How many proofs do you usually give vs. how many taken?

Curious, how many proofs you give you clients. I took about 950 pictures

(between main and BU). I edited out about 500 (blinks, bad smiles, etc), but

still was at about 450, many same/similar pose with different expressions,

smiles, etc. After feedback on my last post it seemed I had way too many

duplicates poses. So I trimmed it down to about 300. By doing this I made all

the choices for the what I thought was the best picture out of each pose.

 

Is this typical? Do you provide all (450 in my case) and let the client decide

which shot they like best for each pose, or is that too many photos to give that

may make it overwhelming and just give the edited out batch?

 

Mark

I try and provide a max of 200 from 300 taken over a 3 hr day (few weddings in the UK go for a full day with a pro). I process them all fully with colour correction, cropping etc etc. Then when they choose they are getting what they see. This is extra time investment but it works for me.

Hi Mark

 

My proof count varies depending on the event but typically for a full package my clients have about 500 proofs. I edit intensely! There are variations of same pose for group shots but couple shots each is a distinct image not two of the same with no real change in proportion or expression.

 

So much depends on what you promise in your original contact and what you take Seems sort of skimpy to me at 300 but I don't know the details of what you covered. Around here that would be considered way too few images for a client to be happy.

 

The range here can be a lot higher but that is when it is basically a shoot and run no real edit just jpgs on a cd.

 

For me the real test is does the image advance the story if yes it stays if not say good bye. My 500 + comes from 700-1200 images to begin with and as i said intense edit from there.

 

Hope that is some help.

 

Brooke

I typically will capture 600-900 images at a wedding and edit it down to 82%-86%, yes I've sampled several weddings and did the math. A typical slideshow for the b/g will have between 100-175 images in it to tell the story. I can't imagine trashing more than 2 out of 10 images (what was the point in taking them to begin with?). I may have 5 similar portraits of a bride and the bride will have her fav, mom will have hers, groom will have his, and I might like a different one.Subtle differences in a smile or facial expression will make a difference. You can see exctly what I provide by visiting my website and looking at the weddings.

I capture 800-1000 images and generally get rid of between 100 and 200. I show the rest even if there is lots of repetition from shot to shot. I like to let them see everything I took just in case.

I give the clients the edited 4x6's in an album, then also give them the back-up and not so good ones in a small box. Basically they get everything shot. About 2/3 end up in the proof book.

 

I have ben surprised many times by a bride who likes a particular photo for some reason that did not make the final cut.

 

The 4x6's in my proof album can be removed, and I think the couples like to rearrange them a bit to suit their likings.

 

I have often considered the nice proof albums with thumbnail images, but you can't change what is in them once they are printed.

 

I try not to second guess what the client will like, but with certain things like group shots it's pretty easy to edit out the ones with eyes closed, etc.

 

I also try to not over-shoot a particular pose or camera angle. When I feel I have got the pose with the right expression, I move on to a different one or different composition. You will learn to recognize when you "got it."

 

Maybe that would help on your next job.

I take approx 700-1000 images, depending on the wedding they had planned, as well as the package that they wanted. I go through all of the images and eliminate those that do not meet my approval. Then they get a proof CD containing all that I had captured that I did not eliminate. Then, they pick and choose which images they want to order. Those that they order are the images that get edited. No point in editing a lot of images that people may not order. And of course I explain all of this to my clients ahead of time.

We shoot an average of about 5500 images for a 10 hour wedding, and we usually deliver about 500-800 or so...

 

We offer a proof magazine (through WHCC) or 4x6 proofs...

 

Hope that helps!

 

~brooks

I think we have some confusion about styles, and shot counts. I can shoot a 300 shot posed wedding, and maybe lose 1-2 frames to un-seen blinks. Even when I shoot candids, I've never lost more than a few shots. I'm a student of the viewfinder, and I edit more as I shoot than after.

 

 

I think having apprenticed with several shooters, I learned a more about what pictures "not to take", than most photographers.

take roughly 150-250 per hour. edit it down and deliver roughly 50 corrected, print-ready images to client per hour of coverage.

2500 taken

400-600 delivered.

 

depends on the day.\- depends on the bride...

 

never give duplicates and let "them" decide. You're the professional. Give them the BEST.

Brooks, 5500 makes me laugh. That is bonkers, but if it works for you then that's cool!

5500 images / 10 hours = 9.16 images every minute.

 

5500 images x 5MB = 27,500 MB.

 

5500 images = 32 1GB memory cards

 

I think somebody is pulling our leg when they claim to take 5500 images.

Could be two shooters.

Obviously Dave isn't familiar with Brooks!

Our Studio tends towards where Kevin Cook and Steve Levine are.

 

And, as Mr Levine alluded, the actual statistics given on this thread are a bit meaningless unless provided with an outline of the shooting style etc, and the sales` raison d`etre.

 

We still use film and provide a total of 300 to 350 images (average) per Wedding. These include the `story` (shot on 35mm) and formal portraiture (shot on 645).

 

We have two photographers at most Weddings.

 

The client sees only finished, exposure and colour corrected prints and a slide show presentation.

 

The client does NOT view PROOFS, (proofs technically being: prints colour & exposure corrected to the first frame of a set, usually including a grey card / colour patches, mentioned to provide clarity to this answer.)

 

Our edit rate (cutting room floor) is 5%, maximum. We edit before we shoot. The client does not see any of these images.

 

We are about to undertake a change to digital. I cannot however, see a big change to the shoot or edit rate, as we will be using the same photographers and the same formulae for both sales and shooting. However we are aware that, especially in regard to the `story`, (what some refer to as `photojournalistic style`) the DSLR has a capacity to tempt even the experienced into a different approach, as there would be less frame counting and the allowance for film / card changes possibly eliminated. But this is still a question mark for us.

 

Our studio, and photographers are aligned with this comment of Mr Levine:

 

>>> I think having apprenticed with several shooters, I learned a more about what pictures `not to take`, than most photographers. <<<

 

 

WW

Thanks, I got a lot of comments to edit out more picture from the last post I did to critique my 2nd weddings proof page to give the client. I'm not sure if people thought it was a demo slide show vs. ALL the proofs to give the clients, or maybe I did have too many similar pictures, I was of the mind set let them pick their favorite pictures, they know what smile/expression them like.

 

Anyway, this helps, I wasn't sure if 100 or 1000 was typical. So far the clients and family are very happy and placing a large order on top of the package along with album upgrades. I think I got lucky with good clients.

 

Mark

-----5500 images / 10 hours = 9.16 images every minute.

 

5500 images x 5MB = 27,500 MB.

 

5500 images = 32 1GB memory cards

 

I think somebody is pulling our leg when they claim to take 5500 images.

 

Greg Jansen-----------

 

 

 

Are you calling me a liar?

 

The 5500 images is true, I can assure you...It is with two shooters, but we shoot all RAW, so each wedding is about 60gb or so...

 

I just finished editing a wedding we shot in the Bahamas, and it ended up being 8795 images for about 8 hours...(I don't want to even think about how many gbs...)

 

We shoot ONLY for the moment, the number of photographs we take means nothing to us...

 

YMMV...

 

~brooks

In a 6 hour ..roughly 360 --of which we guarantee 330. No PJ here. And they retain all the film --so they see everything. We edit in camera, also. Learn what not to take.

 

Remember we are in the < top 10 > most over payed profession~!

We did away with the traditional 4X6 proofs years ago in favor of large contact sheets.

We're now in the process of also eliminating those in favor of slide shows made in Light

Room and posted to the B&Gs site or ours + a DVD. IMO, proofs are a waste of the client's

money.

 

For larger weddings like the last two we did, we ae eliminating DVDs in favor of putting

the whole thing on a portable HD and giving it to the client. HDs are dirt cheap now and

they let you save just about any amount you want ... Even Brooks could put one of his

weddings on one in about 10 minutes : -)

 

Our wedding last weekend was two days of shooting, but was typical in that whatever

amount we shoot about 50% to 60% of it is edited out.

 

It starts with just trashing the obvious misfires and whatnot from the RAW files, then

saving

the remained to our master harddrive ... all of which the client never sees or gets. Then we

edit from

there adding the must haves and obvious keepers to the LR Quick Collection which

amounts to about 40% of all shots taken. This is all the client ever sees.