Can I buy a cd with a copyright release?

I get asked this quite frequently and the answer is both yes and no.  First, understand, it is an insult to me as a professional photogrpaher...ie...artist if I will release the copyright.  Would you go to Tommy Hilfeger and ask if he'd give you the rights to make his clothing anywhere you wanted?  Would he say yes?  Louise Vuitton? Norman Rockwell? Claude Monet?

Ok, I realize some of these artists are no longer living, but, they made a LIVING off their creations.  They held the right to "manufacture" it in the best possible light.  When you take a cd of the portrait I created for you to Walmart, Target, or where ever, you ARE NOT getting the best possible portrait.  And I do not want my name attached to that.  You just took food from my children, money for my mortgage (and I live in a little 1400 ranch-style home with 5 other people) rent for the building. and on and on.  Did you think of that? 

Being a photographer is NOT my hobby.  This is my job.  Please, please, please, before you ask for a cd of pictures to print on your own, think about what you really want.  It's a LOT cheaper to take the pictures yourself.  You want cheap, you can do as good if not better job doing it yourself than hiring a photographer who sells the cd.

Now, having said that.  I do have a high resolution cd available for purchase.  It starts at $1200 with a collection, it does not include a copyright realese unless you take over my mortgage payments for a year.  The $1200 will give you reproduction rights and a high quality file that will print very nicely at the labs I RECOMMEND.

I understand their are people who sincerely want an archive of the portraits they have invested in.  They know if something bad happens, they can have those memories reprinted (but I recommend to them to come back to me for the best quality).  They aren't out to get a good deal or cheapy pictures.  And for them, I will cater. For the rest, I'm not the photographer for you....