FAQs for CLOUD9PHOTOGRAPHY.US

by

Peter J. Mancus
Attorney at Law
Victorian Square
876 Gravenstein Ave. So., Suite 3
Sebastopol, CA 95472
Owner, CLOUD9PHOTOGRAPHY.US
pmancus@comcast.net
Tel. (707) 824-1884 © Peter J. Mancus 2011

1.
Summary of What is Important

I sell, for personal use and enjoyment, large, high quality, color and B&W prints of various subjects (I concentrate on military airplanes, airliners, historical aircraft, warbirds, historical reenactors, statuary, maritime photography, people, and landscapes) at fair prices with a money back guarantee, and, so far, everyone has kept what they have bought from me (as of May 2011).

I also license CLOUD 9 pictures for commercial use.

My quality control is stringent.

I strive to build an enduring relationship with my customers based on trust, responsive good service, and highest quality.

2.
Money Back Guarantee

Q1. Does CLOUD 9 offer a money back guarantee?

Yes.

Q2. If CLOUD 9 offers a money back guarantee, what are its terms?

If you are unhappy with a CLOUD 9 print for any reason, if I get it back from you in an undamaged, re-sellable condition, within 45-days of when I mailed it to you, with the postmark, I will give you a full refund for the print or full credit toward another CLOUD 9 print.

I personally put all prints-undamaged-into a strong UPS approved mailing tube, after I inspect and approve them.

My "return undamaged" condition is prudent; otherwise, I would have to replace for free undamaged prints that a customer damaged and returned. If a customer returns an uninsured print damaged, I am not contractually, legally, or morally required to refund money or provide a replacement.

Q3. How many people have asked for a refund?

I started CLOUD 9 in 1981 selling wet chemistry photographic prints via mail order from a catalog. From 1981 to 2005, one person asked for a refund.

I started CLOUD 9 on the Internet in 2005. From 2005 to date, no one has asked for a refund (as of May 2011).

3.
"Lost/Damaged" Print Policy

Q4. How do you resolve a customer's "lost" or "damaged" print claim?

No CLOUD 9 customer has reported that one of my United Parcel Service industrial strength mailing tubes, with secured plastic end caps to protect the content, was received damaged; thus, the odds that you will receive a damaged print are small. These tubes are designed for mailing high value documents.

As to a "lost" print, for all prints shipped to a destination within the United States, I pay for a U.S. Postal Service tracking service to confirm shipment and delivery.

If you do not pre-pay for insurance, you assume the risk of loss or damage.

4.
Print Quality

Q5. How good is Cloud 9's quality?

Uncompromising. Professional.

Click here to read testimonials from some of our satisfied customers who have done business with us and enjoyed the experience.

Our quality control is stringent. Our colors are realistic. About 95% of our prints are sharp. (In selecting which images to include or exclude from CLOUD 9's collections, I included historically rare and valuable pictures made with older film and lenses that are below modern standards but are reasonably sharp when viewed from a normal distance.)

To maintain high quality control standards, I have, when necessary, made a single print up to eleven (11) times before getting one that satisfied my standards. Also, to get one satisfactory large print, I once used as much as 60 feet of paper. On one occasion, I rejected a print because it had a circular, pencil point, black dot speck in the sky where it (an ink head probably dropped a drop of black ink or there might have been a defect in the paper) should not have been! That is part of what you are paying for when you deal withCLOUD 9.

I want CLOUD 9's customers to have confidence in me and in CLOUD 9, that they will be the beneficiary of such high standards. I also want them to feel joy when they open and see a CLOUD 9 print. To help make that happen, I am obsessive about maintaining high quality control standards.

Q6. Do CLOUD 9's prints have the look and feel of real photographs?

Yes.

Many look better than custom photo lab prints. This is because I do the printing and I are persnickety.

Q7. Are CLOUD 9's prints like thick fine art prints or thin posters?

If poster means a mass produced, inexpensive, thin paper, large image, of mediocre quality, CLOUD 9's pictures are not posters.

Our prints look and feel like high quality, custom, photography printed on thick, fine art, museum grade, paper.

Q8. Will all of CLOUD 9's images enlarge to your largest size and still look good?

No.

Approximately 95% of CLOUD 9's pictures, by all contributing photographers, will enlarge big and look good to great, and many will look pin prick sharp even when viewed up close.

Almost 100% of all pictures credited to me will enlarge to my largest size and look awesome. This is because I am skilled, I use professional equipment, I often use a tripod, and I enforce stringent standards.

Q9. How can I tell what images are not suitable for extreme enlargement?

If a customer orders a print in a size that I believe is too large for that image's inherent qualities, I will warn the customer that it would be prudent to stick with a smaller size, and I will refund the difference in price paid if the customer accepts our recommendation.

If I do not give the customer such a warning, that is our way of telling the customer the image may be enlarged as big as the customer wants and still look good.

If a customer does not like a print, I have a "No questions asked 100% money back guarantee." (This guarantee does not apply, however, when the customer instructs us to make a print larger than I recommend.)

Q10. How sharp are CLOUD 9's prints compared to what I see on my monitor's screen?

Sharper. I reduce the sharpness and details of images posted on the Internet to frustrate those who would use them without paying for them.

Most of our images will appear to be crisp and pleasing to most reasonable persons who view the image at a reasonable viewing distance.

A small percentage of our images are not pin prick sharp.

Q11. How accurate is the color in CLOUD 9's prints?

Accurate. Sometimes, however, I manipulate color with a bias toward color saturation or to brighten them when they look dirty or oxidized.

When I prepare an image to be printed, I always "set the Black Point" and I also always "set the White Point". When I do that, the colors automatically fall into place.

Q12. Are there black or white specs, lint, or "grit" marks on CLOUD 9 prints?

No. I take the time to get rid of those gremlins, even it if takes three or more hours to do so. That behind-the-scenes service is part of what you pay for when you buy high quality from CLOUD 9.

Q13. On what type of paper are CLOUD 9's images printed?

Medium to heavy weight, fine art paper that is tear and crinkle resistant.

Q14. How delicate is a CLOUD 9 print?

Our paper is resistant to physical damage when handled carefully and kept dry. It is Ill suited for large format photographs.

The ink is water soluble; therefore, it is imperative that the print(s) be kept dry.

Q15. What type of a finish is on a CLOUD 9 print?

Luster.

Luster is my standard finish because it is an excellent compromise half way between glossy and matt. A luster finish kills the harsh glare of a glossy print and retains the ability to show fine detail.

Other finishes are available by special order. Please call (707) 824-1884 to discuss.

Q16. How susceptible to showing finger prints are CLOUD 9's prints?

The paper I use is finger print resistant; however, it is best to handle these prints with clean hands [washed and dried thoroughly immediately before handling, preferably while wearing clean cotton gloves.] It is also best to handle the prints by holding them outside the print image, which is why each print is provided with excess blank white paper.

5.
Text on Prints

Q17. Is text printed on CLOUD 9's prints?

Yes.

There is a modest amount of small, professional looking, text printed on one line on the image side of all CLOUD 9 prints. The size of this text is scaled [in proportion to] the print's size.

This text identifies the subject, contains a photographer credit or a source credit, a copyright notice, CLOUD 9's Internet address and our product number.

This text is printed in a place that does not distract from enjoyment of the image, normally at the bottom of the print, to the extreme right or left side.

The text's color, normally black, varies, to contrast with but also blend with the image's colors.

Q18. Can you personalize a CLOUD 9 print by putting customized text on it?

Yes. Please call me, Peter Mancus, CLOUD 9's owner, at (707) 824-1884 to discuss.

Q19. Can a CLOUD 9 print be bought with customized text on it, such as for a birthday or a retirement present?

Yes. Call CLOUD 9's owner, Peter Mancus, at (707) 824-1884 to discuss. (All requested text would have to be emailed to us. When I add text 100% consistent with what the customer requested, the customer will be responsible for any error. Since the print would be customized, our money back guarantee would not apply.)

6.
Watermark on Prints

Q20. Do CLOUD 9 prints have a watermark?

No.

7.
Print Longevity

Q21. How long will a CLOUD 9 print last?

Henry Wilhelm, the primary author of the 744 page The Permanence and Care of Color Photographs: Traditional and Digital Color Prints, Color Negatives, Slides, and Motion Pictures, is an expert regarding print archival longevity research. Anyone who wants detailed, current, objective information on answers to questions like this one should read Mr. Wilhelm's book and study what is available at his website, www.wilhelmresearch.com.

CLOUD 9's prints, under normal conditions, if not abused, should last as long as or longer than It chemistry prints. This stability can be increased by keeping the prints inside, free of moisture, away from extreme heat or direct sunlight, and framed under UV resistant glass or in a closed, clean, acid free, box or inside archival grade binders.

8.
Print Sizes and Prices

Q22. What size prints does CLOUD 9 offer for sale and at what price?

Cloud 9 Photography Artwork Print Sizes and Prices

1. Our artwork is offered for sale in pre-determined aspect ratio sizes which aesthetically enhances the artwork.
2. Aspect ratio means: the picture’s width compared to its height, expressed as two numbers separated by a colon, with the largest dimension stated first, for horizontal and vertical images. Example: 3:2.
3. When ordering, please look carefully at the aspect ratio of the picture you want to buy and use the scroll bar to find the correct aspect ratio and size for the artwork you want to buy.
4. TIP: You can determine the aspect ratio by holding a ruler up to the image on your monitor screen and measure the width and height of the image on the screen and then look for that ratio using the scroll bar on the right and the text stated below under bolded sub-headings.
5. NOTE: If you place an order using an incorrect aspect ratio your order will be printed in the largest size that most closely approximates your selection, within the price you paid.
6. NOTE: You can also order by placing your order using the artwork’s longest dimension. In that case, please scroll down to “HOW TO ORDER USING ONLY THE LONGEST DIMENSION” and place your order based on size and price determined that way.
7. NOTE: Sizes are rounded down to the nearest full inch, and we reserve the right to ship a print with a size variation not to exceed one inch.

         

         

Aspect Ratio	Artwork Size Name	Artwork Size in Inches	Price in US Dollars
3:2 Rectangular Aspect Ratio
	COLLECTOR	11 x 17	79
	GALLERY	13 x 19	89
	STUDIO	17 x 25	139
	MASTER	20 x 30	199
	ARTIST	23 x 35	259
	IMPACT	35 x 52	379
	GRAND	42 x 63	459
5:4 Rectangular Aspect Ratio
	COMPANION	16 x 20	99
	MASTER	23 x 28	199
	ARTIST	35 x 43	299
	IMPACT	40 x 50	359
	GRAND	42 x 52	399
1:1 Square Aspect Ratio
	COMPANION	16 x 16	89
	GALLERY	20 x 20	139
	STUDIO	23 x 23	199
	MASTER	30 x 30	279
	ARTIST	35 x 35	349
	IMPACT	42 x 42	389
16:9 Panoramic Aspect Ratio
	GALLERY	11 x 19	89
	STUDIO	16 x 28	139
	MASTER	20 x 35	229
	ARTIST	23 x 40	299
	IMPACT	35 x 62	399
	AWESOME	42 x 75	449
3:1 Panoramic Aspect Ratio
	GALLERY	8 x 24	89
	STUDIO	10 x 30	109
	MASTER	12 x 36	139
	ARTIST	16 x 48	259
	IMPACT	20 x 60	379
	AWESOME	30 x 90	409
4:1 Panoramic Aspect Ratio
	GALLERY	8 x 32	99
	STUDIO	10 x 40	139
	MASTER	12 x 48	229
	ARTIST	16 x 64	349
	IMPACT	20 x 80	399
	AWESOME	30 x 120	479

Q23. Why does CLOUD 9 not sell smaller prints?

Big prints are awesome.

Yesterday, for example, I made three 2 feet x 3 feet prints ordered by a customer. The impact of these big prints is awesome, and that is not hype or puffing. On one of these big prints, I could read the name and rank, plus "danger", plus the serial number, stenciled on the side of a U.S. Navy F-18 Super Hornet, in flight! On another, I could read "Boeing" on the side of a 737 airliner, even though I was approximately 1.5 miles away when I took the picture!

There is something magical about big prints and that magic is in proportion to their size-the bigger the better.

If, for example, one wants to get a realistic feel for what a modern jet fighter in full afterburner is like, order a big print. Do that and, when you look at one of our afterburner pictures, you can almost hear the jet engine's deafening roar and feel the heat! Also, if you order a close up of the head of one of our lion or tiger pictures, it is awe inspiring to see, up close, their eyes, whiskers, and teeth, in sharp, lush, rich, detail. To behold one of these magnificent big prints is akin to standing face to face with one of those powerful big predator cats.

I want to bring out the magic-and the fine detail-of our images, and the only way to do that is to print big. I cannot stress enough that viewing a big CLOUD 9 print triggers a delightful, "up on cloud 9 feeling".

Q24. Is it possible to buy a CLOUD 9 bigger than your standard biggest size?

Yes.

Larger sizes, including extremely big, are possible, but require a special order. Please feel free call me [Peter Mancus] at (707) 824-1884 to discuss your particular needs, at no obligation to you, or email me at pmancus@comcast.net .

Q25. What is sold at these prices?

Prints made to exacting standards for personal use only.

Q26. How can you justify these prices?

Most reasonably constituted persons look for three things when buying something of value: 1) the finest quality, 2) the best service, and 3) the lowest price.

Most people, however, have never found a company that will provide all three at the same time. A person can have two of those three, but not all three at the same time.

Which of those three are you willing to give up: Highest quality? Best service? Lowest price?

It is an economic truth that it's seldom possible to get the most or the best by spending the least.

If you do not value quality or want to skimp on quality, fine. I, at CLOUD 9, however, will never compromise quality.

Quality and rarity, individually, and together, command a premium.

CLOUD 9 is for those who have discerning taste, who value perfection, and who can afford the best.

Almost anything can be made cheaper-and ruined. I, however, am obsessed with the pursuit-and achievement of, perfection.

One either appreciates, and can afford perfection, or not.

I are determined to cater to our specialized niche, namely, persnickety people who demand and who are willing and able to pay for the best.

I refuse to cheapen our product so more people can afford it.

To offer CLOUD 9's product, all of the following steps had to occur:

1. Someone with skill, knowledge, and the right equipment, had to be at the right location at the right time, to make the picture;
2. Someone had to incur the expense, and make the effort, to make the image, which is often not an easy task, and is often done in nasty weather (many of our images where made after being in 110 degree or higher heat, for hours) and sometimes under conditions that are dangerous and life threatening (example: Flying in fast moving jets at 200 feet above the ground);
3. Photographic opportunities are fleeting. It takes skill, and equipment (I use expensive, professional grade, camera bodies and lenses), to capture fleeting moments. Someone had to capture the image at the decisive moment to make a pre-conceived zinger [excellent] photograph (Most full time, veteran, professional photographers of action subjects are of the opinion that if one can average-on a sustained basis-one or two zinger photographs per every 50 exposures, one is doing exceptionally Ill. It costs a lot of money in terms of effort, gear, travel expenses, and time, etc. to get one zinger photograph);
4. Someone had to take the time to preserve, find, and get permission to sell these prints to the public (there is a huge amount of time and expense involved to preserve and organize these images);
5. Someone had to learn how to do everything in the chain of production to print a CLOUD 9 image to standards that approach perfection (and this, too, consumes more big chunks of time and money);
6. Someone had to acquire high end printing equipment and learn how to use it, to make big prints with true color, free of blemishes, etc.;
7. Someone had to spend time and labor to skillfully clean up an image, tweaking its color, to get it ready for printing and additional time to print it and re-print it, again and again (I once re-printed an image approximately 35 times before I got a perfect print that I was proud to ship), if necessary, to get an acceptable print. This extensive, skilled, pre-printing prep work adds value and is a large part of why Cloud 9's prints are "clean" and don't come back, with folks requesting a refund;
8. Someone had to do uncompromising quality control . . . and I do that;
9. Someone had to bring all of these steps together to make the final product possible; and
10. Someone had to offer the images for sale to the public, and this Internet site has costs tens of thousands of dollars to design, build, maintain, and improve.

Take away any of the above steps and CLOUD 9's product is not publicly available.

There is also one additional important consideration: I at CLOUD 9 supply the image that gets printed, and often, thousands of dollars Ire spent and many hours of time Ire invested, to get that image that I supply.

There is a huge difference between a person supplying his or her own image and I supplying our image.

Furthermore, since CLOUD 9 also offers a money back guarantee, I have to maintain uncompromising high quality, and high quality drives the price up. Quality, however, is valued and is long remembered after price is forgotten.

When one gives due weight to these considerations, CLOUD 9's prices are low, reasonable, and easily justified.

Q27. What does a customer buy when they buy a CLOUD 9 print?

The prices quoted on this Internet site for CLOUD 9 prints are strictly for non-commercial private enjoyment of such prints.

All photographs appearing on this Internet site, except for the few that are in the public domain, are non-public domain pictures protected by U.S. copyright laws. They shall not be downloaded or reproduced in any way without the written permission of Peter J. Mancus, Owner, CLOUD9PHOTOGRAPHY.US or the applicable photographer or both.

9.
High Res Digital Files of CLOUD 9 Pictures

Q28. Do you ever sell a high resolution digital file for a CLOUD 9 picture?

Yes, but infrequently.

Generally, I do not sell all rights to an image, but I do license limited rights to use an image commercially subject to agreed to terms, reduced to writing, and pre-payment in full.

I recommend that a person who wants to use a CLOUD 9 picture commercially license an image instead of buy it. This is because a license can be had for less money and will accomplish the same purpose in most cases.

10.
Commercial Licensing of High Res Digital CLOUD 9 Pictures

Q29. What do you charge to license for commercial use a high resolution digital file for a CLOUD 9 picture?

To answer that question intelligently and to form a mutually fair price, I need answers to these questions:

1. What CLOUD 9 image(s) do you want to use? [Please use the CLOUD 9 Product No. to identify the image(s) you want to use.]
2. What is your intended use of the image: personal or commercial?
3. If your intended use is commercial:
1. How will it be used? Type of project: Ad? Magazine? Brochure? Other?
2. What size?
1. How large of a digital file do you want? [Print dimensions or digital file requirements in terms of size and DPI]
2. How large will the picture be reproduced?
3. What is the size of your print run: Distribution? Number of insertions, etc.?;
3. Where will you use the image(s), namely, geographical area to be covered?
4. In what form: Print? Electronic?
5. Rights desired:
1. U.S. only?
2. World-wide?
3. Exclusive?
4. Which languages?
5. Duration: From when to when?
6. Number of times: How many times do you intend to use the image?
6. What is your true deadline for needing to get the image in the form you request?
7. Candidly and accurately, what are the odds that you anticipate repeat business with CLOUD 9?
1. Time frame?
2. Number of subsequent orders?
3. Frequency of orders?
4. Total dollar amount to be spent over that time frame?
5. Subject to what terms and conditions?
8. Are you willing to pay the full agreed to price in advance before I send you what you want?
9. Are you agreeable to give the photographer a legally correct copyright notice to keep the image from entering the public domain?; and
10. Are you agreeable to include the URL for www.cloud9photography.us as the supplier of the image?

As to "I" and "J", these notices can be in small font size that does not interfere with enjoyment of a picture if they readable on the picture or near the picture. Upon receipt of fully responsive answers to these questions I can answer this question.

To speed up this discussion, please call (707) 824-1884 to discuss.

Generally, I am receptive to licensing commercial use subject to the following conditions, which are firm:

1. Payment in U.S. dollars must be paid in full before I will forward a print and especially before I will forward a digital file;
2. The licensee must agree in writing to include in the project a copyright notice for the photographer who CLOUD 9 credits with taking the picture and CLOUD 9's Internet URL address in an easy to read size that does not interfere with enjoyment of the picture and on or near the picture, in a suitable place;
3. The licensee must agree in writing to promptly send CLOUD 9's owner at least three copies of how the picture(s) were used commercially; and
4. The licensee must agree in writing to let CLOUD 9 post a picture on the CLOUD 9 Internet site of the licensee's use of the CLOUD 9 picture.

11.
CLOUD 9's Sales Policy

Q30. Does CLOUD 9 have periodic sales where prints are sold at a discount?

No.

I do not have a "yo-yo" discounted "sale" policy.

CLOUD9 will never sell its prints at a discounted price to an ordinary customer, namely, a person who buys a low volume of prints for personal use on a one time or infrequent basis.

If you have delayed buying from CLOUD 9 with the hope that you will some day be able to buy a CLOUD 9 print at a discounted price, you are waiting for something that will never happen.

Special sales with discounted prices present these problems: 1) they induce customers not to buy at regular prices; 2) they suggest that a business that discounts its prices has regular prices that are too high; 3) customers, after a special sale is over, tend to avoid a business with a reputation for having periodic "sales," and continue to avoid that business until it has another sale with discounted prices; 4) once a business gets a reputation for having periodic discounted prices, that business, to maintain volume and income stream, has to run what amounts to an almost continuous sale with discounted prices; 5) a business that embraces discounted prices as a marketing strategy has to continue discounted prices because the withdrawal symptoms are difficult to overcome; and 6) discounted prices tend to kill off a business person's incentive to provide the product because such a marketing strategy is not profitable.

12.
CLOUD 9's Volume Purchase Sales Policy

Q31. Is it possible to obtain a discount on a volume purchase of CLOUD 9 prints?

Yes.

Please contact me, CLOUD 9's owner, to discuss. My contact information is stated below.

Peter J. Mancus Victorian Square 876 Gravenstein Ave. So., Suite 3 Sebastopol, CA 95472 Tel.: (707) 824-1884 Email: pmancus@comcast.net

13.
If You Can't Find What You Are Looking For

Q32. Can you help me find what I am looking for?

If you cannot find a certain kind of picture that you are looking for, please email me, Peter Mancus, CLOUD 9's owner, at pmancus@comcast.net, about what you are looking for, or call me at (707) 824-1884, which is in Northern California, to discuss.

I have tens of thousands, perhaps a hundred thousand or more, of military airplanes, airliners, and warbirds to upload to the CLOUD 9 Internet site, in color and B&W, plus thousands of pictures of other subjects to upload.

If you don't see on CLOUD 9 what you want, I might already have it, I might be able to photograph it for you, or one of our Contributing CLOUD 9 Photographers might have it and contribute it to make it available for sell to you.

14.
Forms of Acceptable Payment

Q33. What form of payment does CLOUD 9 accept?

Payment may be made in three ways: (1) Use our convenient, secure, PayPal E-Commerce check-out system, on line; (2) Mail us cash, check, or cashier's check; and (3) Wire transfer.

PayPal accepts Visa, Master Charge, American Express, Discover, and E-Check.

I recommend using PayPal

Payment must be in U.S. dollars.

Q34. Does PayPal automatically and accurately handle currency conversion?

Yes.

15.
Delivery Time

Q35. What is normal delivery time?

Delivery time is a function of: 1) Your form of payment (personal checks delay delivery time. The product will not be shipped until I have notification that your check cleared our bank. Payment via PayPal speeds up delivery time substantially); 2) What you ordered; 3) Whether you gave us any alternative selections (a customer who gives me multiple "alternative selections" substantially increases the odds of enjoying a much faster delivery) from which to satisfy your order; 4) How much you ordered; 5) Constraints on CLOUD 9's owner's time dictated by his responsibilities and health, and whether he is on a trip; 6) Time required to fill previous orders; and 7) If I encounter production problems.

CLOUD 9 prints are custom made, one at a time, and are carefully inspected before shipped. They are not mass produced, in advance. At CLOUD 9, "Good enough." is not! The goal is: "Perfection."

I normally ship about 5% of all orders within 48 hours of receipt of an order; about 15% within 9 days of an order; about 70% of all prints within 2-4 weeks of an order; and about 5% within 4-7 weeks of an order.

Q36. Is "rush delivery" available?

Maybe.

It depends on variables. There might be an additional "rush delivery" charge. To find out, call me, CLOUD 9's owner, Peter Mancus, to discuss. (707) 824-1884.

I do our reasonable best to get prints sent in time for birthday gifts, retirement gifts and Christmas, etc. Many people, however, procrastinate and place an order too late.

16.
What Can a Customer do to Speed Up Delivery?

Q37. What can a CLOUD 9 customer do to minimize mistakes and delay?

Do the following [where appropriate].

1. Use PayPal and pay by credit card over the Internet;
2. Make payment in U.S. dollars;
3. If you order by sending us a hand written letter, write legibly."869 Avendale Street", when scribbled, can look like "304 Ave. N. Date Street.";
4. Give us your telephone number and email address so I can communicate with you if necessary;
5. Communicate in English; and
6. Give us "alternative selections" to print in case I have a problem with the one and only CLOUD 9 Product Number you specified.

17.
Shipping Matters

Q38. What are the odds that a print will be crushed during transit?

Slim.

I use United Parcel Post tested and approved, expensive, industrial strength mailing tubes with plastic end caps that resist crushing. No customer has reported a crushed print.

Q39. Do you ship to nations around the world?

Yes. (However, shipping to many nations requires an additional fee to pay for the postage.)

The American dollar is so depressed now [as of June 2011] that non-Americans can now buy CLOUD 9 prints at an approximate 50% discounted price due to a currency conversion rate in their favor!

Use of PayPal will easily take care of all currency conversion issues.

Depending on the country, special arrangements might have to be made for additional postage.

18.
Problems, Complaints, Suggestions and Special Services

Q40. If I have a problem, complaint, suggestion, or want a special service, who can I contact at CLOUD 9?

Peter J. Mancus Owner, www.cloud9photography.us Victorian Square 876 Gravenstein Ave. So., Suite 3 Sebastopol, CA 95472 Tel.: (707) 824-1884 Email: pmancus@comcast.net

19.
Advice for CLOUD 9 Print Collectors

Q41. I am a collector who intends to acquire many CLOUD 9 prints and not frame them. What do you recommend I do so I can protect my prints, look at them frequently, and handle them frequently without damaging them?

I recommend you do what I do.

1. Get Itoya "Art Profolio Evolution Presentation/Display Books". These are perfect for fine art and photographs. Put your prints in one or more of these books.
1. Go to www.itoya.com for more information.
2. Itoya's 13" x 19" size Presentation/Display Book, Itoya Product Number EV-12-13, is perfect for CLOUD 9's 11.5 x 17.25 inch prints, with a small white border around same.
3. These Itoya products have desirable features: Durable cover; crystal-clear, top-loading, abrasive resistant, pocket sheets; thick, black, acid-free, mounting paper; 24 pages for 48 prints-two in each sleeve; lie flat with open; and low cost! You can also stack many of them on top of each other without damage! I, at CLOUD 9, love these things. They are functionally perfect and cost effective.
2. Cost effective ways to store-or display-prints are: A) Put them in a box with a lid, preferably an acid free box; B) Put them in a "Presentation Portfolio Book"; C) Put them in hinged, pre-cut, photo-ready mats; D) Put them in thin, flexible, see through, sealable and re-open-able, protective plastic bags; and E) Have the print laminated with thin or thick lamination. Thick lamination is better to reduce bubbling. You can get these storage materials at better photography stores and via the Internet.

Here is what I recommend after you receive your mailing tube:

1. Before opening up the tube:
1. Prepare a clean, dry, smooth, flat, large area to lay the print on when removed from the tube;
2. Seal and put away all liquid containers; and
3. Clean, wash, and dry your hands and forearms thoroughly.
2. Avoid moisture. [The ink on these prints is water soluble.]
3. Ideally, wear clean cotton gloves when handling the print [available at most better photography stores.]
4. No one with a cold, running noise, or who sneezes a lot, should handle the print.
5. Peel off the scotch tape that holds the plastic end caps to the tube.
6. If a plastic end cap will not come out easily, use pliers to grab the tab on the cap and pull the cap out.
7. Once a plastic end cap is removed, gently tap the open end on a clean, dry surface to nudge the print toward the opening.
8. Carefully pinch the white margin around the image and carefully slowly pull the print out of the tube.
9. Proceed calmly, slowly, carefully.
10. If you feel like you are going to sneeze, turn your head and sneeze away from the print and cover your nose.
11. If a sneeze droplet gets on a print, let it dry. An attempt to remove the droplet might smear the ink.
12. Carefully put the print into whatever storage device you selected. If you follow this advice, a CLOUD 9 print should give you decades of enjoyment.

20.
Advice for Framing CLOUD 9 Prints

Q42. What are your recommendations for having a CLOUD 9 print framed?

1. When you receive the mailing tube from me, leave the print in the tube and unopened, and take the tube to the frame shop, promptly. This minimizes unnecessary handling and risk of damage;
2. At the frame shop, do what follows in this order:
1. Whomever is going to open the tube and handle the print should wash their hands and dry their hands and forearms thoroughly;
2. Leave the print inside the tube and prepare a large, flat, smooth, clean, dry, liquid-moisture free area. Seal up and put away all containers of liquid;
3. Avoid liquids. The ink on these prints is water soluble;
4. Make certain the surface the print will be placed upon is dry. CAUTION: If the print is placed down on a moist surface and rolled up, the moisture might leech through when it is rolled up, and that moisture will cause the water soluble ink to dissolve;
5. [Ideally] wear clean cotton gloves when handling the print. [These are available at most better photography stores and frame shops.];
6. No one with a cold, running noise, or who sneezes a lot, should handle the print;
7. Peel off the scotch tape that holds the plastic end caps to the tube;
8. If a plastic end cap will not come out easily by pulling on it with one's fingers, use a pair of pliers to grab the tab on the cap and pull the cap out;
9. Once a plastic end cap is removed, gently tap the open end on a clean, dry surface to nudge the print down toward the opening;
10. Once the print is near the opening, carefully pinch the white margin around the image and ultra carefully slowly pull the print out of the tube;
11. Do not touch the image itself. Touch only the white margin;
12. Once the print is out of the tube, proceed calmly, slowly, carefully;
13. If a sneeze droplet or any liquid droplet gets on the print, let the droplet dry. An attempt to remove the droplet might smear the ink, damaging the print;
14. Let the framer handle the print;
15. Have the frame shop person use archival [acid free, long lasting] materials and UV [ultraviolet] resistant glass or acrylic to protect the image from UV light. If you follow this advice the print should last for years.

21.
Availability for Special Assignment

Q43. Are you available for special assignments for compensation?

Yes.

I offer well honed skills, expensive professional photography equipment (examples: Professional extreme wide angle to extreme telephoto lenses, professional large digital capture, professional digital film scanning, and professional large printing), and an excellent "eye" to accommodate almost every need.

I am capable of producing museum quality, pin prick sharp, excellent, static, artistic, and dynamic action, large, color and B&W prints or digital files, subject to a license arrangement.

Please feel free to call me [Peter Mancus] at (707) 824-1884 to discuss your particular needs, at no obligation to you, or email me at pmancus@comcast.net .

Q44. If I hire you to take pictures for me will you surrender to me your entire copyright of the pictures you take for me?

No.

If I did that that would reduce me to being "a day laborer" and I would be giving up "my children" [my pictures/my work product/my cerebral-creative "blood"] to you, forever, with me retaining nothing but your green money. I will not do that. I would entertain doing that only if you paid me a fee so high you would have to be nearly insane to do that.

It is not in your best interest to try to reduce me to "day laborer" status. When I know I have that status, it is hard for me to stay "pumped", focused, hard driven, and determined to squeeze out the best creative work I can produce.

The good news is: If someone thinks enough my work to pay for my time and my expenses to take pictures for them, without demanding that I surrender my entire copyright to them, I will be equitable with them and I will grant them liberal license rights to use the pictures I took for them, calculated to satisfy their every conceivable need for my pictures.

22.
Support for CLOUD9PHOTOGRAPHY.US

Q45. What can I do to support CLOUD 9 Photography?

1. Buy CLOUD 9 prints frequently.
2. Display CLOUD 9 prints.
3. Show CLOUD 9 prints to others.
4. Encourage people with webpages to do an on line review of CLOUD 9 and to link to www.cloud9photography.us .
5. Give me candid, brutal, constructive, feedback. Tell me what you don't like, do like, and recommend.
6. If you write me a testimonial, please include written permission to use it, with your name, job title, community and state on our webpage.
7. If you have one or more images of the quality I am trying to sustain, please share it with me and allow me to use it commercially.
8. Become a Contributing CLOUD9PHOTOGRAPHY.US photographer and allow me to show case your work and market it commercially.
9. If you are a warbird pilot, invite me to go flying with you for some air-to-air photography.
10. If you are in the Armed Forces, invite me to photography your unit and its equipment.
11. Make a voluntary contribution.

23.
CLOUD 9'S Primary Subject Matter

Q46. Which subject matter will CLOUD 9 concentrate on the most?

Airplane pictures.

I will, however, also emphasize animals, historical reenactors, statuary, scenics, and maritime photography.

24.
Warbird Flights

Q47. I am a warbird pilot. Are you receptive to trading flights to photograph my warbird for CLOUD 9 prints? Or for digital images of my airplane?

Yes.

25.
Normal and Low Resolution JPEGS on CLOUD 9

Q48. Why do some images on CLOUD 9 look as if they have defects or as if they are extremely low resolution JPEGS?

On the CLOUD 9 Homepage, under "What's New", in the "Low Resolution JPEGS"gallery, in the drop down menu , I are uploading low resolution JPEGS.

For each low resolution JPEG, I have a huge digital file from original film made from a professional grade dedicated film scanner.

I are uploading these low resolution JPEGS because A) I have tens of thousands of images, B) CLOUD 9 is growing, and C) to speed up letting the public know that I have these images, images, I are uploading them, as low res JPEGS, before they are fully prepped for printing.

These low resolution JPEGS are like batters in the warm up box in a base ball game, waiting their turn at bat. After our pre-printing prep is done, all low resolution JPEGS will print up beautifully as big, detail rich, prints.

I have, for each of these low resolution images, a large digital file, which averages approximately 430 Megabytes, which is a huge file, approximately 43% of one full Gigabyte!

I would not upload an image to CLOUD 9 if I believed it would not print up Ill, big.

Our money back guarantee applies to all of our images, including these low resolution JPEGS.

26.
Resolving a Dispute

Q49. What is the proper jurisdiction [court] for resolving a dispute?

The odds of formal litigation being required to resolve a dispute with me or with CLOUD 9 are nil. However, anyone who does business with CLOUD 9, via its owner, me, in any way, does so subject to this condition: They irrevocably agree that they have made an informed consent decisions that the exclusive proper place for resolution of a formal legal dispute of any kind, if any, shall be, and is, in Sonoma County, California, United States of America, which is approximately 60 miles north of San Francisco, California.

If you have a question that is not answered here, please call me [Peter Mancus] at

(707) 824-1884 to ask it or email me at pmancus@comcast.net .

CLOUD9PHOTOGRAPHY.US

PHOTOGRAPHY FOR PERSNICKETY PEOPLE

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