For weddings, do you let clients pick their own pictures?

[MohaimenK]

If a couple paid you $300 for a wedding shoot (don't ask) would you let them chose their own pictures out of the pictures or do you chose them yourslf and put the rest online for them to chose?? I am required to give them 100 photos and have already done 50 and now they're back from their honeymoon and they want to chose their OWN pictures! I told them either take the 100 pix or take their $300 back. I worked 19 hours in this wedding, yeah I got experience but its not worth it for me to deal w/ it anymore at this point. I told them I will let them chose more pics once I chose the 100 pix. I will put them up online 150x150 size.

Is this a good way to do that? How do you guys chose your photos?

 

[Robin Usagani]

I have not done wedding but if I do one, I will give them more than 100 for sure. 100 seems not enough.

 

[MohaimenK]

I have not done wedding but if I do one, I will give them more than 100 for sure. 100 seems not enough.

Yeah they charge $1300 and I was given $300. They can pay me $1300 and I'll be happy to let them choose and give them 200 images. Do the calculation and see what I'm left w/ after working 18-19 hours plus printing the pics and buying an album then you'll see what I'm left with.

 

[tirediron]

Regardless of the size of the wedding, my policy is this (and it doesn't vary, not even for family):

No one sees the images until I'm good and ready. I go through all the images, immediately bin the obvious dogs, then go though and pick the best of each (since there are almost always several similar ones of each pose) and post a gallery. The clients then pick from that. The number they're allowed to pick of course varies.

 

[Big Mike]

I hope you are learning your lesson about only charging $300 for a wedding...is sound like you are learning all about that, so I won't give you a hard time about it. :greenpbl:

This issue comes up fairly regularly in wedding photographer discussions. They see you shooting hundreds or thousands of photos, then wonder why they only get to see a few hundred etc.

The usual advice is to choose the photos yourself and don't let the clients do it. Chances are that they will hum & haw about it forever.
After all, they are paying you for your artistic vision, so they should trust you to pick the best shots...and you can (usually) tell them something to that effect.

I've heard of some photographers telling people that the non-keepers are deleted. That (hopefully) keeps them from wondering what shots they aren't seeing. Another thing I've heard, is that then they ask about the other shots, you pick one where the bride is making a stupid face, has her eyes closed etc....and show her that one, saying that all the others look similar.
Of course, a more diplomatic thing to say would be that many of the other shots are simply duplicates of the keepers...and that you shoot as many as you did, to avoid things like closed eyes etc.

The one exception where I might let the clients see some of the other images, is if they are looking for someone specific. For example, maybe their great-aunt just passed away and the last photos taken of her might have been at the wedding.

 

[danielrwelch]

I take it there was no contract or verbal agreement at the beginning of the situation? (I'm guessing shooting for friends, which is always sticky)

If not, then I'm not surprised they want to choose their own images. If they're photogs too, then just give them the originals and let them do their own editing.

 

[MohaimenK]

Well, I know I posted about this wedding before but basically I was the 2nd photographer to be at the wedding. The first photographer said he couldn't make it a few days before so I had to step in. At this point the whole thing became my responsibility. I was first contracted to give my images to him and let him deal w/ it. He spoke to the couple before and contracted it for $300 for 100 4x6 and that's it. Which is exactly what I'm doing myself now.

Mike, yeah, I'm NEVER going to charge $300 for a wedding in my life. I know better now after doing it.

So I am not an ahole for picking my 100 images and then letting them chose the rest to buy $3 a pic (Edited_

 

[MohaimenK]

I take it there was no contract or verbal agreement at the beginning of the situation? (I'm guessing shooting for friends, which is always sticky)

If not, then I'm not surprised they want to choose their own images. If they're photogs too, then just give them the originals and let them do their own editing.

I should do that! Just hand over the files and say deal w/ it figure it out. At this point, I dont' care. I got my release forms signed for my portfolio and that's fine with me

 

[Big Mike]

I really hate the idea of specifying a number of photos...it can open up a mean can of worms.

In your case, delivering 100 images and then requiring them to buy other image if they want...I don't really like it. Sure, it's fair to you...but maybe not to them...so I can see why they would want to pick the 100 that are 'included'. I still don't like the idea of them choosing...but I can foresee a lot of hard feelings if they get the 100, and then don't like 25 of them...but do like 25 that they eventually see among the additional shots. They would say, why aren't those 25 included and why did we have to pay for the ones that we don't want/like.

You may want to just cut your losses on this one. Give them the best 150 shots (or however many) and be done with it. They will (hopefully) be happy and you will be finished. Well, you could still put the on a gallery to people (family & guest) and maybe make a few sales.

Overall, it's usually a good policy to under-promise and over-deliver. It makes for happy clients. But it's also a good policy to not include a set number of photos from something like a wedding. (although it doesn't sound like you had much of a choice here).

 

[MohaimenK]

But it's also a good policy to not include a set number of photos from something like a wedding.

I usually see websites with different packages for weddings that say for example

$1300 basic - 1 8x10 | 150-200 4x6
$2000 - 4 8x10 | 200-250 4x6

you know what I mean?

 

[Robin Usagani]

well.. you can put a * next to the 4x6 that says you pick the 4x6. The larger prints, they can decide.

 

[Big Mike]

I just thought of something else.

Consider your workflow. I know some photographers that do only minimal PP on their images (color correcting, minor exposure etc.) then show/give those to the clients.
If they then order prints or an album, that's when you spend more time perfecting the images in PP.

The idea is to prioritize your time. You might spend an 20 minutes or an hour, working on one specific image, and they might only look at it for a few seconds before moving on to other photos. So any time you can limit the bulk of your processing time to only images that are important (large prints, albums etc.)...it will help your business.

To this end, it can really help if you are a competent shooter and nail your exposures. The better the images are, out of camera, the less time they need in PP.

Also, finding ways to streamline your workflow, also helps. Since I moved to working in Lightroom, my workflow is a lot faster and more efficient.

 

[Big Mike]

I usually see websites with different packages for weddings that say for example

$1300 basic - 1 8x10 | 150-200 4x6
$2000 - 4 8x10 | 200-250 4x6

you know what I mean?

I think these types of packages were more common back when we were shooting film. Back then, it was almost always the case that you kept the negatives and made money on prints and re-prints. So including a number of prints really gave them an idea of what they were getting.
Some still do it that way, but it's more and more common that people want the digital files, meaning that many of the 'print packages' are irrelevant.

Maybe it works well, if for example, you have an on-line gallery and include so many prints, allowing them to choose. Maybe that would work for you, rather than giving them the 100 and then letting them choose from the rest.

With my packages, I include either the digital files, OR a specific dollar value in 'print credit', to be used at my gallery (photocart). So if they want to order $300 worth of 4x6 prints, they can. Or if they want to use that $300 toward a $600 gallery wrap, then can do that too.

 

[UUilliam]

ofcourse you allow them to pick their pictures!
They PAID for you to photograph their wedding,
they should get the photographs THEY want (maximum of 100 then a price per each after that I suppose.)

Why would they want you to choose the pictures they get?

 

[MohaimenK]

Anyway Im just going to upload all the images 160x120 and let them figure it out. There are over 1500 images. Good luck to them