Offering raw images to customers...

[digitaldetours]

I've had a few clients ask me for their raw images. In the most recent case, I shot a wedding for a coworker for VERY cheap. They are asking for the raw images, knowing that it's not something I offer. Should I be offering them? If so, should I charge extra for that?

 

[Big Mike]

Do they even really know what 'RAW' images are?

I've found that people will ask for 'Raw' images because they don't want to pay you for the processing. They most likely want JPEG files and wouldn't know what to do with actual .NEF raw files if you did give them.

Of course, some people will know what they are and what to do with them...but it's up to you whether you want to hand them over. I wouldn't do that for a regular client but maybe I would for a fellow photographer etc.

In the most recent case, I shot a wedding for a coworker for VERY cheap

:roll: ...and now you are having issues....really?

In the future, I's suggest not doing thinks for cheap and then delivering only a finished product.

 

[digitaldetours]

I did deliver the finished product. I didn't limit my time or the number of photos that I took. I mostly did this to help my portfolio since I'm fairly new to shooting weddings.

They received a lot of photos, edited. That's what has me irritated. They saw the images go up in a password protected gallery and are now saying they want the b&w images in color and asking for the "original" images. I don't believe they have software that could even handle the NEF files.

 

[~Stella~]

Not a wedding shooter here, but I'm not sure I'd want my original unedited files floating around being copied and shown to others as images that are representative of my finished work. I'd tell them no, that it's a policy you have not to give out original files, but that you will gladly give them a price list for the edited digital files, if they are interested.

 

[ann]

sounds like they want to make cheap copies, but i could be off base.

however, i agree , they probably are clueless about the raw convertions and perhaps just found that word and thought they knew what it meant.

do you have a contract with them about how many prints , who would do the work , etc.?

do you want to do the additional work , if so , you might want to offer to do the work for an additonal charge.

i would also agree with Mike, doing things on the cheap seems to come back to create problems. sad but seems to be the way of the world these days.

I would never, never give my files to anyone.

 

[Arch]

do you want to do the additional work , if so , you might want to offer to do the work for an additonal charge.

Yup this is the way i'd go... they want to see more versions?... the answer would be yes charged at $x per hour.

I wouldn't give my RAW files to anyone personally, to me thats quite a cheaky thing to ask of someone.
If it was say, one particular image they wanted as RAW because they know someone who really wants to try something with it, id maybe agree to that... but the whole session?, forget about it.

 

[Christie Photo]

I don't see any difference between delivering raw files and turning over unprocessed film.

-Pete

 

[Double H]

I would NOT give anyone my RAW files. I feel like that's handing over the original negs. And, I don't think I would be comfortable handing over anything that wasn't cleaned-up/edited unless it's to a fellow-photographer who I fully trust (I only know one). I have it in my contracts that I only supply edited/corrected jpeg files, in fact, I don't even mention the words RAW files.
If anything, if you do give them to this guy, I would ask to see them before they get printed or are shown to the public to make sure they don't look like total crap and ruin your name as a photographer.

 

[Sw1tchFX]

If someone asked me for the RAW files i'd say something to the extent of "no, you hired me for my skills and expertise, if you want the RAW files, you need to buy the rights to my pictures, and if you can't afford it, then that's fine by me, you just won't get them."

 

[jlykins]

If someone asked me for the RAW files i'd say something to the extent of "no, you hired me for my skills and expertise, if you want the RAW files, you need to buy the rights to my pictures, and if you can't afford it, then that's fine by me, you just won't get them."

This is exactly what I was thinking. I would never hand over Raw files, unless of course they want to pay for them.

 

[aprileve]

I would never hand over RAW files either. They hired you most likely because they liked your work, which in most cases includes not only shooting the wedding but your skills at PPing too. Taking only half of your work isn't fair to you because it's passing your work off to someone to do their own editing...which in the end might look pretty crappy. I wouldn't want my images being passed on to someone I didn't know to do editing and then saying, "Yeah...so and so took these pics." It's not safe.

 

[digitaldetours]

I appreciate all the feedback. I'm not comfortable offering RAW images to anyone really. If they wanted to do their own editing, they should have just let a family member play with a p&s for free. My question now is, they are asking for the b&w photos I took to be changed back to color. Is this something I should do or should I make them pay to re edit the images?

 

[aprileve]

I appreciate all the feedback. I'm not comfortable offering RAW images to anyone really. If they wanted to do their own editing, they should have just let a family member play with a p&s for free. My question now is, they are asking for the b&w photos I took to be changed back to color. Is this something I should do or should I make them pay to re edit the images?

Are they asking for EVERY b&w changed back to color? Like are we talking 100s or one or two? I always offer that to my clients for free. Like a post PPing and do it for free. But usually that's for a short photo session and it might be 3 photos. For a wedding that could get really time consuming. I'd suggest coming up with a 10-photo fee or something. Like you'll do free post PPing on 10 photos for free. past that, you charge fees. kwim?

 

[craig]

I appreciate all the feedback. I'm not comfortable offering RAW images to anyone really. If they wanted to do their own editing, they should have just let a family member play with a p&s for free. My question now is, they are asking for the b&w photos I took to be changed back to color. Is this something I should do or should I make them pay to re edit the images?

If you made a bunch of images B&W without their request I would return the images in RGB free of charge.

Love & Bass