There’s a time to skimp and save a buck. But it’s not when you’re buying your Mothers Day card!
Neither is it true for your professional portraits.
I can’t tell you how many hundreds of snapshot images I’ve had printed through the big-box stores (Walmart, Walgreens, etc.). But big-box developing is 100% automated, under the supervision of an employee who usually has no training in color management or excellence in photo lab developing. When it comes to portraits, you will get the best and highest quality results from a professional photo lab. Professional photographers take great care in their post-processing to present their clients with images that are sharp and color-managed in a very intentional manner.
Remember, if you’ve paid for a professional to take the images, then pay for a professional to print them, too. You’ll be glad you did as it’s an investment that you’ll value for years to come!