Online Proofs- How touched up?

[arianne_lewis]

<p>Recently I have been expanding my business and have begun to wonder if I am showing too many photos to my clients. Generally for weddings my clients get just short of 1K photos. Only about 30 of those however do I REALLY touch up and do all the fancy Photoshop work and effects to. I'm wondering if other professionals out there actually do fancy work to EVERY photo and obviously only deliver say half the amount of photos? And If so, hello that would take forever! Do you batch adjust the photos?</p>

<p>Another question- Anyone know of a free online photo viewing company I should use rather than Picasa? Im looking for something maybe with a black backdrop, something more professional than Picasa.</p>

<p>Thank you!</p>

[aimee_pieters]

<p>Personally, I would never spend numerous hours retouching images that my client may never buy. Try to find a website for posting where you can have some type of cover image where you do some extensive retouching on the ONE photo to show what can be done.<br>

Marathon Press offers web hosting with FREE image posting. Check them out....-Aimee</p>

[arianne_lewis]

<p>Thanks Aimee- these people are purchasing entire cds with all the photos as well as a copyright release form. In these cases they only purchase 1 large actual print through me and I offer all the touch ups on those prints. But what about all the other photos? really, I just leave them as is?</p>

[mark_davidson]

<p>When I deliver a CD of an event such as a wedding I retouch only those images I feel are key images such as formals. Most do not need much retouching.<br /> The question also indirectly raises the issue of pricing as the client feels they are buying a finished product but in truth are really buying a budget item.</p>

<p>Photographers of late have been under enormous pressure from clients to provide a CD only for a wedding thinking that they are saving money. If you start going crazy on the retouching you will be upside down on the cost side of things very quickly.</p>

<p>Discussion of these facts rarely budges the discount shopper though.</p>

<p>OTOH, telling the client that you have a budget CD or a fully retouched CD can be a way to get paid for your work.</p>

<p>As for Picasa or SmugMug, my personal opinion is that a client viewing their wedding proofs on the same amateur service that their Aunt Fanny has her vacation snaps of Coney Island does little to elevate your reputation as a serious photographer.</p>

<p>At bottom people hire a pro to do what they can not do. If your solution looks like what they might have done then they will call Uncle Bob.</p>