Debate around supplying Hi-Res Digital copies of Images

[alec_myers]

<blockquote>

<p>I wanted original camera raw flies</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Richard, it's good that you found a photographer who you were happy with, but I suspect many would have balked at this; half the job of photography is turn turn the raw files into the finished product.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>If the full-res files weren't available to us, I would have wanted a different photographer.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Understood. Had it been me you were talking to I would have suggested that too.</p>

<blockquote>

<p>I want to be able to work them a bit in photoshop, not totally trust the photographer... </p>

</blockquote>

<p>Again, I think that would have been a total deal-breaker for me. Why hire someone if you don't trust them and want to re-do their work?</p>

[picturesque]

<p>Then again, there are photographers who turn over RAW files if asked. I do. I make sure the recipients know what to do with them, though. I've shot weddings for other photographers and for people who are well versed in Photoshop (art directors or other creatives). Point is, if you (the photographer) don't want to turn over RAW files--don't. If you don't object, then do. There are clients for both.</p>

[sebastianmoran]

<p>Alec, I did have the pro do post. I did trust the pro. I also wanted to be able to do my own edits, maybe now or maybe ten years from now for some new medium.</p>

<p>I think what made this work is I bought a package the pro wanted to sell (shooting, selection, editing, albums, an enlargement). In addition, I asked the pro to sell me what I wanted to buy (original files, his edits at full-res., my unlimited right to use).</p>

<p>I certainly believe the photographer makes their own choices, and the buyer make their own choices. I am suggesting that some buyers want things today that weren't part of the traditional package 20 years ago.</p>

[buffdr_rasouliyan]

<p>I just had a nice lady call me about scanning services. Her son got married and she purchased over 800.00 in prints from a local photographer. She wanted me to scan them so she can archive them and email them around to all her friend an families. I contacted the photographer and he was happy to release the prints so I scanned about 140 pictures for her. My thoughts are when they want the digital foot print, it's not always about going mad printing everything. Rarely they print the entire DVD I give them. I think giving (allowing them to buy it) their CD is great. I also make lots of money from the CD sales. First thing in my work flow is to take about 80 to 100 pictures that look great, clean them up quickly and as soon as possible (after honeymoon) I get with them to show a quick slide show. I then ask them if they would like to try the latest trend by allowing me to duplicate the entire slide show so they can mail them out to ALL their guests along with the thank you cards! Normally I sell 25 to 50 CDs at 5.00 a piece. I have sold 200 of them too! Also holding on to the CD also forces you to keep them on file for years. You can modify your contract to state; if you buy a DVD with full rez pictures, I will make you 2 copies so you can archive them. Good luck v/r Buffdr</p>

[alohadave]

<blockquote>

<p>To some of the other responses - it just feels so clinical and without soul to give the couple only a CD after the event - we fear that it gets put in the cupboard and forgotten after a year unlike prints in an album that get looked at least once in a while - doesn't the saying that a photograph is not a photograph until it's printed hold true? We feel that the true value of what we did on the day can only really be appreciated once the images are printed and framed or put into an album.</p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>I have to say that I've looked at my wedding album exactly once after reviewing it when we got it, and that was two weeks ago (we were married in 2001).</p>

<p>If I had digital files, they would have been looked at much more and still usable(they were shot on film and the studio is out of business).</p>

[devtank.com]

<p>20 years professionally shooting this year. The benefit of experience tells me that you must give 100% to your work all the time, and an additional % above and beyond that for future possibilities, and for your own personal perfection add another % to that because you should always have to squeeze yourself a little on every job, to challenge yourself. Ultimately the client benefits but ultimately its your complete benefit. <br>

Give your clients the highest quality images you can, and give them the highest quality presentation to follow, and on top of that, give them their ability to cut you free and have their own prints made in the future, you charge an extra % for that privilege, and if you get it breathe a sigh of relief that you dont have to eat the crumbs from their table for the rest of your professional career. <br>

Believe me its the very best way to do it. </p>

[stephen_hipperson]

<p>If you put pictures on a CD they should only be screen resolution at an appropriate dpi.<br>

Never give them hi res files - it would be like giving away your negatives (or copies of perhaps), which would be professional suicide (subject to the price of course!) </p>

[stevenseelig]

<p>Sort of noting David's note above about looking at pictures and hi res or not digital files. A lot of technology today allows a modestly computer savvy person to move digital files from their computer to a HD TV and display them as a slide show with music to their tastes, etc. In my home, with nearly weekly occasion, someone turns on the television, starts up Apple TV and plays a slideshow of pictures very several years ago or actually slides shows that I have put together of events in the family. <br>

I have books, albums and boxes of prints, all with about an inch of dust on them.</p>

 

[chris.sager]

<p>We wouldn't have hired you for our wedding!</p>

<p>We paid a flat fee for the 8 hour session with 2 photographers, image editing and delivery of all images in high res format (in this case 12-15 megapixel TIFFs). As described above the photographers offered all photo's on a self service website - they recieved orders for hundreds of prints (we bought about 50 ourself; our favorites and for gifts). We also ordered albums through the photographers. </p>

<p>All in all our total bill was thousands of dollars for an 8 hour 2 photographer day, 50 prints, 1 large and 4 small albums and a copy of all the images (on DVD actually).</p>

[douwg]

<p>@ Christian Sager, After looking at all the responses and discussing between ourselves our new model will be exactly as you described.</p>

<p>We now have a base fee that includes a CD/DVD with hi-res images. We will then allow the customer to purchase all of the other items they wish at their own discretion. </p>

<p>THANKS AGAIN TO ALL WHO CONTRIBUTED!</p>