Flattered and annoyed at the same time

[Silearth 6]

I recently sent a couple of my pictures to walmart's one hour photo online. I chose a picture that I took of my 5 year old and my niece in the park and a picture of the wife and I from our second wedding. The wedding pic was made into a 20x30 poster that will be matted and framed.

 

The pic of the girls was just ordered as a 5x7.

 

The poster is not done yet, but I did pick up the other shot. After waiting forever for some help, a clerk finally came over to pull my pictures. I noticed that the envelope had big yellow writting on it and the clerk told me that my order was being held until I provided a release.

 

Release? What for?!

 

She opens the envelope and pulls out the picture of the two girls and says that it was flagged as a copywritten image.

 

I was speechless for a moment and then I laughed, telling her that it was a photo of two girls lying in the grass that I had done a little bit of post processing to.

 

She looked at it again and asked "you did this in photoshop?"

 

I answered yes--well it was actually paint shop pro photo XI, but apples and oranges. She slid it back in the envelope and let me have it.

 

After I got home I sent an email to customer service explaining the story. I told them that while I was flattered, I often work on my photos and it would be a shame to have to fight with a clerk every time. I was told that all pictures that looked professional would be flagged and my best bet would be to download the release form and fill one out each time--just in case.

 

and here is the picture that started this thread.

 

click

[Viper007 0]

You just gave me another reason to not like walmart..... I think I have about 1 million reasons not to shop there now....and counting

 

 

At least maybe you can take it as a compliment. Those pics look very good.

[fRACTAL 0]

Why does all the crazy stuff happen to you sil?

What on earth is that about though "if it looks professional" I mean, a professional might need something processing urgently, and he has to go to wal-mart, what then, he has to fill out over 9000 release forms?

~Doom

[Silearth 6]

You just gave me another reason to not like walmart..... I think I have about 1 million reasons not to shop there now....and counting

 

 

At least maybe you can take it as a compliment. Those pics look very good.

 

Actually, it was only the bw pic. The first one.

 

My mother is an extreme Walmart hater--it goes back to the fact that when you leave with bags they say thank you, but if you leave empty-handed they are quiet.

 

Why does all the crazy stuff happen to you sil?

What on earth is that about though "if it looks professional" I mean, a professional might need something processing urgently, and he has to go to wal-mart, what then, he has to fill out over 9000 release forms?

~Doom

 

You know....I have often asked myself the same question. In a way it's cool; I have so much material for anecdotes.

[Knuckles 904]

This is Walmart....you're telling me they got a professional picture detective See I would have asked who this person was that is evaluating my pics and would want to know what qualifications/accreditations this person has. Is there a professional picture identification seminar/class?

 

Actually if this had happened to me there would have been a 52.7% chance they called the cops on me and banned me from the store

 

BTW...very beautiful pic Sil your daughters are adorable

[gogoblender 3,071]

heh, Sil, I'd have pretty mixed feelings about this as well. Yeah they're being snoopy, but yeah it was pretty flattering as well.

 

World is a changing ^^ And I'm curious as to who/what among them passes the judgement call...do you think they are using a dbase for this to do fast compares?

 

 

gogo

[Sunfire 0]

Beautiful family, Sil..

My sister, who has worked at wally world for years, tells me that your pics are screened and copied, by at least 4 peeps in store.

Who knows how many in the processing lab.

Some high school washout, evaluating the validity of my daughters photo's has always annoyed me.

I too hate Wal-Mart.