Color Print Fading and the Professional Portrait and Wedding Photographer – What to Do About a Troubling Situation

Fehrenbach Studios in Reedsburg, Wisconsin has been our photographer for years. We had our wedding pictures taken by them, I had my portrait taken for my husband while he was in the service, and when we had our first baby, we had Fehrenbach Studios take his picture. We were happy with them up to this point — then strange things began to happen to our photographs. My portrait has turned blue and faded to almost nothing. The photo of our son has turned yellow and is fading away. My brother’s graduation photo also has turned blue and is faded. My mother approached Bob Fehrenbach on this matter and he said he would gladly replace these photographs for half price. He also stated that Eastman Kodak does not guarantee that photographs will not fade, and he went on to say that if he replaced all the faded prints that were returned to him free of charge, he would go out of business in a short time. . . . Needless to say, when our second child was born we found another photographer. The thing I would like to know is why should we have to pay a second time for something that should have lasted a lifetime. Eastman Kodak has always contended with their advertising that photographs are lasting memories, once in a lifetime treasures, that keep today alive forever. I do believe a photograph should last longer than 7 years. I wanted to pass our children’s baby pictures down to them when they got married, the same as my mother did for me. I have nothing to give them but a faded print. I do not believe that this is the right way to do business. I feel that I have been cheated because my photographs have not lasted like they were advertised. Would you please look into this matter. . . .1