User Guide

Using our Web Site and Services

We try to keep our web site simple, easy, and secure for our clients. Your time is valuable so finding images fast and processing orders securely is a high priority. Below are answers to common questions our customers have. If you don't find the answer you are looking for, give us a call or send us an email and we'll get you the answer you need immediately!

 

Q: Who prints your images?

A: We use professional lab services that specialize in selling and printing images for professional photographers. Our current lab has been selling our images for over 5 years and does an outstanding job of delivering high quality products to our clients.

 

Q: How do I pay for my prints?

A: Our lab accepts major credit cards for payment through its secured ordering system.

 

Q: Is placing orders on-line safe?

A: Yes. Your security and privacy are very important to our lab and to us. Our lab uses GeoTrust SSL certification that offers the highest level of encryption and security possible. What that means is that you can be assured that the information you provide to our lab is private, secure, and won't be shared with third parties.

 

Q: How long does it take to deliver my order?

A: It takes less than 24 hours to process and print your order. Standard shipping is by United States Postal Service (USPS) and can take 7-10 business days to deliver. Orders are shipped from California, so the farther west you are the longer it takes to deliver. You always have the option to upgrade your shipping method (at a higher cost) in the check-out process if you need faster delivery.

 

Q: How long do you keep images on-line?

A: Images are available in our Current Galleries and Archive Galleries for five years. Archive Galleries are more expensive due to the additional long-term storage and management cost associated with these galleries.

Our hope is that we never have to delete any images from our galleries provided there is sufficient revenue to support the costs of keeping them on-line. Our clients have been very supportive of both Current and Archive Galleries when purchasing prints so it looks like a win-win for everyone.

 

Q: What is "Save to Favorites?"

A: Save to Favorites is your #1 time saver on our web site. Favorites is an album of images that you create and save using your valid email address. You can add images any time and you can view your Favorites by clicking on the "View Favorites" link on any gallery page. You just need to enter the email address you used to create the gallery to add or view images.

 

Once your Favorites are created, you can select images to add to your shopping cart for ordering. Don't worry, you won't be deleting the images from your Favorites when you do this.

 

Save to Favorites eliminates the need to write file numbers down and look them up later when you want to place an order. The most common problem we experience is that some clients forget what email address they used to create their Favorites so use the email address you normally use for regular email communication. We keep this information private so don't worry.

 

Q: When is the best time to place an order?

A: We encourage all of our clients to purchase prints before they are moved to our archive galleries. Doing so allows them to receive our best prices.

 

Q: What print sizes are the best?

A: We use professional high speed cameras and lenses that produce high resolution files. As such, they capture very clear images that show tremendous detail. These fine details are hard to see with smaller print sizes like 4x6 or 5x7 prints. They really wake up, however, on prints that are 8x10 or larger.

Which print sizes you purchase is up to you, but clients who have purchased larger prints rarely go back to buying smaller print sizes.

 

Q: What is a copyright?

A: In simple terms, our Copyright is our legal rights of ownership of the images we create. United States Copyright laws protect our rights from illegal duplication, copying, or use of our images. Do we take our copyrights seriously? Absolutely!

Our images are our inventory just like the shirts and pants available in your favorite clothing store are inventory of the owner of the store. You are not allowed to steal or "use" these shirts or pants without paying for them. The same is true with our inventory of images.

 

You may not illegally copy images from our galleries, scan prints you purchase to create digital files, or use personal use downloads for public distribution of images or prints. Most of our clients understand this and respect our copyright. A have had to remind a few folks and most of them respond promptly to our compliance requests.

 

If you want the rights to make copies of prints yourself or to use an image on a social networks you'll need to purchase a personal use download. Personal Use Downloads are available for purchase through our web site and are found on the same product and price sheet that you order prints from. More on this in the next Q&A below.

 

Q: What is a Personal Use Download?

A: If you want to be able to use an image of ours to make your own prints or want something for you Facebook account, personal use downloads allow you to do this legally. The only thing you are not allowed to do with a personal use download is to publicly distribute the image outside your immediate family or to use it for editorial purposes (newspapers or magazines for example).

 

Personal Use Downloads are also a good option if you need the image immediately. Once you place your order, you will be directed to a download area on our lab's web site where you will be able to download the image to your computer. All download files are 1800 pixels @ 300 ppi. This is suitable for prints up to 5x7 as well as screen savers, slide shows, and social media sites like Facebook, My Space, and Twitter.

 

Q: Do you do any other photography work other than sports?

A: Yes. We do senior portraits and family portraits as our schedule permits. Most of our work is done on location during the spring and summer. Please contact us for additional information.

 

Q: Sometimes I can't see all the images in your galleries (boxes with red X's). What's up with that?

A: Our lab does periodic maintenance on their servers that may cause some images or galleries to be off-line briefly. Generally, these images will be available within 20-30 minutes so check back. This maintenance is necessary to keep over 30,000 of our images available.

 

Q: I would like to get a family photograph after a game. Do you do that?

A: Yes. Just send us an email and we'll set this up. Please remember that coaches and officials are in charge of the team and the field of play before, during, and after the game. You will need to clear this with your coach before contacting us.

 

Q: My computer / internet connection is very slow and I don't have a credit card. Is there another way for me to place an order?

A: Our suggestion is that you contact a parent who has these resources and see if they will allow you to include your prints with an order they are making. We have several clients that "pool" their orders for this very reason and it works out pretty well .... particularly for those folks that live in rural areas where high speed internet is not available.

 

Q: What are Gallery Prints?

A: Gallery prints are custom designed prints of some of our best images. The include a gallery style layout with the athletes name, school, sport, and year on them. We don't do posters as Gallery Prints have greater value in terms of where they can be displayed and because they are actual photographs ... not prints on poster paper. Gallery Prints are perfect for any room in the home or in a executive office.

 

Most of the clients that purchase Gallery Prints are parents of senior athletes. They generally ask as to create a Gallery Print using one or two of their favorite images for their son or daughters college of high school career.

 

Q: When are your current galleries moved to your archive galleries?

A: All College, High School, and Middle School galleries are moved to our archive galleries on July 31st each year. All other event and league galleries expire 60 days from the date they were shot.

 

Q: Why are Archive Galleries more Expensive than Current Galleries?

A: Storing images on-line for you to view galleries is a major expense for our company. In fact, most photography company's only place their images on-line for a brief period of time and then permanently remove them in order to reduce their cost. We don't do that. Long term archive storage costs are more expensive than current gallery storage costs.