Giving out RAW files (specifically for weddings)

<p>So I know this is an absolutely common request, but I couldn't find a wedding-specific question about it in the forum:<br /><br />Once again I've come across a couple that, aside of the roughly 40 edited photos per hour of coverage, want ALL the unedited (RAW) files, presumably because they believe they'll be missing out on something if they only get the edited ones.<br /><br />How do you go about this kind of request, specifically when shooting weddings?</p>

<p>(Just in case this isn't obvious: My reasoning is that I don't want them to see any unpolished diamonds, test shots or multiples of shots.)</p>

<p>(I've considered sending them 7 DVD's full of NEF's and just hoping they just decide not to bother with them, since the likelihood that they have software and hardware fit for the job is slim. :D )</p>

<p>"How do you go about this kind of request, specifically when shooting weddings?"</p>

<p>I just tell them it's not something I offer, and it's reiterated in the terms and conditions of my contract. I explain that I do not deliver every exposure nor unprocessed files. If this is something they really need then I would be the wrong photographer to hire.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>This issue has actually been discussed numerous times on photo.net, and I think it's fair to say that although there are some photographers that will offer RAW files (especially for a price, or if there are other circumstances), the majority opinion is what Matt said.</p>

<p>My personal opinion is even more emphatic: IMHO, image culling, post processing and production of the final prints are critical parts of the overall process, and are part of what I used to be paid for when I did this sort of work. I have absolutely no intention of leaving these tasks to someone who almost certainly won't be able to do as good a job on the files as I can. Others have expressed this sentiment in terms like "would a painter give a half-finished painting to a client who is an amateur painter"?</p>

<p>Cheers,</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

<p>One very good tip I have read her in the past is to renumber your files, so there is no skiping file, therefore no question about it.</p>

<p>I have a coworker whom told me about her girl friend's wedding, and that she received some 3000 jpegs. I guess the man was stuck on 6 fps throughout, and the only difference between many shots was mere fractions of a second. She described shots of folks eating, etc. So be careful what you ask for. :)</p>

<p>Honesty is your best bet. I tell folks straight out on the first communication. i.e. one hour, take maybe 50 or more shots. Get maybe about a dozen unique ones in return. Expectations. Communicate that. Until you establish that fact...</p>

 

<p>Don't go with the 7 dvd's of nef files - nothing will kill a client / business relationship faster. </p>

<p>My advice is to be honest with them up front - tell them you don't give out the raw files - for the simple reason that you don't want them to see unfinished work. Tell them honestly that you will give them all the Keepers - even if it means they have 5 photos of Uncle Joe and Aunt Sarah to look through. Explain the circumstances that would cause you to delete a file (eyes closed, funky face, out of focus, improper exposure, etc...) </p>

<p>Then show them a couple of throw away shots - my guess is that they will change their mind. </p>

<p>Dave</p>

 

<p>Whatever you do, you-all need to agree to it BEFORE the wedding is shot. Arguing about it afterwards is just going to make everybody sore at each other.</p>

<p>It is certainly useful to have handy a small collection of throw-away shots, which might include closed-eye, eating, bad expression, and other elements that make them clear rejects. Showing thirty or so of these shots to a client along with the six or eight shots you kept from that set (if that's roughly your keep rate), helps them appreciate how annoying it is to sift through a bunch of crummy photos to find and enjoy the gems. This reduces the clients' concern that you'll throw away something they might have wanted, and also helps convey the value of the service you provide.</p>

<p>Many thanks everyone!</p>

<p>So I called the groom and he definitely didn't know what a raw file was. He thought there would be things he would see that i might not.</p>

<p>In any case, I told him in cases of doubt I would leave the photos in the selection. What I'll do is make a rough selection, edit, export, copy the export and delete some of the less spectacular shots. Dealing with it this way shouldn't take more than half an hour extra.</p>

<p>Anyhow, thanks again to the grand frequenters of this forum! Always a big help!<br>

-Louis</p>