Do you show your clients your unedited photos?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by nathan mccreery on June 1, 2011 at 7:33am

I usually do retouching on one or two photographs of several different poses and us those to represent what the finished work, from any of the poses, will look like.  For instance, I did a senior session yesterday afternoon, both in studio and outdoors.  I did 159 images.  I will narrow those down to eliminate blinks, duplicates etc.  Usually I show only about 40 or so.  If you show too many it gets to be intimidating and confusing.  There isn't enough time to do retouching on all of those before the client and her family see them.  Two or three stunners, that have been retouched, at the start of the presentation will make the point.  Also, the client is never, ever, allowed to look at the photographs out of my direct control.  I don't want their neighbors, and the people down the block, to be involved.  They will only make it more confusing and likely bring the sales figure down.

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Permalink Reply by Joy Taylor on June 1, 2011 at 7:41am

What if the client says they want to see ALL of the photos to choose from?  Do you show them or do you stick to your guns and say I don't do that? 

 

I have a client that is saying they wanted to see all of the photos and they don't want my logo on the photos because when they get their portraits done at Sears they don't put a logo on the photo.  They said they are paying for a photo and not an advertisement with my name on the photo.  So I am trying to be nice and do the right thing.  It is just that no one has ever been so (clueless) demanding on their photos. 

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Permalink Reply by nathan mccreery on June 1, 2011 at 10:01am

I've had people like that, sad to say.  My response, in as nice a way as possible, would be that I have already edited out the ones with eye closed, duplicates etc and they just aren't available.  As to the name on the photograph, it's not a big deal to me but I would say that each photograph is a work of art that I'm proud of and that I do sign my work because I have approved it.  What Sears does is their business.  It can get real touchy and sometimes you'll just have to say, sorry, I guess I can't help you.  Many times you'll find that people like that are, frankly, more trouble that they're worth in terms of doing business.  I recently had to tell a customer that she just needed to leave because she was so disrespectful.  It doesn't happen often.. I have issues like this so seldom that it's hard to comprehend while it's going on.   Just make sure that your work is better than Sears, then yes, stick to your guns as nicely and calmly and gently as possible.  I have a tendency to "flare up" with people like that but it's never worth it and it's better to just walk a way from a deal than to get involved with someone like that.

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Permalink Reply by Tracy DePaola on September 5, 2011 at 12:07am

Hi Nathan,  

I like how you did the senior portrait session.  I OVER take photos and show too many.  It is over whelming for me and the client.  I like your idea of showing about 40 images.  I will try that next time.  Thanks.

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Permalink Reply by Kevin Frost on July 18, 2011 at 5:51pm

I would have to agree, you have to narrow down the choices from the whole set to what would be better for the client. I mean, they could make do on what you presented. Because I usually get 3 to 5 shots per pose so I would let them choose 1 or 2 of the same pose.

I like Nathan's suggestion that they do not have access to images outside of what I show them.

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Jeppesen on September 4, 2011 at 7:23am

First of all, choosing the picture is the job of the photographer, not the client. I guess in some cases, they could sit down together and go through some options, if the client is only recieving a limited number, and there are many to choose from. Either way, it takes the photographers experience to know which images will work best after the post work.

Maybe it would be appropriate to include things like this in your agreement with the client beforehand?

Secondly, I don't know what kind of clients Paul Donihue serve, but I would certainly never accept the photographer putting his logo on the picture!!? It's not a painting, so please don't even think about it. You can put it in the image info, or on the back, but never visually in the image itself.

My 2 cents.

/Thomas
http://www.subsignal.com

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Jeppesen on September 4, 2011 at 6:46pm

There are do's and do not's in every business, and thats a certain do not. The word unprofessional is completely acceptable in this case. I've seen your pictures now, and if you slap that big nasty logo of yours on the pictures you send the clients, it's more than unprofessional ... It's bad taste, and unless it's a term in the written agreement you present your clients, I would sue you for it.

It may be an option to you, but not to professionals. Go take a look at Getty images and let me know how many logos you find there.

Ah, marketing ... right! Antagonistic Marketing, as we call it in my company.

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Jeppesen on September 5, 2011 at 2:25am

 

I agree, I shouldn't have called your logo nasty. Sorry about that! It does however, in my point of view, completely destroy the pictures on which you have placed them, and for that reason, I saw just one of your sunsets, and then chose to not see any more.

Unprofessional? Maybe not for me to say, but certainly antagonistic ... unless it states clearly in your agreement that there will be a logo on the pictures.

Please note that I'm not a professional photographer, in the sense that I only dabble about with a camera here and there, and don't sell my pictures. I do however own an advertising agency and have worked with marketing for 15 years, so I know a bit about marketing and how pictures are sold and bought.

I can sense that you care more for the marketing and business aspect, than the actual quality of the pictures, but I think that the quality should be the foundation of your brand, not a big logo. Put the logo on the back, so if people fancy your work, they can at least know who you are and get your details. And as Gary said, you can slap the logo on the digital versions that you send as previews or use to promote yourself with on whatever media.

Having said all that, I might accept a signature, had you been, say, Ansel Adams ... but that's for entirely different reasons.

/Thomas
http://www.subsignal.com

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Jeppesen on September 5, 2011 at 3:31am

I'm not going to lose any sleep either, if you chose to put your logo on your client's private wedding ceremony images ... that's entirely between you and the client! Luckily we can all do as we please in that regard :-)

An agreement on the issue, however, is advised, as some people, such as myself, who regularly buy pictures from both stock sites and photographers, take great offense to such things if they are not in the agreement.

But try asking your clients whether they prefer to have your logo on or not. That should be the answer right there, no? ;-)

/Thomas
http://www.subsignal.com

 

 

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Permalink Reply by SRT30D on September 5, 2011 at 6:23pm

Ummm, Thomas... all the stock agencies I deal with insist there be no watermarks or signatures on the pix, so your argument there is totally rediculous.

As for asking the customers if they want to logo imprint- why? it's none of their business if you do or don't. Done tastefully, the logo won't detract from the picture, will be covered by the frame in most instances. And if they're proud of the shots, then perhaps they'd have no objection to saying who did the work- or letting their great-great grandchildren know who did it.

Anyway, enough of this- I find your arguments weak and argumentative, as are mine, which I do not want to get into. But worse, I find your remarks about Paul's work demeaning and totally unprofessional. Immature, in fact. Mayhap there's someone you see in the mirror each day who has some growth problems.

SRW.

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Permalink Reply by Thomas Jeppesen on September 5, 2011 at 8:50am

No need to get upset there, Paul ... We all stated long time ago that you can do whatever you want with your pictures :-)

/Thomas
http://www.subsignal.com

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Permalink Reply by SRT30D on September 5, 2011 at 6:10pm

Since when has it become 'common practice' to not show a customer proof sets of the pix they can select from?

And since when has it become 'an industry no-no' to put your name or business logo on prints sold?

People who're telling you that only you, as photographer, have the right to select which prints the customer will get are doing their customers a disservice: you have only an idea of what they want and it's your job to come as close as possible to filling that image they see. Theirs is the final choice. Of course, narrow the range down to a manageable number, but never think that only you can decide which they're goinng to get. Unless you only want one customer. Remember: your 'professional' taste and their 'unprofessional' desire, are totally opposites.

As to not putting your name on the final print- that's up to you. Many do, many do not. Those who do use it sparingly in a corner or lower edge. Those who tell you it's an 'industry no-no' are fooling themselves.

Since when has a one-of-a-kind photograph not been an artwork? (Even though it's in 'negative' form and duplicable, does not negate it as art.)  One reason we know who did what in the art world is they signed their work- a matter of pride in  ownership of that picture. The same goes for a photographer. Show your pride in your work- sign it if you want. Photographers have been doing so for decades, especially the larger studios. It's one way to prevent shysters from copying your work. (I even have a stamp that says 'not for copy or reprint without photographer's permission' that I stamp on back of some shots.) 

This' getting long, so I'm going to close, but don't be mislead: do as you feel you want to do. You'll soon learn if it's right or wrong.

One final point: A name or logo on the print is copyrighting it, another reason to do so.

SRW

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