# Do/would you show/send unedited images?



## mmaria (Oct 29, 2015)

People always ask me to show them images in camera while I'm shooting them. Sometimes I show them (even if they don't ask me) one image or two because I want them to relax more when they see that they look good (this is while I'm shooting them, on the back of my camera that is)

But.. I won't send unedited images.

I explain everyone that I won't give them unedited images and I nicely explain reasons for it. I usually say at the beginning of the shoot that they will hear/see me click numerous times but that I will delete most of those images because I made mistake with the settings, or they closed their eyes etc. and they know how many images will get from me.

Anyway, after they get edited images most of people say "Oh, there are certainly more of them, never mind they're not edited, just give/send me all"

One girl is particularly persistent with her "demanding" unedited photos and I'm going out of patience, really. Last night I explained her again (for the fourth time I think) that I won't do that.. but she doesn't hear me.

I'm curious,  do/would you show people/clients unedited pictures?


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## Designer (Oct 29, 2015)

I would not, particularly if I was being paid for the shoot.  

I have, occasionally, given the lot to my daughter-in-law because I simply didn't have time to sort through to delete the culls.  She keeps every photograph ever taken of her family.


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## astroNikon (Oct 29, 2015)

NO way

I gave someone a bunch of edited images once for them to select .... which meant I had to process a bunch of images that I thought weren't good enough.

Anyways, a lot of time involved for something that had no payback.

Just tell her no more exist.  That you delete images that are not up to your quality standard.  Thus there are no more to give.

And then recommend another shoot if she wants more photos .. with a package of $ for x quantity of shots.


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## Buckster (Oct 29, 2015)

No.


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## ronlane (Oct 29, 2015)

No, I am like you. I may show a few images on the back of the camera but I don't show unedited images beyond that.

If you are using a contract, or the package says that you x number of images for a certain price, just remind him/her of that.


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## tirediron (Oct 29, 2015)

ronlane said:


> No, I am like you. I may show a few images on the back of the camera but I don't show unedited images beyond that.
> 
> If you are using a contract, or the package says that you x number of images for a certain price, just remind him/her of that.


 Like Ron, I'll shot people the preview on the camera occasionally, that's it.  As for the demanding client, "I'm sorry, Ma'am, but there are no images to show you.  Anything that doesn't meet my personal minimum standard is immediately deleted!".


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## mmaria (Oct 29, 2015)

... and she asks for originals of edited pictures too

and... just to be clear, I'm not paid for my photography so I don't have packages, contracts etc, I have model releases  (but I must admit I'm flattered that you thought I get money for my photography )

... but regardless, my question still stands for the rest of you


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## astroNikon (Oct 29, 2015)

thus she doesn't want the watermarks on it ?
or she wants the freedom to edit the photos as she sees fit ?


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## mmaria (Oct 29, 2015)

astroNikon said:


> thus she doesn't want the watermarks on it ?
> or she wants the freedom to edit the photos as she sees fit ?


no... 
and I think not for editing also because she doesn't have a clue about any editing software

She just wants to see, have them idk


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## Designer (Oct 29, 2015)

You've described my DIL.  

Just be firm.


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## Dave442 (Oct 29, 2015)

Sounds like an issue to resolve up front. From the clients perspective they can see it as perfectly reasonable. Like the others have said, just stand firm.


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## vintagesnaps (Oct 29, 2015)

Some of the situation might be that you aren't getting paid so people may not always see you as 'a photographer' or 'a professional'; you're the person they got to take pictures for free, and edit them for free, and basically do work for free. Some people will try to take advantage if/when they can.

The advantage I think of having a website and contracts etc. is to have something to fall back on, something you can refer them back to (such as - remember in the contract it says____, or on my website it says____). That I think could help discourage the repeated asking.

I wonder too if you are taking a lot of photos and the person hears the camera going off a lot, that they might wonder... I'd think if you have to take a lot of pictures that maybe you need to get in more practice with just your camera, so you aren't creating a situation where the person thinks - she took a lot of pictures, what happened to those? what do those look like? I guess they might feel like they're somehow missing out on something.

Obviously you have to allow for some movement or blinking etc. but that might be enough to explain. It sounds like this got into too much explaining or justifying taking a large number of photos and they won't get many of them.

Maybe with this one make it short and sweet, be clear and firm that you will provide the finished product in _____ (amount of time - a week, 2 weeks or whatever it takes at this point). Then I'd probably get them done as quick as I could! lol and sent to her and be done with this one! I think everybody probably encounters some people being difficult at times and it's a matter of learning how to deal with people that can be challenging.

Then maybe rethink doing practice or learning sessions with people other than friends you can trust. I think too you might be leaving yourself wide open; I don't know what it's like where you are but here, I think it would be better to do a session with a contract, payment, a release, insurance, etc.


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## DB_Cro (Oct 29, 2015)

I never send unedited images, but during nightlife events (clubbing) it's rather normal for people asking to see the image, more or less 90% of shots I show right after I take them (and they look great in camera too).

If someone asks for unedited images, I say that I shoot RAW (and I really do) and that they can't even see the image until I process it without specialized software.
That usually ends it.


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## Vtec44 (Oct 29, 2015)

I provide unedited RAW images... for the right price!


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## astroNikon (Oct 29, 2015)

Someone was using the analogy of a restaurant in another thread, which I'll take a step further.

So if you go to a restaurant and pay for a dinner, then eat it.  
Then request another meal ...
you are essentially asking for more than you wanted and paid for.

If restaurants allowed this they'd probably soon go out of business.
So you either pay for another meal or eat the chips & salsa lol


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## dennybeall (Oct 29, 2015)

Easy question. Easy Answer. NO!


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## beckylynne (Oct 29, 2015)

Tell her there was a giant piece of snot hanging out of her nose.


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## Fox_Racing_Guy (Oct 29, 2015)

My main cameras all have 180 deg flip screens, I simply always leave them with the black plastic back facing out and when they ask I give them a quick look and simply say "My camera's don't have screens". Another plus of electronic view finders is all info that is visible on the LCD is also available right in the EVF.
I never use the back LCD and wish it was removable.


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## DarkShadow (Oct 29, 2015)

No.


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## sabbath999 (Oct 29, 2015)

I don't personally care what people see, when they see it, etc.

If I'm shooting digital, I often as not have my wifi-app open on my iPad so people can watch the pictures pop up as I shoot them.

I am not the Wizard of Oz, I don't need to hide behind a curtain. 

When I worked in the news business as a shooter for a daily paper, I would pass out contact sheets to the editors and they would go over my images one at a time and choose what they wanted enlarged, and these editors were not in the least shy about telling me what they thought about my shots (especially if they thought the shots sucked). 

It didn't kill me, in fact it made me better because I could see through their eyes things that I miss. 

I expect I will probably be the only person who posts here who really honestly doesn't care who sees his pictures right out of the camera, but I figure life's too short to get my panties in a bunch over what some random person thinks of my photographs... if they think I suck, they can go hire/draft/whatever somebody else.


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## weepete (Oct 29, 2015)

In a word, no.

Like most I will occasionally show shots on an LCD screen of the camera but I don't hand out shots until I am reasonably happy with them. Sometimes they are good enough SOOC but for the most part I edit before anyone gets their hands on them. Nowadays I only really show my good shots, or if someone is interested in the editing I do (which usually isn't much these days but I had a friend ask recently on a cell phone shot I took which I had edited very lightly - he almost fell off his chair when he saw the original). I'm not particularly secretive about sub par shots but I don't show them off or give them away. 

I find the sorry but everything else has been wiped excuse to work.


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## snowbear (Oct 29, 2015)

No.  My crap _needs_ to be edited.


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## Derrel (Oct 29, 2015)

I will regularly let people see 10 to 20 of what I call "sneak peek" shots, unedited. I shoot pretty tight in-camera. Over the last 15 years I've even shot a few sets (two) ALL-JPEG, with no raws to back me up...totally by stupidity and totally by utter accident...and the images were pretty damned close to the way they needed to be. One set was all natural light, the other was all electronic flash. My idea of editing images is pretty minimalist, so most of the time my edits are _not major revisions_ of my captures, so yeah, I'll often let people see around 20 sneak peek shots that are either SOOC from RAW + JPEG, or just batch conversion .JPG files made by Lightroom. When I export, I always add an appended  _Preview.jpg or _Proof.jpg to the file name.


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## Mr. Innuendo (Oct 30, 2015)

When I was first starting out, I was asked to shoot an event for a client. The client wanted the CF card at the end of the night. I told him I didn't do that, to which he replied "Everyone has his price". I told him my price for that was $3,500.00 dollars. It was a high-end event and a well-to-do client. He thought about it for a moment and said "Done".

I don't know what ever happened to those photos and, to be honest, I don't really care. If I'm doing a TFCD or a gratis shoot, I won't do it. If it's a paying client, then my price for that, now that we're many years down the road, is far more than $3,500.00.

In your case, I simply wouldn't do it. If she persists to bug you about it, invite her over to view the photos. Highlight all the ones you didn't want her to see, and let her watch as you hit the "Delete" key.


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## mmaria (Oct 30, 2015)

vintagesnaps said:


> Some of the situation might be that you aren't getting paid so people may not always see you as 'a photographer' or 'a professional'; you're the person they got to take pictures for free, and edit them for free, and basically do work for free. Some people will try to take advantage if/when they can.


100% true



vintagesnaps said:


> The advantage I think of having a website and contracts etc. is to have something to fall back on, something you can refer them back to (such as - remember in the contract it says____, or on my website it says____). That I think could help discourage the repeated asking.


I agree again... I have been wanting to build my website for quite some time but... idk why I don't do it




vintagesnaps said:


> I wonder too if you are taking a lot of photos and the person hears the camera going off a lot, that they might wonder... I'd think if you have to take a lot of pictures that maybe you need to get in more practice with just your camera, so you aren't creating a situation where the person thinks - she took a lot of pictures, what happened to those? what do those look like? I guess they might feel like they're somehow missing out on something.
> 
> Obviously you have to allow for some movement or blinking etc. but that might be enough to explain. It sounds like this got into too much explaining or justifying taking a large number of photos and they won't get many of them.



From my experience it's not that they wonder why I'm clicking that many times (actually I don't click a lot at all) it's that they want all the pictures because they're taken with a good camera and they usually don't have access to that kind of camera. Good camera=good pictures, for them 



vintagesnaps said:


> Maybe with this one make it short and sweet, be clear and firm that you will provide the finished product in _____ (amount of time - a week, 2 weeks or whatever it takes at this point). Then I'd probably get them done as quick as I could! lol and sent to her and be done with this one! I think everybody probably encounters some people being difficult at times and it's a matter of learning how to deal with people that can be challenging.


 I always give a detailed explanation about every little thing that 's related to me taking photographs of them. They know everything before we meet and shoot



vintagesnaps said:


> Then maybe rethink doing practice or learning sessions with people other than friends you can trust. I think too you might be leaving yourself wide open; I don't know what it's like where you are but here, I think it would be better to do a session with a contract, payment, a release, insurance, etc.


I already mentioned that they sign releases.
well... where I live I could register as a photographer after I quit this job. And  photography here isn't paid nearly as it is in USA/other countries, so I won't quit my job to pursue my passion because of obvious reasons.
I can do jobs that are paid occasionally but for now, I'm doing it for my pleasure


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## astroNikon (Oct 30, 2015)

amitbhatt said:


> Is this best angel for capturing this movement


You need to start your own thread for this question rather than in someone else's thread.


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## mmaria (Oct 30, 2015)

DB_Cro said:


> If someone asks for unedited images, I say that I shoot RAW (and I really do) and that they can't even see the image until I process it without specialized software.
> That usually ends it.


I ja fotkam samo RAW i objasnim im sve kao ti ali ne pali uvijek 

I use the same explanation but it doesn't work every time.


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## mmaria (Oct 30, 2015)

Fox_Racing_Guy said:


> My main cameras all have 180 deg flip screens, I simply always leave them with the black plastic back facing out and when they ask I give them a quick look and simply say "My camera's don't have screens". Another plus of electronic view finders is all info that is visible on the LCD is also available right in the EVF.
> I never use the back LCD and wish it was removable.


that's nice!


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## mmaria (Oct 30, 2015)

beckylynne said:


> Tell her there was a giant piece of snot hanging out of her nose.


I'm really not that brave to tell the something like that


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## mmaria (Oct 30, 2015)

sabbath999 said:


> I don't personally care what people see, when they see it, etc.
> 
> If I'm shooting digital, I often as not have my wifi-app open on my iPad so people can watch the pictures pop up as I shoot them.
> 
> ...



showing unedited images to the clients and to the editors can't be the same

and I think vast majority of photographers wouldn't mind showing other photographers their unedited work because we understand the mater and know the whole process


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## mmaria (Oct 30, 2015)

Mr. Innuendo said:


> In your case, I simply wouldn't do it. If she persists to bug you about it, invite her over to view the photos. Highlight all the ones you didn't want her to see, and let her watch as you hit the "Delete" key.


lol


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## mmaria (Oct 30, 2015)

ok... I have a question for portrait photographers... it might not be related that much with my op but $ have been mentioned and I wonder how much is the price for a portrait session in USA and Canada, let's say 10 pictures per session?


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## pixmedic (Oct 30, 2015)

mmaria said:


> ok... I have a question for portrait photographers... it might not be related that much with my op but $ have been mentioned and I wonder how much is the price for a portrait session in USA and Canada, let's say 10 pictures per session?



Our portraits for 1-2 people start at $200 which include up to 10 pictures.

We just shot a wedding the other weekend. Gave the bride and groom a 2-3 week turn around time. (Which is in the contract)
3 days later the bride is emailing us wanting to know when the pictures will be finished.  After the wife tells her 2-3 weeks, the groom calls a few days later asking the same thing. The next day, the bride emails asking if she can have all the unedited files right away. The answer was no. (Also in our contract) bride was not happy.
Here's the part where I can't stress enough to have a proper contract that has been looked over by the appropriate lawyer...
The bride is an attorney working for a very large firm with offices covering much of central and south florida.

We referred her back to the contract for the delivery time of the photos,  and not giving out unedited photos/raw files.

She emailed us back 2 days later saying she would wait for the pictures to be finished in 2 weeks.

The decision to give out what files to what people is up to you. I would hand over raw files for the right price.
Just make sure if your not going to give someone everything the want for free, that you have something legally binding on writing.  You never know who you are going to do work for.


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## sabbath999 (Oct 30, 2015)

mmaria said:


> showing unedited images to the clients and to the editors can't be the same
> 
> and I think vast majority of photographers wouldn't mind showing other photographers their unedited work because we understand the mater and know the whole process



Seriously? I don't buy it, not even a little.

With all due respect, if one's shots suck enough that they can't show somebody an unedited image then the photographer should probably start working on his or her craft a bit more.

Now, allowing them a COPY of an unedited image? No, because those can get out. 

If you are good, and if a client hires you because of your body of work, part of what they are hiring you for is your processing skill... they know this... this isn't 1972, they know that the final images will go through post processing to remove imperfections, smooth skin, whatever... 

When I shoot a model, I always tell him or her EXACTLY what I plan to do with the pictures... I ask them (if they have a prominent feature like a mole) if that's something they like or if they want it to go away.

I shot a model a couple of weeks ago who had just chipped her front tooth and the appointment to get it fixed was the monday after the shoot... I told her I would just fix it in post, and I showed her the shots as they came up... she was happy with them although the tooth bothered her (the dentist did a great job, I saw her a couple of days ago, you can't tell it was broken). 

I think transparency and honesty adds a complete level of service to a business... tell them what you are doing, say "x percent of my job comes after the photo is taken" and just be strait up about it. They know you are PP'ing it, they expect it, so why hide and pretend?


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## DB_Cro (Oct 30, 2015)

mmaria said:


> DB_Cro said:
> 
> 
> > If someone asks for unedited images, I say that I shoot RAW (and I really do) and that they can't even see the image until I process it without specialized software.
> ...



Oh, hello there!  <3



mmaria said:


> ok... I have a question for portrait photographers... it might not be related that much with my op but $ have been mentioned and I wonder how much is the price for a portrait session in USA and Canada, let's say 10 pictures per session?



You really don't want to see those numbers and compare them..


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## Derrel (Oct 30, 2015)

mmaria said:
			
		

> SNIP...they want all the pictures because they're taken with a good camera and they usually don't have access to that kind of camera. Good camera=good pictures, for them



That does seem to be an attitude that MANY people hold. This goes way ,way back I think. It is something to consider.


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## mmaria (Nov 2, 2015)

pixmedic said:


> mmaria said:
> 
> 
> > ok... I have a question for portrait photographers... it might not be related that much with my op but $ have been mentioned and I wonder how much is the price for a portrait session in USA and Canada, let's say 10 pictures per session?
> ...



thank you for telling me all this Jason


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## mmaria (Nov 2, 2015)

sabbath999 said:


> mmaria said:
> 
> 
> > showing unedited images to the clients and to the editors can't be the same
> ...


 I totally agree with you on this



sabbath999 said:


> If you are good, and if a client hires you because of your body of work, part of what they are hiring you for is your processing skill... they know this... this isn't 1972, they know that the final images will go through post processing to remove imperfections, smooth skin, whatever...


well I don't entirely agree with this.
Not everyone expects or knows about post processing.... but who are we talking about? Ordinary people/ neighbor/parents who want an ordinary portrait taken of them? High end clients/actors/models/average teenager obsessed with their selfies and filters on their phone who are very well aware that every picture goes trough Photoshop and on the other hand teenagers who aren't really aware how much the pictures in magazines are photoshoped?
Not everyone have an idea what "editing" "photoshop" means. I just recently got a message on my fb page: "I'm fascinated by your photography... blah blah... What camera you're shooting with?" The camera is most important to them ( I speak for the people I worked with, so , it's just my experience... yours might be different)




sabbath999 said:


> When I shoot a model, I always tell him or her EXACTLY what I plan to do with the pictures... I ask them (if they have a prominent feature like a mole) if that's something they like or if they want it to go away.
> I think transparency and honesty adds a complete level of service to a business... tell them what you are doing, say "x percent of my job comes after the photo is taken" and just be strait up about it. They know you are PP'ing it, they expect it, so why hide and pretend?


I tell everything... and I really mean every little thing that can be important to the person I'm taking pictures of. I wouldn't like a photographer I let to shoot me surprise me with anything... People I shoot are aware of what kind of photography they expect to get from me and I consult them about every thing I would like to do.


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## Trever1t (Nov 2, 2015)

mmaria said:


> People always ask me to show them images in camera while I'm shooting them. Sometimes I show them (even if they don't ask me) one image or two because I want them to relax more when they see that they look good (this is while I'm shooting them, on the back of my camera that is)
> 
> But.. I won't send unedited images.
> 
> ...



On a TF shoot I never give unedited images. Like you, I'll show my models killer shots as we work, it does help relax the model and inspire. I explain that my work is what it is because I alone select which images I edit and release for public view. There's no debate. 

Now a paying client I'll allow to view and select their favorites to edit. They're paying and I won't use for public view unless with permission.


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## sabbath999 (Nov 2, 2015)

I was just thinking "this is such a digital conversation..."

The other day I was shooting a model on film (she wanted a totally different look, so I got out the 6x7 and shot it on Portra 160)... she asked if she could see the pictures and I handed her a shot roll of film. She looked at it dumbfounded.

"Well," I said, "you wanted something different... so this is different..."

She ended up very pleased with the shots. Shooting large aperture film just gives an entirely different look than shooting digital, there's a certain "oomph" you don't get digitally. Can't really explain it.


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## hopdaddy (Nov 2, 2015)

Comparing film to digital.. The preview on the back of the camera is a "In camera " processed JEPG ?
 So wouldn't that be the same ,as having film processed in a lab where you have no input ? So with that in mind ,I will show some ,(one or two ) just so they can  get excited and more enjoy the shoot.
  As for giving them unedited files ,NO ! They came to me ,wanting MY work ,and that is what they will receive .We should know more as to what makes a Quality photograph, then they do ,and the customer can and will destroy your good work .


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## Jim Walczak (Nov 7, 2015)

Let me begin by saying here that I haven't read any of the other responses, so please forgive me if I add anything terribly redundant.  Likewise, these are, as always, just my own personal opinions.

To answer the OP's question directly, as a general rule, -NO-, I will NOT show people unedited images.  There are VERY RARE exceptions...for a recent shoot, I did in fact provide the client with ALL the images from the shoot, however in this case "the client" was actually one of my former college professors...specifically one of my digital art professors, including my Photoshop teacher.  In this very specific case, I did feel comfortable with the person seeing the "unfinished work", as I -know- said person not only has the experience and expertise to judge the work fairly (not to mention pick out some shots I may have over-looked), but I also wanted this particular person to have the option of editing the work if they choose.  That said however, in MOST cases, they client will ONLY see the finished (or semi finished) images I provide.  As with the days of film, depending on the commission, the contract, the number of prints requested, etc., I will usually provide the client with a "contact sheet"...a print out of various images that, at the very least have been processed thru Camera RAW with fairly basic adjustments.  Once the client had decided which prints they want (whether the prints are physical, as with photo paper, or virtual, such as jpgs or pngs to use on a website), then I will put the finish on those images to provide for delivery.

As I've said elsewhere, in my mind photography is a process...what you do at the camera is only PART of that process.  What I do in an image editing program after the image is shot is JUST AS IMPORTANT as what I did with the camera.  It's NOT about making mistakes (*NEVER* tell the client you've shot multiple images because you "made a mistake"), it's about providing the client with the best options possible and in my mind, those options including image processing. 

To use an example here, let's assume that I'm shooting a local "band".  Let's say that said band has retained my services as they need some shots for either their website or even an album (CD) cover and the agreement was for me to provide 20 jpg images for said purpose (such details would ABSOLUTELY be included in the contract).  When I go to their gig on the prearranged Saturday night, I may shoot as many as 80 to 100 pics OR MORE, depending on any specific shots they have requested (back stage shots?  shots of the crowd? shots of the venue or marquis?) and depending on how long they have retained my services for (unless other specific arrangements have been made, I do typically charge BY THE HOUR).  I will often allow the client to take a peek at a few select shots on the camera, if nothing else to put the client's mind at ease that they're getting their money's worth, however I do NOT usually tell the client how many shots I've taken in a given shoot.  In my mind, even if I had to shoot 200 images to get those 20, it's irrelevant AS LONG as I'm able to provide those 20 shots (not that it should generally take that many shots, but you get the point).  Once I feel I've gotten the needed shots and/or once the time clock has ticked down (LOL), I'll pack up my gear and head home.  The next day (usually...give or take the confines of the contract), I sit down, weed out the bad shots, then do some *rough initial adjustments* (Camera RAW, perhaps a crop here and there, etc) to (hopefully) provide a contact sheet with 30 - 40 shots to choose from.  FOR MYSELF this is important...even though the contract may be to provide only 20 prints, I've often found that by providing the client with some additional options, they may be willing to revise the contract and pony up some extra cash for a few more prints..in fact I'll often include such options in the contract itself ("additional 8x10 prints available for $20 each" or something to that effect).  Once the client has selected the shots they want from the contact sheet, I will go ahead and put the finishing touches on said images, with any remainder of payment due on delivery (I will usually charge an up front fee for my services _depending on the client and the job_...$50 up front, with the remainder due on delivery).  I do try to be as flexible as I can and obviously every situation and client is different, however that's pretty much my base modus operandi.

Now you should have noticed the repeated use of the word "contract".  At the risk of being horribly blunt, if you're doing paid work for others and you're working without a contract, you're a complete fool!  In the case of "One girl is particularly persistent with her "demanding" unedited photos...", you can simply pull out the contract and clearly show that no such stipulation was included in the contract THAT SHE SIGNED.  While this obviously applies to MORE than just photography and while I'm sure it's going to sound terribly jaded, remember this one simple fact; PEOPLE SUCK!  It's nice to believe that all people are good-natured and capable of doing business with little more than a "gentleman's handshake", unfortunately the reality is often quite the opposite....sooner or later you WILL run into clients who are demanding, if not totally unreasonable.  You need to make it clear that unless it is otherwise specifically stipulated in the contract, that the client has no artistic say in how YOUR work is completed.  You were hired to provide a service and the definition of that service should be clearly outlined in the contract.  Consider this (and feel free to use it to illustrate the point to the girl in question); you wouldn't expect to walk into a JC Penny Portrait Studio and expect to have ANY creative control over how the images are processed. You go in (or take your kid in), you'll probably sign some form of contract or release, pose for the shots (just like a model) and pay at the cash register when you receive your prints.   It's a business...period.  Likewise a contract should also stipulate exactly HOW the images you shot are to be used, particularly regarding issues involving copyright and such.  In nutshell legal definitions, unless otherwise stated in the contract, YOU retain ownership of the images shot. For example, if you shot a model and in a hypothetical situation, that model should become famous, you do NOT want to see_ your work_ used in a multi million dollar ad campaign up on billboards for Walmarts or something, if you only got a measly $50 for the image.  "Royalties" should be an expected part of the business!  Obviously this doesn't happen with the average client and but the POTENTIAL is there.  Certainly there are business folk far better versed in all of this than I am (and obviously this is what a good lawyer is for as well), however the bottom line is this - *ALWAYS* cover your own ass!

In other words, whether or not you show your unfinished work to a given client usually depends on the conditions you set forth when your services are initially retained.  In most cases, I don't advise it, however it's really up to you.  Just make sure that both you and your clients are aware of any such conditions (preferably in writing) ahead of time so you don't end up with the proverbial can of worms.



Again, while again these are just my own personal opinions and I do hope they will be considered as such, in this case do keep in mind that I'm NOT a lawyer or legal counselor...when it doubt, consult your local bar association on such matters.


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## petrochemist (Nov 7, 2015)

I don't mind showing unedited pictures, but would probably only do so on the camera back, or as thumbnails. This would generally either be before I edited any or if they've agreed to buy some extra prints and wanted to select the poses. I wouldn't normally allow them to have any.


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## paigew (Nov 8, 2015)

I never show unedited images and rarely back of the camera. My clients pay me for the finished product and that is what they get & see [emoji4]. My sessions are $750 for all files mini sessions are $400 for 10


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## pgriz (Jan 4, 2016)

Just came across this one... another thread I missed while being away from TPF.

If you were a chef, and someone wanted to see the "before", what would you show them, the ingredient list?  Or if you were a painter, then a set of paints and a blank canvas?  If you were a writer, would you show your rough drafts?  Pretty sure it would be "no" in each case.  As a photographer, you show the final version after you've finished your work on it.  Unless you're doing family snaps and no processing - then sure, show them what the camera recorded.  But if you're producing your work, using your skill and eye, your artistic judgement of what to frame and how to present your vision, then they have to wait to see the end result.


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## Mr. Innuendo (Jan 5, 2016)

Sending someone an unedited image file is no different than sending someone a negative in the pre-digital days, and I don't know of anyone who would be willing to do that.


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## Vtec44 (Jan 5, 2016)

Mr. Innuendo said:


> Sending someone an unedited image file is no different than sending someone a negative in the pre-digital days, and I don't know of anyone who would be willing to do that.



For the right price, why not?


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## Mr. Innuendo (Jan 5, 2016)

Well, of course, but I was speaking of reasonable people who endeavor to do sane things. 

Most people wouldn't even remotely entertain the thought of spending mountains of money to get unedited files.


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