Parents are running school photo proofs through AI to strip the watermarks, and there are people locally who'll do it for a fiver. Is it theft, or a symptom of something bigger?

In this episode, I get into the part of this conversation nobody wants to have. Many families are struggling, and £30 is a real decision. But parents don't see the safeguarding checks, the insurance, the paperwork and the hoops photographers jump through just to get into a school.

I'm also turning the mirror on our own industry. Phone snaps are instant, packages can feel overpriced, and sometimes the photos just aren't good enough. One school ended its contract over the quality of the last batch.

Then we zoom out. Why does the UK treat "cheap" as a badge of honour when, in places like Norway, cheap is a red flag? Why will we happily pay nearly £7 for a drink that's barely a coffee, but balk at paying for professional photos of our kids?

We cover:

• Why the AI watermark workaround is happening and what it says about value
• What parents never see behind a school shoot
• The quality problem photographers need to own
• The instant-and-cheap expectation, and where it leaves professional work

Where do you stand? Tell me in the comments or send me a message. I'm genuinely listening.

Special guest: Matt Curtis https://www.mattcurtisphotography.com/