What to give a client?

[D-50]

I recently completed my first wedding shoot. I am currently editing all the photos and was wondering what should I deliver to my client as a final product. We agreed on me creating a disc for them and I may do a couple prints of the best two or three shots. But what should I include on the disc? Should I give them everything I have or do I select what I like and give them just what I think are the best shots? I am obviously deleting the photos that just didn't come out good at all but as for the rest of the usable photos which do I include. I dont want to do too cutting down of the photos but at the same time I realize they hired me to take the photos and deliver a final product that they can just go print out on there own with out having to deal with the hassel of photo selection, but I do not want to b too selective. Any thoughts are appreciated.

 

[Big Mike]

This is one of those things that is in transition with the digital revolution...well maybe. :scratch:

Typically with digital, there will be many many images. Obviously you will toss the bad ones...but then you may be left with several hundred photos...many of which might be quite similar to one another...but with subtle differences.

One school of thought it to give them only the very best. Most people will probably be happy with that...unless the realize that you took 800 photos...then they will want to know why you didn't give them all the photos. So if you only give them the best of the best...it helps if you don't tell them how many there were.

But on the other hand, what does it really hurt...for you to give then all of the keepers? It may be a lot of work for them to sort though...but they can do that on their own time...over weeks or months if they like. Also, you never really know if they will like on shot more than another. I'm often amazed at how different people all pick different favorites when looking through my photos.

Typically, this should be something that you discuss with them, beforehand...but as this was your first...I guess you are excused

 

[D-50]

Thanks for the input Mike. I had discussed this and I told them I would send all the shots I have. They wanted black and white as well so I am converting the good shots into black and white and getting them those but I am finding like you said I have many versions of the same pic, maybe a head is tilted a different way in one vs the other so I am choosing the one I like best and keeping that. I guess Im just trying to determine the line where I send too many photos vs too little, I guess too many is not a bad thing. It was a small quick ceremony no after party or anything so I only have about 200 good photos from the 1 hour the ceremony and group shots afterwards took. I did not discuss printing any photos for them but I think I will print out the best couple and include them in the package, I want to give these people quality service for their payment. This whole wedding photography thing is more than I expected, it includes a ton of post processing and considering they ar epictures of an extremely important day sin these peoples life I want to give them great results.

 

[W.Smith]

I recently completed my first wedding shoot. I am currently editing all the photos and was wondering what should I deliver to my client as a final product. We agreed on me creating a disc for them and I may do a couple prints of the best two or three shots. But what should I include on the disc? Should I give them everything I have

No.

or do I select what I like and give them just what I think are the best shots?

Yes.

I am obviously deleting the photos that just didn't come out good at all but as for the rest of the usable photos which do I include. I dont want to do too cutting down of the photos but at the same time I realize they hired me to take the photos and deliver a final product that they can just go print out on there own with out having to deal with the hassel of photo selection, but I do not want to b too selective. Any thoughts are appreciated.

Unless the couple and I agreed differently in advance, I deliver one 11x16" print, framed! That's the one I like best. Plus I deliver about 100 hi-res, carefully PP-ed, printable photos on CD/DVD (sometimes a few more, but 120/130 max.). This from a 'harvest' of between 500 and 1,000 exposures.
Why 'only' 100 photos? Because of the time PP takes.