Proof Sheets for Clients when working in Digital

[sc21]

I've done some high school portraits and brochure work for friends

and neighbors and am now becoming more professional about it as a

business. I recently got a 10D, and my question is, what are one's

options on getting proofs to clients? I'd like a simple, economic,

and professional workflow.

 

I've done three jobs so far. On the first, after editing down the

portraits, I sent them a CD of the images in the mail, with a note to

let me know what file number they'd like me to work on.

 

With another, I made proof sheets using Elements's automated layout,

and tried sending them by e-mail, but the person wasn't computer

savvy enough to view the files.

 

With that one and the third, the clients lived nearby and they came

over and watched as I clicked through the files on the computer.

While this gave great feedback, and I could show them how I could

crop in on the pictures using Elements, it won't always be an option

unless I bring along a laptop computer that I don't have.

 

I could show the pictures on the client's TV, and write down the file

numbers, but this will show all the bad pictures as well and it won't

be easy to move back and forth between the three best pictures for a

final selection.

 

I guess the simplest, most basic option is to simply print the proof

sheets out and mail them.

 

What are your experiences with digital proof sheets and what's worked

for you?

[fotografz]

I'm not sure the options available with PS Elements, but I will

suggest that if the following are not available, you should

upgrade to at least PS 6. PS CS (PS-8) would be best as it has

the RAW processor for your 10D as well as a browser which is

missing on PS-6.

 

For hard copy proofs you can do two things: 1) Automate using

the Contact Sheet II option which places all images in a selected

desktop file onto one sheet with it's file number. You can choose

up to a 13X19 size and the amount of rows wide and images

deep. Mail this to clients for making their choices. 2) using

Actions, record a set of actions to resize to 4X6 or 5X7, correct

and save one image to a separate file. Then go to automate >

batch and apply that action to an entire file of selected images.

You then can print that entire file at the smaller size via ink jet

printer.

 

For electronic transmission use the Actions recording method

above except add the Save For Web at the end and then batch

those to a separate file for e-mail use. Tell your customers they

are in an e-mail as J-peg attachments and they need to just click

on the attachments to view.

[brian_diaz]

I have used Breezebrowser to create HTML proofs. It has several templates for how the images will be set up, and you can determine the size and quality of thumbnails and the larger images. Some templates even have options where clients can make selections directly on the web and pay for them through your PayPal account.

[connealy]

I save the files to jpg format in a file size to about 45k. Then, I use one of several shareware programs to generate thumbnails and an html page. "MyThumnails" is one inexpensive program that gets the job done. I then upload the jpg, thumbnail and index.html file to my website. You can view an <a href="http://www.zianet.com/connealy/BBR">example</a> I did this weekend in a shoot for a local band. The same technique can be used to provide an easily-navigated set of pictures on a CD.

[sc21]

Marc � Elements does have a Print Layout � Contact Sheet automation, in which you can specify rows and fonts and the like, but it doesn�t have actions. And yes, I�m definitely looking at CS for a Christmas gift to myself (hey, I�ve been good � honest).

 

Brian � is your technique similar to what Mike has posted?

 

Mike � nice pictures, and I like how you can click on one for a larger view. I�ll definitely check out the �MyThumbnails� program. By the way, I went to check out the rest of your work by shortening the link and found a page selling liquid heroin. Not exactly what I was looking for (even if it was just a news bit). Then I added your name back to it and found your site � nice work. I�ll send a link to friends who are into Native American sacred sites.

[moses_sparks]

ThumbsPlus is a nice application for making proof sheets, it lets you size them, determine how many will fit on a page, and prints the file name and size under each image.

 

You can also add titles, job name etc. at either the top or bottom margin of the page. I always put the job name at the top and my photo credit and contact info at the bottom. Looks very professional.

 

ThumbsPlus also has a feature called "View Sync" which I have come to rely on when editing which lets you select two images, or an entire group of similar images, and display them all side by side. A right click on the mouse will then allow you to move around within all the images simultaneously. I have found this invaluable when trying to decide which is the very best take of a shot.

 

This is a very versatile piece of software with lots of options for editing and organizing digital files.

[sc21]

Thanks, Moses. I've heard of ThumbsPlus, but didn't know it could do all that. I just read today that Photoshop 8.0/CS has an improved Contact II layout and an automated web page creator in which clients can both choose the files and write back comments for each one, and so I was thinking of just going that way, but I really do like the sound of that View Sync.