minimum resolution Adjustable film equivalent speed up to at least ISO 400 3-5x optical zoom capability in the lens (ignore all digital zoom specifications) Rechargeable batteries External flash capability Compact Flash storage media You may not find all of the listed features in a single camera, but we suggest looking for as many of these features as possible in the cameras in your price range. And again, these are our opinions regarding useful features in digital cameras. Only you can make the final decision regarding what's right for you and your planned photography.
How much does a camera like that cost?	A lot!
What kind of equipment do you use?	At the photography end of things, we use camera bodies and lenses produced by Canon and Nikon for their durability and consistently high quality and performance. We have a full range of professional optics from ultrawide-angle to super telephoto to handle any photographic contingency. The computers we use to process our digital images are Windows-compatible Pentium machines that we build and configure ourselves. We process the images with software from BreezeSys, Adobe, Micrografx and Macromedia. For printing the images we use Epson inkjet and Kodak dye sublimation printers. We have tested printers from almost every major player in the digital printing industry, and we find that these suit our needs better than anything else on the market.
How long will my digital prints last?	All photos (including traditional silver-based prints) will change to some degree over time and varying environmental conditions. Just as you would with any traditional photo, our photo prints should be kept out of direct sunlight and should be behind UV safe glass if they are being displayed, or in acid-free photo holders if they are being kept in albums. It also helps if display areas are humidity controlled and smoke free. We use several types of photo printers with archival and near-archival ratings. Photos produced on these printers have an estimated display life of 80 years under proper viewing conditions. We periodically make control prints and check them semiannually against fresh prints for signs of fading and color shifting. To date, prints dating back to 1998 show no discernable signs of fading. If you exercise some degree of diligence in the storage or display of the photos, they will last for years. If you tape them to your refrigerator, they may last a few months if you're lucky.
My digital print faded. Now what?	We guarantee our digital prints unconditionally, but we do ask that you take appropriate care of the prints and be reasonable with replacement requests. Following the guidelines outlined above, there is no reason your print shouldn't last for years. If your print has faded and you want a replacement you need to do the following: Send us your old print. Our mailing address is in the company information section of this site. Pay for shipping and handling of the replacement print, usually $4.00. Give us as much information as you can about the purchase of the original print. The name and/or location of the event, the month and year that it occurred, game number and frame number are all important. We have literally over a million photos on file, and we simply don't have the time to go on an unguided search of our archives. Save your receipt. It contains all the information necessary to get a print replaced quickly and easily.
What about cropping?	We crop almost every photo we print to emphasize the players in the middle of the action and to fit standard print dimensions. Cropping is at the discretion of our print operator unless we get specific cropping (or non-cropping) instructions from the customer. Custom cropping is not available on 4x6 prints. If that's you standing in the background and you want to be in the photo, you have to let us know. If that's your favorite player standing off to the side while the play goes by, let us know so we don't exclude him in favor of players closer to the action. You can submit cropping requests three ways: Add it to the special instructions with each photo you order online; E-mail it to us; Phone it in. Reprints for cropping problems not our fault are billed at half price plus shipping and handling if you return the problem photo -- full price if you don't return it. What you see on-screen when you preview images is the full frame of the image. If someone is cut off at the edge, there's no chance he's in "the part of the frame you can't see." There is no part of the frame you can't see. The aspect ratio of our files is 2:3 and produces an 8"x12" print with no cropping or resizing. Every other standard print size we offer involves some cropping. Click here for examples.
Can you edit a photo other than just cropping?	Yes, but we have to charge for that based on the time and materials involved. Again, we ask that the requests remain reasonable. "My son is the goalie. Can you take the puck out of the net?" Not too bad! Journalistically unethical, but most our photos don't go to news media, and we don't edit those that do. "There's a stick right in front of my son's chest. Can you take it out so I can see the logo?" PUH-LEASE! But my all-time favorite comes from my first ever all-digital job, a regional figure skating competition: Irate mother: "My daughter won the gold medal in her age group, but she missed the medal ceremony." Me: "What do you want us to do?" Mom: "I want the medal ceremony restaged." Me: "That's not up to us. Find the tournament director, tell him what you need, and if he says it's okay we'll send a photographer over." 10 minutes later . . . Mom: "All the other medalists have already left." Me: "And . . . ?" Mom: "Let's go. We'll take a picture of her standing on the podium by herself." After the photos are taken . . . Mom, to our salesperson: "Now since this is digital and all, can't we just lift her off one picture and place her into the other one with all the medalists in it." Our Salesperson: "He's a whiz with that kind of stuff. I'm sure it won't be a problem." Ten hours into a sixteen hour day, I worked through dinner to get everything looking just the way I wanted it and had a virtually seamless edit. The mother came back from dinner, approved the edit, and ordered one (!!!) $9.00 5"x7" print. After material expenses, the photographer's and salesperson's commissions and the profit share for the venue, I got to keep about $1.75 for two hours of painstaking work. I made more bussing tables when I was in college. Never again! (At least not at those rates.)
The photo I am interested in looks blurry. Will it print better?	No. Although the files we use to print photos have considerably more resolution than the photos you view on-screen, blurry images are exactly that. They are either out of focus or motion-blurred. Why do we display them? Because in some circumstances we do not have the time to edit as thoroughly as we'd like. What you see on-screen is very comparable to what you'll get on paper. Sharp photos will be readily apparent. Unsharp photos will remain unsharp, and will get worse as they are made bigger. Some unsharp photos may look decent at 4"x6" or 5"x7", but will begin to degrade severely as they are made larger.
I've selected the product I want, but I can't see size and price options. What's going on?	You are probably using a browser other than Microsoft Internet Explorer. All of the programming code that drives our purchasing system is written in the JAVA scripting language. Different browsers have different levels of ability to handle the various versions of JAVA currently available. Internet Explorer is the only browser that works reliably with the purchasing portion of our system. We have tested Netscape Navigator and Mozilla. Both are capable of displaying the photos, but neither has worked reliably with the purchasing options component of our system. If you can't or don't want to switch browsers, there is a link for the full product and price list next to the purchasing information on each photo.
COPYRIGHT ISSUES
Why do you assert copyright on your photos?	Because we make our living from the sale of our photographic products. If we allow unauthorized reproduction of our photos it becomes difficult to pay our bills and stay in business .
How can you own the copyright if it's a photo of my child?	When you or your child participates in a public event, or a private event at which our attendance is authorized, you have no reasonable expectation of privacy and very limited rights regarding images captured at those events. Most of the rights you maintain under current privacy and copyright laws extend to our sale of your likeness to third parties for commercial purposes. We can not and do not sell images to third parties without a detailed release.
Can I have the digital file for my photo?	No. We are no longer offering digital files for sale for personal use. We will supply digital files to publishers, service bureaus, or printers after negotiation of and payment for publication rights at industry standard rates.
But I bought the print. Doesn't that entitle me to the JPEG?	No. When you buy a photographic print, you buy the media on which it is printed and the right to view the image for personal use. You do not buy the rights to the photo in any other form or media, nor do you acquire any rights to reproduction that extend beyond your personal use. Your personal use does not include duplication or distribution to third parties in any form.
Can I scan the prints?	Yes, as long as the resulting files are used only in electronic form and are not distributed. Much like copying a music CD or duplicating computer software disks, copyright laws do provide for a limited number of personal-use copies to be made by the purchaser of the product. If you want to scan your photo to use as your computer "wallpaper", that is fine. If you want to scan the photo so that you can print duplicates for all your friends and relatives, that is a violation of the copyright as it deprives us of the profit we would normally make from the sale of those prints. What's stopping you? In most cases nothing, but nowhere does it say we have to condone the practice or facilitate it.
But you put the pictures on the Internet. Doesn't that make them public domain? And shouldn't I be allowed to do whatever I want with them?	Sorry, but wrong. This may be the single most misunderstood aspect of the Internet. Although the Internet exists primarily as a mechanism for the exchange of information, no author of original text, composer of original music, or visual artist forfeits his copyright by providing access to his product via the Internet. Digital technology is wonderful, and while it makes it easier to rip off copyrighted material, it doesn't make it right.
What if I don't want my kid's photo posted on your web site?	Please call or e-mail with the event, game and photo number information, and simply request their removal. We will not deny reasonable requests to do so, and we will handle such requests as quickly as practicable. Please realize that removal of the photographs involves the complete regeneration of the web pages that contain them and that the process can be time consuming. It is also important to understand that it is not necessary to resort to threats or insults in order to have the photos removed. We will honor customers' requests in this regard because we are polite and reasonable. If you choose act offensively, we are under little or no legal obligation to honor your request. We are not happy that we have had to take this stance or use this tone, and we never would have if certain people hadn't made it an issue.