SandyL

My partner and I shoot wedding, bridal, boudoir, children, etc.

In particular this question goes to the wedding photos. Personally, if I were the client, I would want to pick the photos I wanted edited so I can choose which ones I want for myself and family members.

My partner likes to edit what she likes and give to the client her choices.

The other question is do you give all of the unedited ones on the CD too? (I do take out the bad ones, the ones with eyes closed, etc.)

So two questions: Who chooses which ones to edit?
Do you also give them all the unedited ones that maybe they could use later on for holiday cards and calendars? I ask that because we did a wedding and I took tons of pics of all the kids and later I got a phone call and the family said they went through all the pics on the CD and make calendars for the family. Thanks in advance!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Based on years of not being a professional, here goes. I would not give them access to any photos that you would not like circulated with your name on them.

Gary Truchelut Loc: Coldspring, TX

Ditto

SandyL

Maybe my question wasn't clear. I said I wouldn't give them the unedited "bad" pictures, like the ones with eyes closed. I would give them the good unedited ones so as to not have to edit, say, 200 pictures. ( I would give them a set of edited, quality photos).

I need to know if you would basically give the bride the CHOICE of the pictures she would want edited, and then give her the GOOD, unedited ones for her to do with what she pleases. Like in the old days you would give them a proof set and then they would pick what they wanted.

Thank you!

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Sounds good.

wilsondl2 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska

In film days when 100 shots were a lot I told the customers they would get every shot I took. I had a sample of a "bad" picture that the groom had his eyes shut and just looked dumb and another of the same pose looking good. I would then as which one would be more fun in years to come? This was wlhen you hhad negatives that you kept and copy machines did not copy very well. Anyway it was a good selling point and was liked. They got proofs or we called them previews of all the pictures I took. Funny thing I did sell prints of many of the "bad" shots. - Dave

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

From a "non-pro" here...I'd give them what I considered to be the "finished product"

In photographs...cropping and some PP are part of the "finished product" and giving someone the "raw picture" is akin to giving them a painting that's 70% complete and saying "you finish it."

That's my unprofessional 2 cents.

SandyL

I hear you loud and clear! Thank you!

bobmcculloch Loc: NYC, NY

I haven't been paid for shooting since my film days but I did consider what I would do, #1 eliminate all the goofs, #2 provide lo-res jpg's on a CD, with your name showing on the file, like giving or selling the old proof book, files should be not really large enough for enlargements or use other than viewing on the computer screen, Bob.
, cost of proofs built into the original deal,

PNagy Loc: Missouri City, Texas

I take hundreds of shots at every shoot. The client should receive all the ones that are good. That means the exposure and the subjects were all good. The bad ones are to be tossed, the rest enhanced. I adjust color and exposure, especially if human skin is involved. for example, in a large group shot the person with the lightest skin may be too ghostly, and the one with the darkest skin have obscured facial features. Adjust them individually. Then sharpen the pictures.

If it is a wedding they will almost certainly want prints in an album. Decide how to select and display these, then deliver what you promised. Besides that, most photographers now have affiliation with a service from which clients can order prints online. I don't have one, but it has already bitten me somewhat.

I disagree with giving the client reduced resolution images on CD. They paid for your service and should have a decent number of very good images. If you think the fee is too low, just increase your fee, but do not reduce the quality of the images.

Wheezie

I take all the "seriously bad" shots out! then I do a second pass through the images to take out the redundant ones, (say you took 5 images of the group shot and 3 will suffice). Most people get overwhelmed at too many photos from which to choose. I do a little tweaking in lightroom, then re-number the entire job. You may save yourself some grief... Reason being if your client starts looking at numbers they'll notice that a bunch are not there and might be back looking for an explanation of their "missing" photos. I keep a folder within their folder with their rejects, so far so good!

kristinelogan Loc: Indiana

I used to take hundreds of photos at every shoot in a desire to please my clients. After a ton of time spent editing my arsenal after each shoot, I got some helpful advice from pros here who told me not to overwhelm the client. I have since really learned the art of being selective. And I mean REALLY SELECTIVE.

Give them only the BEST OF THE BEST and that is what you will be known for: exceptional photography. And sometimes you need to help them see the difference between an OK shot and an exceptional picture. As I learned from several members here, you need to guide the process.

Here is a prefect example. This summer I went the wedding for the son of a good friend. I took my camera and happily took a few pictures that I intended to share with my friend, the groom's mother. I didn't try to compete with the photographer, I just wanted to get a few nice shots and happily let the photog do their job. Then on facebook I saw the bride posted 3 huge albums of the images. Each album had 200 or so shots, including a color version, black and white and some sepia "thing" that looked strange. I didn't notice any great cropping (if any?) or much PP. There were a few nice shots, but not many that I noticed sifting through the mass. Hundreds of mediocre shots from what should have been an exquisite album. (They were married at a castle!) When talking to my friend she mentioned how disappointed she was in the "professional" pictures they got (again, the bride picked the photog) and that she intended to make her family album out of the shots I gave to them.

The photog charged the bride $1200 and gave them a CD of mediocre images, a handful of nice ones, and some that were embarrassingly bad. (this from my perspective) I still struggle to see the point of this type of wedding photography although I realize clients ask for CDs full of images all time in an attempt to save money. My advice is stress QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. It wins every time.

Be judicious with what you give the client and your reputation will grow. Send a ton of shots that are judged on the "standard" that the "subjects have their eyes open," and you won't win many people over with the quality of your work. It will be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

And that is my two cents.

MWAC Loc: Somewhere East Of Crazy

I'm not a professional by any means, but I won't even show my husband a RAW image, I wouldn't even think about showing a paying client an unedited image even it it was one of my "good" ones. Your clients are paying for the WOW, why spoil the magic and show anything else than perfect?

kristinelogan Loc: Indiana

And a quick AMEN out to MWAC on the above. I have never shown an unedited image to anyone, especially my client. Passing along edited images is something I take for granted. Sadly, I am learning, how many "fauxtogs" hand off CDs of SOOC shots.

mdorn Loc: Portland, OR

Another non-pro here... but this response sounds like the best one so far. :-) As a client, I can tell you that I would only want to see the best of the best <period>.