Presenting unedited SOOC pics to clients

[Derrel]

Some people on here really ought to STFU--their opinions are worthless because they have no fricking idea what they are talking about with regard to the consumer Nikons like the D5000.

Not sure if this was directed at me or not, but given that it was just after my post, I will assume that it is.. I never said that the D5000 isn't capable of decent jpegs as proofs, I was arguing the misleading notion that just because many pros print on site, that this must mean that its a wise thing to do and that anyone can do it with a D5000 and limited skill set ( not meant to be a dig at the OP )

Sorry, but no, it was not directed at you Goonies...it was directed elsewhere, toward others who are unfamiliar with the way the "consumer Nikon" cameras can deliver "eye-candy-like" JPEG images SOOC...you just happened to get caught in the crossfire. Same with people shooting with a custom tone curve loaded in to a professional-level Nikon camera. I have a "hot", custom tone curve for the D2x that can produce the punchiest, most-vibrant, most-saturated images SOOC by merely setting the camera to Minus 1.7 stops exposure compensation as the new baseline, and then dial in Custom Tone Curve #1...the images STRAIGHT OFF THE CARD are punchy, vibrant, and sharp...they look as if they would look if I hand-adjusted each one in Photoshop. With this tone curve, I get the widest-possible dynamic range, the highest saturation, and the "punchiest" color possible, straight off the card, with the images sharpened just right to look spectacular on-screen. I got the custom tone curve from a professional photographer who spent about three months developing it. I loaded it to the camera using Nikon Capture software.
There are "other" custom tone curves available, for people who understand HOW to make SOOC images that are fit to be seen by customers and editors, and which give a realistic approximation of the way a thoroughly tweaked raw file might look. The idea that each and every images "must be" processed before being seen by clients is a bit much, in my opinion.

This thread is, I see now, FILLED with "was this directed at me"??? questions!!!

 

[frisii]

This is how i shoot these days. I use CC and grad color filters too.

..shooting with a custom tone curve loaded in to a professional-level Nikon camera. I have a "hot", custom tone curve for the D2x that can produce the punchiest, most-vibrant, most-saturated images SOOC by merely setting the camera to Minus 1.7 stops exposure compensation as the new baseline, and then dial in Custom Tone Curve #1...the images STRAIGHT OFF THE CARD are punchy, vibrant, and sharp...they look as if they would look if I hand-adjusted each one in Photoshop. With this tone curve, I get the widest-possible dynamic range, the highest saturation, and the "punchiest" color possible, straight off the card, with the images sharpened just right to look spectacular on-screen. I got the custom tone curve from a professional photographer who spent about three months developing it. I loaded it to the camera using Nikon Capture software.
There are "other" custom tone curves available, for people who understand HOW to make SOOC images that are fit to be seen by customers and editors, and which give a realistic approximation of the way a thoroughly tweaked raw file might look. The idea that each and every images "must be" processed before being seen by clients is a bit much, in my opinion.

This thread is, I see now, FILLED with "was this directed at me"??? questions!!!

 

[SabrinaO]

Was this directed at me? Because I havent been rude to anyone except the person who relentlessly tries to turn my threads to drama. Look at his first response. I get this attitude in all of my posts from him.

Was this directed at me? Because I wasn't rude to you ever, until you decided to get defensive when I gave you good advice that didn't match up to how you thought the world (and your camera, and small businesses, in general) worked. You relentlessly turn your nose down on great advice you get from people who know FAR more about this industry than you do, while at the same time taking advice from people who have only had their camera for a month. Look at my first response. I've tried giving you good advice in the past, and I'd get attacked for it. So I thought I'd give you bad advice, and I didn't get a response. Pretty telling, really. Just remember, it was your emotions and your attitude first. Get it right next time you attempt to bring me up.

No, that was directed at GSGARY. But you too are guilty of that too. I don't turn my nose down to ANY advice at all.. and I take constructive critism with open arms. I just turn my nose down to the APPROACH at what people give it at. Why is that so hard to understand? You did give good advice... but you were a self-righteous, sarcastic asshole about it when you gave it. Is that necessary? How do you expect anyone to look past that? It's like making someone a cake, but spitting in it before you give it to them. Then expect them to be grateful that you made them a cake. :er: Ok... so you don't want to spoon feed people? Then don't respond to my OP's. I mean its that simple.

 

[CCericola]

I think it all comes down to how you learned to shoot. The studio I worked for after college only provided paper proofs to wedding customers and graduates. For a typical portrait we took the pictures then developed the negatives. The customer saw the negatives projected on a screen and made their choices. Retouching was done by hand either to the negative or the print depending on what was to be done. If the customer wanted black and white with selective color a black and white print was made and we hand painted them.

Negative may not have been retouched but we still only showed the best of the best. Even shooting film the customer only saw the negatives we chose to show them. The rejects were left in a waste basket and the others were carded while the customer enjoyed refreshments and looked through our catalog of products for sale.

I don't think SOOC proofing is professional or good for sales. If you want to proof SOOC, go work for those 1 hour portrait studios in the mall.

 

[Geaux]

I don't even show SOOC pictures on my facebook or show my family and I'm not a professional or charge money for any of my shots. I pride myself on putting out the best product, not only in photography, but in anything I do. So no, I wouldn't give SOOC shots to a client that I'm getting money for, for them to publicly put them out there.

 

[gsgary]

Was this directed at me? Because I havent been rude to anyone except the person who relentlessly tries to turn my threads to drama. Look at his first response. I get this attitude in all of my posts from him.

Was this directed at me? Because I wasn't rude to you ever, until you decided to get defensive when I gave you good advice that didn't match up to how you thought the world (and your camera, and small businesses, in general) worked. You relentlessly turn your nose down on great advice you get from people who know FAR more about this industry than you do, while at the same time taking advice from people who have only had their camera for a month. Look at my first response. I've tried giving you good advice in the past, and I'd get attacked for it. So I thought I'd give you bad advice, and I didn't get a response. Pretty telling, really. Just remember, it was your emotions and your attitude first. Get it right next time you attempt to bring me up.

No, that was directed at GSGARY. But you too are guilty of that too. I don't turn my nose down to ANY advice at all.. and I take constructive critism with open arms. I just turn my nose down to the APPROACH at what people give it at. Why is that so hard to understand? You did give good advice... but you were a self-righteous, sarcastic asshole about it when you gave it. Is that necessary? How do you expect anyone to look past that? It's like making someone a cake, but spitting in it before you give it to them. Then expect them to be grateful that you made them a cake. :er: Ok... so you don't want to spoon feed people? Then don't respond to my OP's. I mean its that simple.

Your the drama queen, i bet your customer relations are first class

 

[brandibell]

My contract with the client states that they will be presented x number of images to select prints from, and that I will choose what photos will be presented. I have had clients ask about shots that they don't see when we proof, and my response is always that I've selected images that I feel present them in the best, most flattering way. I don't edit every photo that I take, but I also don't take a crazy amount of photos during a session (the only exception to this is a newborn shoot when I may take hundreds of photos in order to have enough to clone together a certain shot). Clients do not see all of their shots, they do not see unedited shots, and since I don't give away CDs for free, they don't get to "pick" what pictures go on a CD. If a client chooses to purchase a CD, it will contain all of the edited shots that I have chosen.

I guess I just don't get this "let the client pick their shots" thing, certainly clients should be choosing what images they want FOR THEIR PRINTS, or albums, or canvases, but I feel like I only want clients who are prepared to spend their money with me because they love what I do, and my taste, and are willing to let me do what I do best, and who are happy with the end result. My contract states that I am willing to work with a client to produce shots of their choice, but that I will retain creative control of MY WORK. You don't go to a Coach store and ask them to sell you a Louis Vuitton. Photography as a business is hard enough when you're doing what you want to do, when you hand all the control over to the client to dictate to you what you're going to do, or shoot, or edit, you're literally taking money out of your own pocket. *shrugs* Maybe I just don't get it. But I also don't give away CDs to my clients, so maybe that's where I get confused in all of this.

Thanks for the info that makes a lot of sense. I definitely am re-thinking my choice to let clients choose which images are edited.

 

[SrBiscuit]

It's been awhile since I've visited good ol' TPF...nice to see things haven't changed a bit.