Wezza1977uk Loc: London, England

Hi guys havent posted for a while as have been pretty unwell, but thems are the breaks with Crohns I suppose, anyways...
My question is a simple one, I fear however that the answer may not be.
I am getting married in August next year and when it comes to the photographer I want him/her to shoot in RAW & JPeg and give us the original RAW files as well as the edited Jpegs all photographers seem to offer. Do you guys (especially you UK Hogs but Please feel free to chime in if you're from elsewhere) know of photographers that would do this as the general response from photogs on various message boards and Yahoo answers seem to be highly offended at the mere suggestion of it, some even going so far as to state that they own the RAW files and would never give them up. Surely if i have paid the photog to take my pictures the images belong to me.
Thanks in advance for your answers and please feel free to give me your opinion even if it is just an opinion.
Cheers Guys...and its good to be back!!!

LLucas Loc: Upstate South Carolina, USA

This will surely be an unpopular response, Wezza, but I'm putting it out there, nonetheless.
I often shoot special events for friends and they only want me to deliver the jpegs to them. In this social-media world, digi images are the most in demand. I charge for my time and expertise only. The digital images are the product of my time spent. I will narrow the selection down as much as possible while still capturing the important details of the event. The charities that I shoot for are happy to pay me for my time (usually $100-$200) and then I hand over the files to them and it's up to them to print, share, etc. I'm a beginner and I don't do this for a living. I consider it a service for my friends and family and charities that I stand behind and want to support.
If I were counting on this to pay the bills, I would reconsider "giving away" the digital images, but for now, it suits me and helps the people that are important to me.
Do you have a friend who would do this for you? I'm afraid a professional photog who makes her living with event photography would not agree to it, because it cuts into her profit margin and she'd release "control" over her images...
Good luck!

GWR100 Loc: England

If you pay for a photographer he should adhere to you request, if not go elsewhere. If you get really stuck give me a shout and I will gladly pop up to town and snap it for you, FOC

Geoff

PhotoMan1929 Loc: Virginia, USA

Just my opinion, but it seems you are creating undue stress for yourself. You mentioned Crohn's disease. which I believe is partly a stress-induced condition.

PhotoMan1929 Loc: Virginia, USA

I do not know how my post got messed up, but I interspersed some personal comments in with the quote of the OP. Sorry.

Wall-E Loc: Phoenix, AZ

The answer you will mostly get is NO.
The photographer will not let the unedited RAW files out of his sight.
That's like getting the 1st draft from an author along with the finished novel.
Are you hiring someone to shoot and YOU do the editing?
Or are you hiring someone because you like his/her finished product?
Any photographer worth being called one, will ONLY let you see his best work. Not the raw materials he used to get there.

Nikon_Bill Loc: South Florida

I've shot commercial and personal such as weddings for over 50 years. Some contracts ask for the raw files. Be aware that the price will go up due to the 'one time' shooting with no reorders.
If it is a friend who wants to help, be a friend and pay him or her something to show your appreciation.(You keep friends that way) If it is a paid photographer, expect to get what you ask for, but expect also to pay for 'Exclusive Production Rights' by obtaining the raw files. A contract works in the interest of both parties. The photographer is bound to produce what you have asked for in the contract, and he has assumed a large responsibility. You have the assurance he will make that happen, even at his own expense or loss should problems arise. You shouldn't expect anything extra, in addition to, or after thought. Choice of a qualified, honest, experienced photographer is a weighty decision that will affect you and your family the rest of your life. May your choice be a good one. :)

LLucas Loc: Upstate South Carolina, USA

"Although stress is sometimes claimed to exacerbate Crohn's disease, there is no concrete evidence to support such claim." (-National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse)

"Crohn's is the first genetically complex disease in which the relationship between genetic risk factors and the immune system is understood in considerable detail." (-Henckaerts L, Figueroa C, Vermeire S, Sans M [May 2008]. "The role of genetics in inflammatory bowel disease")

You have my sympathy. It's an often misunderstood and misdiagnosed disease. Best of luck with the wedding!

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Personally, that would be a deal-breaker for me for any reasonable price. Maybe for $10,000 and you have to sign an agreement that you have NO recourse whatsoever if you do not like the images.

I think most decent photographers would find that incredibly insulting to even ask. 75% of what they deliver is in the processing and they are going to hand it over to you?

I changed my mind:$50,000 and I am not insulted anymore. Pay my airfare to the UK and we have a deal! :-)

Annie_Girl Loc: It's none of your business

Same here, actually you would be surprised how many times this is asked and how often you will find insulted photographers complaining about the balls of clients who even ask this before booking all over photography forms. It would be considered even more in bad taste coming from a fellow photographer.

Wezza1977uk Loc: London, England

I may be exposing myself to ridicule here but am I missing something? I'm not trying to insult a fellow photographer I was just under the impression that if they were taking photos of me, for me, that having the original files and paying for them wouldn't be a problem. Am I really being naive? I just presumed that were I to be in the reversed position I would be handing over all images to the client as they have paid for the shoot and therefore the images belong to them. I find the comment do you want his camera too a little much...when I pay someone to decorate my house I don't expect him to give me his paintbrush, but nor do I expect him to keep samples of my wallpaper (poor analogy but it's 1am here) GWR100 that's an awesome offer dude but I could never let someone do that FOC and tbh I'm not looking to skimp on paying the photographer. Merely trying to understand why I wouldn't own the rights to the images I have paid him or her to take. Please note I am not trying to flame here or cause anyone to be insulted I really am trying to understand my rights as a client. I would be looking to get finished Jpegs from the photographer and the RAW files as well so I could edit them to my own liking and would obviously pay accordingly. I find the I wouldn't have you as a client comments a bit insulting to be honest. I am just asking a question as I genuinely don't know what to expect as I haven't done this before. Thanks guys

Annie_Girl Loc: It's none of your business

photographers own the copyright to any and all images. Clients get usage rights, that means (depending on the contract between the photographer and the client) they can hang them on their walls, show them to friends and display them on social media sites. The client does not own the copyright and as such they do NOT get to edit the images in any way shape or form, doing so breaks the photographer's copyright and they actually can collect money from their client (at least threaten too).

Just because you are paying the photographer to take your pictures and give you copies does not actually mean you OWN the rights to the pictures or the negatives, Raw files are the digital negative.

Think of it like buying a cd, you get to listen to the music of the artist but you don't get to make copies and sell it nor do you get to make changes to the music.

Pablo8 Loc: Nottingham UK.

I had the same (odd) request back in film shooting days, where the groom asked for the set of 35mm negs of his wedding. (I was shooting on a Hasselblad at that time). I suppose he wanted to take the negs into 'Boots'/'Happy-Snaps' for cheap prints. Obviously I did not take-on that wedding booking. I don't think you will find a 'Professional Photographer' who will do what you ask. I certainly wouldn't, and I'm retired now.

ocbeyer Loc: Baltimore

Maybe this is a stretch, but...

I used to do a lots of in-house catering. When you do this kind of catering you listen to what the host requests for a certain number of people and you estimate what quantities you need. Of course you don't want to waste food but then again you don't want to run out, making yourself, and the host, look bad.

I would often have clients ask me, when they saw that not all the food was consumed, if they or their guests could take home "doggy bags" of the remainder. Sometimes people would ask me if there was any food back in the kitchen that I did not serve and could they have that. After all, they paid for it, right?

My answer was always, sorry, but no. It's not that I was being cheap, i.e. I never re-used the food from an open buffet (much less any plate served to a table), but to me it was a door that I did not want to have opened. My job was to provide good meals with good service in an attractive venue and the food was a major, though hardly the only, part of this and I was not running a carry out operation. Other people could provide that service, and at lower prices. Besides, if the food they take home is not handled properly, if it is not chilled and reheated and presented in the right manner, then quality could be compromised as well as the safety. I did not want people's first exposure to my food in the form of leftovers and I did not want the responsibility or liability of someone getting sick.

So I fully understand the idea that it would presumptuous to expect a photographer to hand over all his or her raw materials to a client.

Skellum0

What he said