Prints vs. CD's. Why I do what I do.....

I have managed to ..... what's the word I'm looking for ..... annoy?  Yes, I've managed to annoy some potential clients by turning down their requests for giving them a CD of their portraits so they can make their own prints. I feel I need to explain why it is not my practice to do this since I've had several requests for it lately.

I appreciate the fact that the economy stinks right now.  Many people, myself included, struggle financially.  I work a full-time day job with the University of Illinois, and it's still not enough to cover my household expenses, let alone my photography expenses.  Therefore, YLP is not something I do only because I love it - it is also necessary for me to do so I can pay my bills. 

I keep my session fees low because I realize many people don't have a lot of money to spend on photos.  My print prices are equally reasonable and I have no plans to raise them anytime soon. I count on my clients to purchase prints so that I can stay in business.  If I were to charge $100 and hand over a CD, I would not be in business very long.   And I personally don't find it overly professional.  There may be some that disagree with me on that statement - I'm not trying to insult anyone.  It's just how I feel.

When I started YLP, I had a business plan.  Part of the plan included how I wanted get my product to my clients.  It is extremely important for me to have control over my final product.  If I were to give clients a CD, they are most likely going to use a discount store to make the prints.  These discount stores DO NOT print with the same quality as a professional photo lab.  No one will ever convince me otherwise.  I would not want clients telling their friends and family that those glossy, unusually-color-toned prints came from YLP.  My brand needs to be better than that.

Lastly, giving clients digital copies of my work would open it up for someone to attempt their own processing in Photoshop or any other program.  Again, if I didn't process it, I don't want my name on it.  I have my own style and my own look to my work and I don't want anyone trying to improve on it.

These statements are not meant to make anyone feel bad for asking me to give them a CD.  I just want folks to understand my reasons for telling them no.  Obviously I want to thank all of you for even giving me the time of day.  I am so appreciative of everyone that uses YLP.  I hope you'll continue to trust in my judgement and let me take care of getting you my final product the best way I can.  Thank you all so much!