Yesterday morning in the business section of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune there was an article announcing the closing of 19 out of 24 Ritz Camera and Proex (owned by Ritz) in the Twin City area. That is too bad since Ritz was one of the online/retail photo printers we recommended on the CorrectPhoto Website.  I like to fix my photos and then upload them to either Ritz or Wal-Mart Sam’s Club  and pick them up. Recently, I have been using Sam’s club more frequently because of the cost and Sam’s Club was a bit more convenient.  Maybe that is why Ritz is closing stores. So, I guess I will continue to use Sam’s Club when I want prints in a few hours or a day or so.

Don’t Wait in Line at Sam’s Photo Kiosks (or any other for that matter).
Another observation of mine that was reinforced as my wife and I entered Sam’s Club yesterday is that one should never waste time using or waiting for a Photo Kiosk to order prints. There must have been a half dozen people waiting “patiently” while the people at the kiosks selected, tried to edit, and order prints. If you have ever used one you will know what I mean so I won’t get into the details.  My suggestion is that you edit your photos on your own computer and then upload them to your favorite photo service and either have them mailed to you or pick them up.  You can find a number of posts in this blog on editing your photos so I won’t get into the editing options. Suffice it to say that you will save a lot of time and end up with better prints if you follow this advice.

Which Online Photo Service Should You Use?
There are, of course, many to choose from. If you want to pick up your prints in a couple of hours or the next day then I would suggest Sam’s Club or Wal-Mart because they are generally conveniently located in both large and small communities and they certainly aren’t going to go out of business. And, more importantly, the quality of the prints made with the Fuji printers is very good. Better yet, you can’t beat the price. But, remember that it will cost more if you want your prints in an hour or two.

Now, if you can be a little patient and wait for the mail you can use Shutterfly or one of my favorite labs located in Appleton, Wisconsin, Phopar.  Phopar is owned and operated by Ozzie Rapp, a friend of ours for many years. While you might pay a little more it is worth it for the extra care and attention Ozzie and his staff will give you. And, besides that Ozzie is a really nice guy with a bunch of grandchildren that adore him.

After reading the Ritz announcement and visiting Sam’s Club I just had to share my opinion on photo kiosks. Obviously, not everyone will agree with my opinion, particularly the stores that provide them and the manufacturers that produce them. So, try both approaches to ordering prints and make up your own mind.

Wayne     http://www.correctphoto.com