negatives from photographer?

My photographer has called to offer me the negatives from our wedding last February. We already got our albums, and purchased our proofs (which were small (maybe 3x5?), i thought, but i wanted to have them anyway). Now he's offering us the negatives for $175, and he says he will destroy them if we don't want them. Is this a normal practice, to offer them to the bride? And if so, is this a normal price? What could i do with them, if i did purchase them?

I understand this is a 'post' wedding question, but would really appreciate it if someone could let me know what the general approach is to something like this.

Thanks!
Sue

As a photographer, I value my negatives more than anything else in my studio. While equipment can be replaced, specific moments in time can never be relived! It is unusual for the photographer to have contacted you so soon after your wedding with the news that he will remove your negatives from his archives. However, this is actually quite common practice, as many photographers cannot sustain extended storage due to space limitations.

The primary advantage of retaining your negatives is that you can make high quality reprints at any point in the future.
Many photographers retain negatives for precisely this purpose. You will want to work with a custom print lab to assure quality printing, however, as your photographer has removed himself from the equation. The price at which he is offering these negatives is EXTREMELY reasonable. Be certain to request that the negatives be presented to you in sleeves, cut for storage. Be sure to store the negatives in a box or enclosed binder in a cool, dry place.

While you may not feel the necessity for re-prints at this point in time, keep your options open for the future!

Lisa M. Robinson Photography

yup, I agree with Lisa. We generally offer the negatives the same way after the albums are done (no more room to keep in storage!)

The negatives are meant for storage, not for reproduction unless you get a release from the photographer.

Absolutely! What that means is that you should ask for a signed release form from your photographer when you buy the negatives back, so that you can make copies of images in the future. Without this, you infringe upon copyrights of the photographer. However, 25 years from now, when you want to make those copies, your photographer may have closed up shop!

Lisa M. Robinson Photography