Southdown Studio Print Shop

Frequently Asked Questions about the Southdown Studio Print Shop

Where are my pictures?
If you have been granted access to a gallery, log in (or register if you're new here), then click on My Pictures next to your name toward the top left corner of the screen. If you have been given an access code you can then enter it to gain access to your photos.

What is My Pictures?
My Pictures are galleries that have limited access to them that you have access to.

What is a Registry?
Anyone with a gallery here can start a Registry. It's where other users can donate funds to cover the cost of your print orders, for example wedding guests or parents may want to help pay for a happy couple's wedding photos. Once you've created your Registry, email the details to your donors. Funds donated will appear as credits on your account.

Will the pictures I select stay in my shopping cart?
Yes. Your pictures will stay in your shopping cart until you either place the order or delete them yourself.

Gallery Expiry
Alas all good things come to an end - we can't keep galleries online indefinitely. If you do need your gallery for a little longer, just ask. If your gallery has gone, you can still order photos; we can supply contact sheets and viewing CDs at nominal cost, to help you to order over the phone.

I can't seem to log in.
Log in information is case sensitive, be sure you have entered it correctly. If you have forgotten your password, click here.

Why do I have to register to add images to my shopping cart?
By registering an account, you are able to keep items in your shopping cart for a long period of time. Additionally, you will be able to view your orders and private galleries (if available) by having an account.

Does it cost anything to register for an account?
No.

I have been sent access information for a gallery, what do I do?
First register as a new customer, or if you have already registered, log in. Click the Access Gallery link. Enter in the access code on that page. If correct, you will be able to view the gallery. If you have an account and are logged in, then you will only have to do this once and this gallery will be listing in My Pictures.

Postage & Packing
It costs us money to wrap & post photos. You can of course come and collect your photos, but if you want us to send them then we pass on reasonable postage & packing costs. By asking us to send them, you accept complete risk for the package once it has left our premises. We advise you to select Royal Mail Special Delivery, as this is tracked and insured. However we also offer Recorded/Signed-For which is tracked but uninsured, as well as normal First Class and Second Class post.

Payment
You must pay for your order before it is produced, including any applicable postage & packing charges. We take cash (at the studio) & cheque, credit card either online or by phone, and PayPal.

If you have a coupon code to use, you should enter this in the box provided on the checkout screen. You can only use one coupon code per order. If a coupon code is used in an unauthorised way (for example if you're not entitled to use the code, or in payment for a product other than that intended), rights to all coupon codes will be withdrawn and you will be expected to pay for your order in full.

Print credit codes can be entered at any time using the "Redeem Print Credit" link at the top of the page.

How long will my order take?
Because all the products offered on this site are hand-printed, please allow up to 28 working days for completion of your order before it's despatched to you. However it'll normally be a lot quicker than that.

Downloading Images
We copyright watermark the images displayed here to prevent unauthorised copying, which is copyright theft. We do however allow free downloads of watermarked images for proofing purposes. If you'd like to purchase unwatermarked photos for download, we offer several sizes at various prices: a small display-sized download; the zoomed image you see when you click on a photo; and a photo sized for printing at 6x4.

There's a photo I hate
Please tell us which one it is, and we'll remove it.

Are all my photos on here?
For studio shoots, the answer is generally "yes", except the really duff ones. For weddings, the answer is generally "no" because we filter the shots depending on a rating we give them after the wedding. If it's a 4-star or 5-star photo, it makes it into the gallery. Generally anything lower doesn't make it. However if you'd like us to add more, perhaps from the 3-star photos, please ask.

The cropped view cuts my head/feet off
Some print sizes like 7x5 and 10x8 aren't to the same proportions as the photos we take. In that case, the image will have to be cropped to get it to fit within your chosen print size. Of course the computer will try to show you what this might look like (bless), but computers are terribly poor at such things so don't be put off by the top of your head disappearing, the printed version will be intelligently cropped by a proper human photographer!

The image goes over the studio backdrop!
Don't worry, we'll make sure it's filled in before the image is printed, and you won't even see the join.

Someone's eyes aren't open in the shot I like
We can usually do a minor scene alteration to copy their eyes or whole head from another similar photo. Try to find a suitable photo yourself, or ask us, using the notes field for each photo. It takes time and skill, so there is a small extra charge for this service.

My husband's face is fine, but mine's a little in shadow and I don't like the bags under my eyes
We can lighten or darken areas of a photo before printing. We can also undertake blemish removal or indeed skin smoothing which looks very natural and completely unobvious; once again this takes time and skill, so there is a small extra charge for this service.