Buying images

For Christmas (sorry, I know it’s not even November yet) I want to buy my wife a large frame with 2-3 prints inside of our favourite places inside.

I have a local framing shop who can do it, but I need to supply the images and prove that I’m allowed to reproduce them (so I need to buy them, which is u understandable and fine).

They’ve given me some pointers, but it still seems a bit confusing to someone like me who knows very little about photography and has never done this before.

I really like this image, for example - Yosemite Valley

All I want is the file to be able to take to my printers. Is this type of thing really going to cost me £300 for one image? Or am I being thick?

Search for wallpaper images of places you like. Find images in the highest resolution you can find like this for example;

https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=SHrQ1WS6&id=C903B21F698692E0375A6416BFB2FFF027BB1C5A&thid=OIP.SHrQ1WS6-YQX7hGQ1rqiPgHaEy&mediaurl=https%3a%2f%2fwallpapersite.com%2fimages%2fwallpapers%2fyosemite-valley-6582x4259-yosemite-national-park-sierra-nevada-11772.jpg&exph=4259&expw=6582&q=yosemite+valley&simid=608032265005368408&selectedIndex=27&ajaxhist=0

(which is very high at 6582X4259), then look on ebay for your pictures printed onto canvas and find someone who doesn't care about copyright, and most won't. I get loads of printing done by Vistaprint and they don't care.

No expert but coincidentally I'm looking to do exactly the same thing albeit for something to put in my office. The site I'm looking at for what I want is a lot more reasonable. This one below looks like it's almost taken from the same spot (lighting isn't as striking though).

£7 for same resolution image

The one's I'm thinking about from that site are £20 but even so I haven't noticed anything in the hundreds.

That’s really helpful, thanks. I’ll have a good look around that site.

The annoying thing is, I went to Yosemite and took the photo I want to reproduce, but it was 5 years ago on an iPhone 4 or 5 and won’t blow up to a decent size and still look decent.

Vistaprint and all printers I have worked for and with DO care about copyright and in their terms state that by uploading and printing the images you confirm that you either own the copyright or have obtained the appropriate authorisations from those that do own the copyright.

From Vistaprint terms ???
You are solely responsible for your use of Content in combination with any other images, graphics, text or other materials you incorporate into your Products. You agree that you will not include any text, image, design, trademark, service mark, or any copyrighted work of any third party in your Products unless you have obtained the appropriate authorisations from the owners. You warrant that your Products do not infringe upon any rights of any third party, including copyright, trademark, right of publicity or privacy, and will not libel or defame any third party, and that you have all required rights or permissions necessary to incorporate third party material into your Products, including any third party material made available via a third party design service which may be accessed via the Site. By placing an order on this Site, you warrant that you have all necessary permission, right and authority to place the order and you authorise Vistaprint to produce the Products on your behalf. You grant Vistaprint the right to copy, modify, distribute, use, create derivative works of and vectorise any content you have uploaded for the purpose of fulfilling your order and/or marketing products or services to you. Moreover, you warrant that you have sufficient rights to permit Vistaprint to copy, distribute, use, modify, create derivative works of and vectorise any uploaded content for the purpose of fulfilling your order and/or marketing products or services to you.

Vistaprint say that in their terms, but they have never quiried anything I have sent including logos for Fiat, Aston Martin, Jaguar, & Ferrari, which I obviously don't own. But for pictures I was thinking more of looking on ebay for 'Your own photo giclee printed on canvas'. There are lots of advertisers and I'm sure many would not question a submitted photo. How would they even know it's not one you took yourself? But I would not condone printing off a load to resell, but one for your own use... However, £7 for an image is very reasonable so why not go that route?

They may not check *because* of their T&Cs... *you* are the person stating that there are no copyright issues, and if the copyright owner decides to *you* will the person who gets sued.

If you use someone else's copyrighted material, it's illegal in just about every jurisdiction in the world unless you have their permission to do so. Doesn't matter whether it's a book, a film, music, or a photograph...

FWIW if you do buy from the site I linked to, there's a promo code for 17% off during November that I found, it's 5AVE17. I've just bought the image I wanted and it worked for me.