Thats the "old-school" way. to keep the "negatives" and charge for prints. They keep them on file forever. (I used to assist a wedding photographer). Negotiat

Thats the "old-school" way. to keep the "negatives" and charge for prints. They keep them on file forever. (I used to assist a wedding photographer). Negotiate for digital copies of the images ahead of time, and for rights to the photos. That way the images are yours. Some photographers aren't going to like it but its the way the market is going. Some labs wouldn't print photos that look "pro" but this is less of a problem now.