holiday pic ? with a D3000

I'm getting my first DSLR next week and am hoping to get some pictures of the kids to print and hand out to family. We normally get them done professionally but I'd have to go out of town this year so I'd rather do them myself if possible.

My question...if I do them outside or inside with natural light, will I be able to get them printed and have them look of professional quality? If so, does it matter where they are printed? If I cant get them to look like the prints we'd get at say, Walmart studio, then Id rather have a professional do it!

Quoting L&B +1:" I'm getting my first DSLR next week and am hoping to get some pictures of the kids to print and hand ... [snip!] ... printed? If I cant get them to look like the prints we'd get at say, Walmart studio, then Id rather have a professional do it!"

If you take a good picture that looks professional on the computer, dont ruin it by going to walmart... lemme look where my photography friend prints hers... but walmart cuts the quality about as bad as facebook does when you upload them x_x

Quoting Mom of 2 Monkeys:" If you take a good picture that looks professional on the computer, dont ruin it by going to walmart... ... [snip!] ... where my photography friend prints hers... but walmart cuts the quality about as bad as facebook does when you upload them x_x"

Oh dear. I didnt know that! Thank you for checking. I'm clueless!

I can't find the link atm..... but lemme look in the morning

I just want to say, that just because you have a "nice" camera won't mean the pictures will come out looking professional. It takes a lot more than a nice camera to get nice photos.

Quoting Mrs.Dani:" I just want to say, that just because you have a "nice" camera won't mean the pictures will come out looking professional. It takes a lot more than a nice camera to get nice photos."

Lol. I meant the quality of the print. Right now Im only shooting with a sony cybershot and while its a great camera, when my sister printed an 8x10 of one of her senior picture poses (outdoors) it looked a bit grainy. I havent seen a bigger print from a DSLR but if I can shoot without the noise then I will photograph them myself. If not, then I'll have to go with a photographer. Im pretty sure she printed it at Walmart though too, which I was told destroys the quality.

Quoting L&B +1:" Lol. I meant the quality of the print. Right now Im only shooting with a sony cybershot and while its ... [snip!] ... have to go with a photographer. Im pretty sure she printed it at Walmart though too, which I was told destroys the quality."

Walmart prints are really bad. They made all my pics come out dark and messed them up.

My cousin is a professional photographer and recommends printing the image files I purchase from her at http://www.mpix.com/
If you google coupon codes they often have some good ones and the prints I've had done there always look great, both the professional and amateur ones.

Of course this is just telling you one option to get professional print quality, if the picture looks professional is all up to you of course  

Quoting babybaker:" My cousin is a professional photographer and recommends printing the image files I purchase from her ... [snip!] ... just telling you one option to get professional print quality, if the picture looks professional is all up to you of course  "

For sure. Ive got the picture covered, I just want to make sure the quality of the print isnt crap! Thank you, I will check it out!!

Quoting Mrs.Dani:" Walmart prints are really bad. They made all my pics come out dark and messed them up."

Ugh, figures. We will definitely be skipping there then. Ive printed 4x6 snapshots and they looked ok, but these obviously need to be perfect. My sisters senior pictures were printed there and some of them look so weird. But in a small print or on the computer they look great!

ok yeah, reconfirmed with a photog friend... mpix.com she said is the best place to print good quality pictures.

Quoting Mom of 2 Monkeys:" ok yeah, reconfirmed with a photog friend... mpix.com she said is the best place to print good quality pictures."

perfect, thank you so much!