# Client wants raw images



## Cinka (Nov 9, 2010)

I do a lot of girly editing to my wedding photos and I've only ever gotten praise. I've finally come across a client who doesn't seem to like my style. She's seen work I've done for other clients and knew what I do before she hired me. Now she wants the raw/unedited images. 

What would you do?


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## Overread (Nov 9, 2010)

Offer (at cost as it is your time) to rework the photos for your client.

They saw your work before so were aware of what they were purchasing. You don't want to give your negatives to someone who might have no idea how to work with them, nor do you want your work manipulated by another and then advertised (through visual display and  word of mouth) as yours. There is every chance the could make the photos look horrid and that would overshadow you not them.


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## Derrel (Nov 9, 2010)

Hmmmm...how much is she willing to pay? How much are you getting payed? Is it worth the financial reward to shoot the event, then burn the images onto media, and then sell her the RAW files, and have her assume any and all processing and printing-out costs? On one hand there is this way of looking at it: Hey, if she wants to take on the task, and is willing to pay enough to make it worthwhile, I say let her pay you a fair price, and then do her own back-end work. Not sure what your business model is predicated around,though. This needs to mean that you do not lose a lot of money. 

I'm not sure about how you're doing your dealing: you said that she "hired" you. So...do you have an agreement already,spelling out what the terms are? Is she trying to re-negotiate, mid-stream as it were? What type of contractual agreement did she enter into with you when she "hired" you?


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## chito beach (Nov 9, 2010)

Cinka said:


> I do a lot of girly editing to my wedding photos and I've only ever gotten praise. I've finally come across a client who doesn't seem to like my style. She's seen work I've done for other clients and knew what I do before she hired me. Now she wants the raw/unedited images.
> 
> What would you do?



That depends on your contract with her?  What does you contract say you are to provide?


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## Cinka (Nov 9, 2010)

Bummer. I just looked at the contract and is does say "all" images - which is a rather annoying rookie mistake. BTW, this was a wedding and the client has been a pill since the beginning. 

Unfortunately, her wedding required A GREAT DEAL of post processing to correct her red skin tone which only got redder in 112 degree heat + her insistence that we take sunset photos about a half hour after sunset with the mountains blocking the sun - total darkness. I really worked my ass off to make these images work and I think I did an amazing job given the circumstances. Obviously, it's disappointing when a client doesn't love your work, but the raw images are bad. Red blotchy skin, she was sweating like no tomorrow, an the sunset images just aren't sunsetty. Couldn't help that. I've got 10+ years of photoshop mastery under my belt, a novice couldn't do anything with these.


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## chito beach (Nov 9, 2010)

Cinka said:


> Bummer. I just looked at the contract and is does say "all" images - which is a rather annoying rookie mistake. BTW, this was a wedding and the client has been a pill since the beginning.
> 
> Unfortunately, her wedding required A GREAT DEAL of post processing to correct her red skin tone which only got redder in 112 degree heat + her insistence that we take sunset photos about a half hour after sunset with the mountains blocking the sun - total darkness. I really worked my ass off to make these images work and I think I did an amazing job given the circumstances. Obviously, it's disappointing when a client doesn't love your work, but the raw images are bad. Red blotchy skin, she was sweating like no tomorrow, an the sunset images just aren't sunsetty. Couldn't help that. I've got 10+ years of photoshop mastery under my belt, a novice couldn't do anything with these.



can you charge her extra for the Raw images?  

RAW is actually not an image but a data file.  How does she know about RAW? or does she want raw jpegs?

Id save them as  raw JPEG full size and supply her with a DVD of those.


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## Cinka (Nov 9, 2010)

chito beach said:


> Cinka said:
> 
> 
> > Bummer. I just looked at the contract and is does say "all" images - which is a rather annoying rookie mistake. BTW, this was a wedding and the client has been a pill since the beginning.
> ...



I think most clients mean the original, unedited images when they say "raw". I don't think they know what that means in camera terms. 

I think what I'm going to do is rate a ridiculous amount for the raw images and then quote my normal editing fees to re-do them to her specifications. I really wouldn't want these original images out in the world to be edited willy nilly. I'm not going to make the mistake of working for free anymore. I'm passed that point in my career now.


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## chito beach (Nov 9, 2010)

Cinka said:


> chito beach said:
> 
> 
> > Cinka said:
> ...



So give her all images in processed form. your contract does not say raw form, but images.  also you still own the rights to the "negatives" as it where the raw images. Right?


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## IgsEMT (Nov 10, 2010)

Had a client who wanted RAW, i told her that there are two ways she can have them 
#1 - She's a studio who hired me to do a job (shoot, burn, deliver and get paid)
or
#2 - She pays 75% of the contract ON TOP of the contract fee. 

But to tease her, I did give her few NEFs - few hours later I got a call "I can't open it, what do I do now?"


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## tirediron (Nov 10, 2010)

Don't give them to her.  Tell her she can have (at substantial cost) .jpgs of all the images, but not the .nef files, and CHANGE YOUR CONTRACT!


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## memento (Nov 10, 2010)

what's the big deal? (assuming she paid you)
she wants the RAW images... give her the RAW images.
who cares.
they're her pictures, of her wedding.

hell, she'll probably appreciate what you did to them after she sees what they looked like originally..


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## chito beach (Nov 10, 2010)

memento said:


> what's the big deal? (assuming she paid you)
> she wants the RAW images... give her the RAW images.
> who cares.
> they're her pictures, of her wedding.
> ...



Or she could d post unprocessed pics all over the web as  the photographer's work which could be bad.


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## oldmacman (Nov 10, 2010)

memento said:


> what's the big deal? (assuming she paid you)
> she wants the RAW images... give her the RAW images.
> who cares.
> they're her pictures, of her wedding.



They are also the way photographers make money. There is a reason that film photographers did not give you the negatives after your wedding. That way you couldn't print to your heart content. The RAW is today's negative.


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## Studio7Four (Nov 10, 2010)

The first thing I would do, if you haven't already, is take the time to sit with this client and show her the before and after images and explain what it took to create the presentable versions (and why it took so much - politely make the same points about her skin tone, sunset timing, etc that you made to us).  It's possible she's just clueless and a little education would either make her happier with your versions or be willing to pay you to create something more to her direction.  On the other hand...

What is your business model?  Do you make most of your wedding shoot money from the shoot package or from prints?  I don't know why, but a little voice in my head thinks she thinks she can recreate your processing and get her own prints made.

How connected is this client?  Are you worried about negative word of mouth if she isn't completely happy? (And bear in mind, there are just some people you can't please.)  No offense, but since you've made a "rookie" mistake in that aspect of your contract there could very well be loopholes which could help you here, especially if you don't mind burning that bridge.  You may be obligated to provide "all" images, but I expect that you didn't specify they be unedited (who would offer that?) or that they be clear of watermark or insignia.  If you do have to provide all the unedited images to get paid, stamp a large "PROOF" across all of them.  If you can't make the client happy at least satisfy the explicit terms of the contract (and point out that you met those terms).  Oh, and speaking of terms, does your contract include any usage verbiage for the client?   I assume you did not give away your copyrights, so you should be able to legally have unedited images removed if she does post them online as representations of your work.


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## Christie Photo (Nov 10, 2010)




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## Derrel (Nov 10, 2010)

Cash her checks...deliver some files...change contract to more agreeable terms for you...move on...no big deal...it's not like you lost an arm...older now...wiser...moving forward...you'll do alright Cinka!


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## KmH (Nov 10, 2010)

memento said:


> what's the big deal? (assuming she paid you)
> she wants the RAW images... give her the RAW images.
> who cares.
> they're her pictures, of her wedding.
> ...


And how long have you been in the retail photography business?


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