Portraits - how many do you offer for proofing?

[misol]

I was wondering how many proofs from the average 4 person session you offer? Do you have a formula or just offer all ones you think are good?

 

[Big Mike]

Depends on the number of poses or groupings. If it's just a single 4 person group shot, I might only need to show them three or four images. If it's a family shoot, it might have two or three different group poses, shots of each child and shots of the kids together. So they might get to see 15-20 shots. There might also be some candid type shots of the kids that are good enough to include. Parents often like shots that you wouldn't even consider, so this could be 5 shots or 50.

I really don't think you need to include a bunch of duplicate shots. Choose the best one or two shots from a pose/grouping and go with that.

 

[Christie Photo]

...the average 4 person session...

Hmmm.... I not sure what you mean. IF you mean what I read, you're talking about a group portrait only... maybe brothers and sisters come in wanting a single portrait as a gift for the parents.

In that case, I show somewhere between 12 and 20 previews.

-Pete

 

[misol]

I guess I do it different. My shoots are all on location, not really studio posing. So they aren't duplicates, they are different locations, some candids, different groupings.

 

[Christie Photo]

I guess I do it different. My shoots are all on location, not really studio posing. So they aren't duplicates, they are different locations, some candids, different groupings.

So... to answer your question... in this scenario, are you shooting the group or the group plus individuals?

 

[Lyncca]

I'm typically a location shooter and I show the best image from each "location" or grouping of people. I usually shoot 30 min-1 hour (depending on how much walking we do between each mini-location). I generally show 20-30 images. On a rare event, I will post up to 40-45 if the shoot was really fantastic, but since I process every picture I post, I limit that

 

[NicoleEverson]

for a 1 hr session I have a average of 15-30 proofs posted on my website, but really I just get all keepers.. I usually have 28-38... but on some older newborn sessions I have had as little as 15 or on great sessions up to 70 proofs...