Clients Photography Images

BCordeiroPhotography · May 2, 2014

Ok i have a question that i need some help with i have to shoot a family this weekend now when the session is done will i be picking the images that i want to edit or should i let the client choose what pictures they want to be processed. this forum is great and i have gotten alot of important information on here and the people who post are very nice. so if someone can please help me with is question i would really be thankful.

mmaria · May 2, 2014

BCordeiroPhotography said:
Ok i have a question that i need some help with i have to shoot a family this weekend now when the session is done will i be picking the images that i want to edit or should i let the client choose what pictures they want to be processed. this forum is great and i have gotten alot of important information on here and the people who post are very nice. so if someone can please help me with is question i would really be thankful.

you edit what you want to edit

tirediron · May 2, 2014

This is something should be clarified at the pre-shoot consulation, and nailed down in the contract. My goal in shoots of this nature is to always give the customer a choice; I aim to shoot a minimum of three (usually 4-5) images of every pose, with the goal of providing at least two good ones for the client to choose between. I review all of the images, delete the dogs, the closed eyes, the missed focus, etc and then hopefully have at least two left of each pose, and then provide them a proof gallery or proof album and they can look through them and decide what they want. As the photographer, you certainly can exercise total creative control and only deliver to the clients what you think they want, but experience has taught me that while I might like image #1 becuause it's tecnically better, the client likes image #2 because of the silly little smile that Aunt Bertha has which reminds her of when they were children. IMO, this tends to lead to better sales.

Derrel · May 2, 2014

tirediron said:
SNIP>>>>>>>experience has taught me that while I might like image #1 becuause it's tecnically better, the client likes image #2 because of the silly little smile that Aunt Bertha has which reminds her of when they were children. IMO, this tends to lead to better sales.

Yes, the subjects of photos, and their family members, almost ALWAYS,always,always look at expression over technical quality or style. The subjects in photos and their families--they look at the images in a different manner than a disinterested third party. Still, as Tirediron mentioned, it is wise to eliminate closed-eye shots, weird expressions, and just the "misses". Also, if there are five frames of one pose...don't show all five.

Studies have shown that when people are confronted with too many choices, they often will make NO choice; sort of an information overload scenario I guess one might call it.