Before and Afters

Normally I just give the client the 'Afters'.  I'm referring to the photos after post processing.  I have a engagement client who wants both before and afters.  Will you provide the untouched images to a client?  Personally I like the idea of just handing over the touched up ones that impress.  

Care to leave your thoughts?

CanonKid wrote: Normally I just give the client the 'Afters'.  I'm referring to the photos after post processing.  I have a engagement client who wants both before and afters.  Will you provide the untouched images to a client?  Personally I like the idea of just handing over the touched up ones that impress.  

Care to leave your thoughts?

No unretouched images. I produce final product, only.

Now, that's not to say that one couldn't "sell one's soul to the devil", as it were. If someone wanted the copyright/ownership along with the RAW files, I suppose one might sell them, but at a cost. Certainly not as part of the usual deal.

The issue, as I see it, is reputation. You aren't being paid to take pictures, you're selling your skill at creating images and memories. Therefore your reputation is a significant factor here.

Others feel differently.

OK, you just gave me the answer I was looking for.  I feel much more comfortable with release of final product vs unpolished version that certainly doesn't and won't reflect the level of quality I want to be known for.  

Why does someone want the unedited images?? I assume these are portraits; sometimes shooting for a publication the editors may want unedited photos but that's a different situation (they may want to see how much a photographer's work would need to be edited to be published). 

A client or customer should be paying for the final product, which would be comparable to your work that they've seen on your website or wherever you display your photos. They should have been able to see your style so they'd know what to expect. So do you know what exactly is their concern that they want originals and edited versions?

Usually if a photographer for some reason sells the original files it's at a high cost (like sending an armored truck full of cash to your front door! lol jk of course) but seriously that's not done at the typical cost for a photo session and/or prints.

Now it occurs to me - do they just want to be able to edit the photos themselves? If so the problem is if they do a lousy job editing then the photos are 'out there' having been done by you as the photographer and their edits could make your work look bad.

+1

That's like giving the client the RAW files, not a chance. 

No Show wrote: That's like giving the client the RAW files, not a chance. 

Exactly

Interesting discussion!

If I am the customer and have Photoshop and Lightroom skills I may want to create an image the way I see it not the way the photographer sees it.

However having said that, as a professional we owe it to our clients to provide a high quality finished product based upon our best judgment and interpretation of the overall feeling of the image.

For me and because I am confident of my finished product, I would not rule out giving the before and afters but would dig a bit more to find out why they want both.

No Show wrote: That's like giving the client the RAW files, not a chance. 

My thoughts

client get's final product only

icepics wrote: Why does someone want the unedited images?? I assume these are portraits; sometimes shooting for a publication the editors may want unedited photos but that's a different situation (they may want to see how much a photographer's work would need to be edited to be published). 

A client or customer should be paying for the final product, which would be comparable to your work that they've seen on your website or wherever you display your photos. They should have been able to see your style so they'd know what to expect. So do you know what exactly is their concern that they want originals and edited versions?

Usually if a photographer for some reason sells the original files it's at a high cost (like sending an armored truck full of cash to your front door! lol jk of course) but seriously that's not done at the typical cost for a photo session and/or prints.

Yes they are portraits of their engagement, honestly I didn't bother to ask.  I kind of assumed either that or they were going to have someone else do the editing. 

CanonKid wrote:

icepics wrote: Why does someone want the unedited images?? I assume these are portraits; sometimes shooting for a publication the editors may want unedited photos but that's a different situation (they may want to see how much a photographer's work would need to be edited to be published). 

A client or customer should be paying for the final product, which would be comparable to your work that they've seen on your website or wherever you display your photos. They should have been able to see your style so they'd know what to expect. So do you know what exactly is their concern that they want originals and edited versions?

Usually if a photographer for some reason sells the original files it's at a high cost (like sending an armored truck full of cash to your front door! lol jk of course) but seriously that's not done at the typical cost for a photo session and/or prints.

Yes they are portraits of their engagement, honestly I didn't bother to ask.  I kind of assumed either that or they were going to have someone else do the editing. 

Yeah I am with the choir on this one. To me giving out the unedited files, is like giving away the negatives in the film days. That is just something that was not done without a bending over of the client, unless you were specifically contracted that way. Though I am not in the business, that is how I would deal with people.

Many years ago when I was just doing 35mm shots and didn't have/ or didn't use any post processing on photos, the client received prints of the original shots taken.... but only the better ones.  The clients never saw some of the shots i took.

In today's world, I would not freely give out the originals. 

Well this looks like a unanimous vote.   Yes, I'm going the same direction.