Help / Frequently Asked Questions...

Registration & Login

Do I have to register in order to use this website?
No. Feel free to browse the site all you like, and you can even start a shopping cart without registering. Of course, you'll need to register in order to use certain features of the site, such as saving your favorites, and making purchases.

Why do I have to register to purchase the images in my shopping cart?
By registering an account you are able to keep items in your shopping cart for a long period of time, and you will be able to view your open orders. Registration and passwords also improve identity protection when doing business on the internet.

Does it cost anything to register for an account?
No. There is no cost for registering with CraigSzwed.Net.

I can't seem to log in, can you help?
Remember that your password is case sensitive, be sure that you have entered it correctly. If you have forgotten your password, you can use our handy Forgotten Password feature. If necessary, you can send me an email with your name, telephone number, and the email address you used during registration and I'll respond with your password.

Viewing Photos

How do I view a larger version of a photo?
If you click on a thumbnail you will see a medium version of the photograph. If you click on the medium photo, you will see a larger version of the photo. For security purposes, both medium and large photos contain the watermark "PROOF - do not duplicate". This watermark will not be present on photographs that you purchase.

Can I view photos without registering?
Yes. Visitors can view photos, save them in a shopping cart, and use most other features of the website without registering or logging in. However, be aware that if you're not logged in, any photos in your cart, or tagged as favorites will be lost when you close your browser.

How can I locate the photo I'm looking for?
Each photo gallery contains a search feature. Simply type the word (or words) to describe the photographic subject that you're trying to find. If you get no results using one particular word, or combination, then try your search with (or without) a comma separator, or by using a related or less specific word. For instance, if you are looking for photos of a bald eagle: Go to the Nature/Birds-Bees gallery, and enter "bald eagle". If you get no results, you can try "eagle" or "bird" or “bald”, and see what comes up. For multi-level galleries, you can also try checking the "Main gallery and sub galleries" button. Also, there may be related images in other galleries. If you enter the word “iguana” in the search box for either the Nature or the Travel International master galleries, then iguana pictures will be pulled from their respective sub-galleries.

Why do I get no results when I search for multiple words, such as "eagle, falcon"?
The current version of the search engine treats the entire search string as a single word, so searching on multiple words is tricky at best. I've spoken with the developer, and this is being considered for a future upgrade of the software. In the meantime, searching for the individual words is usually the most productive way to search.

Why do I get seemingly unrelated photos when I search for something specific?
If you go to the Nature/Animals-Fish Gallery and type 'cat' into the search engine, one of the first images you see is of an iguana. Obviously, an iguana is not a cat. This image is picked because the search engine looks at things called 'keywords' that are assigned to photos to help find them, based on their content, or where they were taken, or some other attribute of the photo. That iguana photo was shot on the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico. The 'cat' in the middle of Yucatan is what the search engine saw and captured as it sorted through thousands of 'keyword' clues, looking for anything containing 'cat'. Experiment with the words you use, just as you would on the internet, to search through each of the gallery groups.

Why can't I search for what I want when I am looking at the initial page that shows all the main galleries?
We asked the software company this same question, and they said that they may eventually incorporate an updated search engine that will allow users to search every gallery at the same time. Until then, thank you for your patience.

When I view photos, the word PROOF appears. How can I see what the photo really looks like?
The watermark "PROOF do not duplicate" will appear in several places on all photos. It is a security feature that helps to prevent unauthorized downloading. Unfortunately this is a necessary measure, and there is no way to remove it. However, the watermark is merely a feature of the website, and does not exist on the photo itself. It WILL NOT APPEAR on photos that are purchased and downloaded.

Website Features

What do the small icons below the thumbnails represent?
= Preview the photograph: Hover over the magnifying glass icon to see a preview of the photo.

= Compare images: To compare multiple images side-by-side, click on the flag icon under each image. Once you've selected all the images to compare, click on the word "compare". Upon completion, clicking on one of the large images will reset the flags and display that image's purchase page. To exit the comparison wihtout resetting the flags, use your browsers "back" button.

= Add to favorites: Click on the heart icon to add the phot to your list of favorites. You must be logged in to use this feature.

= Add to Cart: Click on the shopping cart icon to view this photo's purchase page.

What is the Guest Book all about?
The Guest Book is a place where my customers can leave appropriate comments about my website, books, and photos, or just to say "Hello, I was here". The guest book is open to the public so please keep your entries brief, friendly, and on topic.

Purchasing Photos

Can I download photos from your site?
Yes, all photos displayed are available for downloading immediately after the purchase is complete.

Can I buy prints of your photos?
Yes. After downloading the file, you can use any photo printing service you like to buy prints, or you can print them yourself if you have the necessary equipment.

What sizes are the photos?
The resolution of each photo is shown on the photo's purchase page. When you click on "Commercial Use License" or "Personal Use License", you will both see the size of the photo (in KB) and it's dimensions (in pixels).

Are there any restrictions on how I may use the photos I purchase?
There are just a few. First of all, you are not purchasing the photograph or its photo file. You are purchasing a Commercial or Personal Use License for the photo file that you download. My photographs are copyrighted and I retain all rights to the photos and the files. Please note that whichever license you purchase, you are not allowed to sell the digital file. Only the Commercial License will allow you to sell photographic prints made from your copy of the Licensed file. You may not sell or lease the digital file or your License to use the photo file, to any third party.

Can I display your photos on a website, or use them on brochures or flyers?
Yes, if you purchase the Commercial License for a photo file, you may use that file according to the terms of the Commercial Use License Agreement, to which you will be referred during the checkout process. The Personal Use License does not permit any commercial use. Both those Licenses are non-exclusive. To apply for, or check the availability of, an Exclusive License for a particular photo file (and for the going rate for exclusive use), please contact me at info@CraigSzwed.net.

Will the pictures I place in my shopping cart remain there when I leave the site?
Yes, if you are logged in as a registered user your pictures will stay in your shopping cart until you either place the order or remove them yourself.

How do I place an order for a photograph?
First, place the desired photo(s) in your shopping cart. Then view your shopping cart and click on the Check Out button. If necessary, you will be prompted to login or create a new customer account. Then just follow the promtps to complete the check out and payment process.

What forms of payment are accepted?
You can use most major credit/debit cards, including Visa, Master Card, American Express and Discover. You can also pay using your PayPal account.

DISCOUNTS on photos: I want to buy several photos, are any volume discounts available?
Yes. For EVERY 5 photos that you buy, you can get a 6th photo free: all eligible photos have the "Buy 5, Get 1 FREE" discount notice next to their checkout info. When your purchase of 5 photos is paid for, you become eligible to get 1 "freebie"; 10 paid photos gets you 2 free; 15 paid photos gets you 3 "freebies", 50 paid photos (in the same order) would earn the maximum of 10 "freebies" with any single order. To get your qualified "freebies", email your request to info@CraigSzwed.net, and specify your qualifying Order Number, along with the Gallery Name/s, Image Name/s, & Image ID Number/s of the free photo/s you'd like to receive. To qualify, all purchased photos must be on the same order, and your free photo request must be received within 30 days of payment. Qualifying photo/s are normally emailed to you within 2 business days.

The checkout process keeps displaying a Paypal screen. What's up with that?
This is normal since all payment transactions on this website are processed by Paypal. If you wish to pay using your Paypal account, just login and continue. But if you prefer to pay using your credit/debit card just look for the "Continue" link above the Credit Card icons. Click the link and follow the prompts to complete your transaction. You do not need a paypal account if you're paying with a credit/debit card.

How do I download the photos I've purchased?
After your payment has been verified, you will receive an email which contains links to the photos you ordered. Click on the link and follow the prompts to process your downloads. The email is sent immediately following payment, but the email settings on your PC or at your Internet Service Provider may delay receipt, so please be patient.

What should I do if my download is interrupted, or if the file was corrupted during download?
If you experience any problems with downloaded files, please send an email to info@CraigSzwed.net. In your email, please remember to include your order number and a description of the problem. Customer Service will attempt to diagnose and address the problem as soon as possible (usually within 48 business hours or less). Thank you for your patience.

I'd like to get a high-quality print made, can you recommend a good service?
While you're free to use any service you like, I highly recommend myphotopipe.com. I use these folks for all my photo printing. I've tried several popular printing companies, and Myphotopipe.com did the absolute best job with the contrast, color, detail integrity, and overall quality... PLUS, they offer a wide range of print sizes and papers, including canvas and art prints. They also offer great sales and excellent customer service.

Website Policies

Why can't I buy a printed photo from this site?
We believe that offering personally Licensed JPG photo files offers the customer the best range of options for how the customer wishes to process the photograph. If we offered prints, then the customer would be at the mercy of our photo processing preferences. When you purchase a Commercial or Personal Use License, you have lots of choices about how to render the photo in processing, and where you elect to have that work done.

What kind of Customer Services does CraigSzwed.Net provide?
CraigSzwed.Net is operated by me, Craig Szwed, the photographer and author. I do my best to respond to customer inquiries and issues within 48 business hours. While this may not always be possible, I promise to do my best to be responsive to my customers, in a timely fashion. I shall strive to attain your full satisfaction concerning my products and service. This is a ‘good faith’ business and I am not responsible for anything beyond my immediate control. To request customer service, please email me at info@CraigSzwed.net.

How does CraigSzwed.net protect my personal information?
Like most people, I do not like my personal information splattered all over the place or misused, and I promise that I will not misuse your personal information either. Your information is collected for the purpose of managing your account, and communicating necessary sales info to you and our payment processor (currently PayPal). Simply stated, I will not sell your information or share it with anybody.

What is your refund policy?
No refunds shall be issued for any item that has been downloaded from this site. At the discretion of CraigSzwed.net, refunds may be granted, in whole or in part, for unusual circumstances pertaining to the order.

Personal/Other

How can I find out more about Craig Szwed?
For starters, you can check out my personal info on this site. Additionally, "Google-ing" my name will turn up all sorts of interesting tidbits and articles about me and my life.

How can I contact Craig Szwed?
You may email inquiries or comments to info@CraigSzwed.net.

Who designed your website?
Dan Desroches of DCS Websites LLC is the person who did all the design and programming tricks to make my ideas and vision for this website come together. Dan is very technically knowledgeable, flexible, imaginative, willing to learn and try new computer gimmicks to work through technical challenges, and a timely professional who takes great pride in his work. I have been impressed with Dan’s clear communication of technical information that would otherwise be way out of my league, as well as with his cheerful ability to ease the customer through the potentially stressful process of building and getting a new website 'up and running', particularly a webstore. Dan has designed a wide array of websites, but, before I hired DCS Websites LLC, I contacted at least six of Dan’s web design customers. They all had rave reviews about his work. Each one said that Dan did not impose his aesthetics on the website owners, but built to the owner specifications. I concur! Top notch work!! Thanks, Dan!!

Thanks to each of you, my valued customers, for your interest, your trust, and your business!

Craig M. Szwed
Author & Photographer
Owner, CraigSzwed.Net