I include all the digital negatives and a print release in wedding coverage. For portrait clients, fully retouched digital files are available for purchase individually or on a CD. I’m going to review the difference between digital negatives, and final images that are fully retouched.  There’s a LOT of information here, but I promise!  It’s worth the read…

 

1.  Digital Negatives/Straight Out Of the Camera (SOOC) files- here’s what they are:
Digital Negatives, or files straight out of the camera (SOOC), are like negatives from film cameras.  They are complete with all the detail but don’t have any finishing touches. They haven’t had work to correct color or exposure, blemishes or stray hairs, and no cropping has been done.
Today’s photographer fully edits these files BEFORE showing them on a blog or website – my images are enhanced to my professional standards before they are showcased publicly.

2.  Why some clients want unedited files:
There are many reasons that a client wants a digital copy of their photos…. some more relevant than others. They may want to print images themselves or be able to share them with friends and family either by email or through various social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, personal websites and blogs. Some people just feel better knowing that they have a copy of all the images for their personal archives.  You can use your negatives as you wish, as long as it complies with the image release that you sign in your contract.  This means you can not sell or distribute the negatives in any way, other than what is specified by your photographer in your print release (more info on this is below).

3.  Copyright and what you can/can’t do with the files:
It’s important to remember, that even if a photographer provides a copy of the images for your use, the copyright still remains with them.  I don’t sell the copyright of images to anyone.  I provide my clients with a limited image release that allows for producing prints or other photo products to share; but doesn’t allow for selling any of those images – either in print form or in electronic form. The release pertains to the original purchaser and can not be passed to others to use.  Photo labs like Costco or Target will require the print release and your ID to print off of a professional CD.  If your name isn’t on the print release, you won’t be able to print off the images.  A better option is to send whoever would like prints to your online gallery and provide you with image numbers they’d like for you to print.  Or better yet, they can order their prints right from the online gallery and have the images shipped directly to them.

4.  Here are the restrictions on digital negatives:
As touched on above, you can’t sell or transfer your print release to anyone else.  This means you may not email the full size image to another person so they can then print it.  Also you can’t alter the image you receive in any way other than cropping or resizing.  That image was processed by the photographer in his or her way – with his or her style …. In fact one of the reasons most clients hire a photographer is because of their style. If you do want changes – by all means contact me and we’ll discuss your needs.  It’s like a music CD or music file you buy off iTunes, you can buy a CD or music file and listen to it at home but there are other things you are not allowed to do with the music.

Should you wish to enter your images to a magazine or provide them to wedding or event vendors, or other websites and blogs – let me know and I will communicate with them to ensure the correct size and resolution image is provided – Amanda K. Photography is the only person authorized to sell or distribute these images to other publications – but I would be more than happy to do it on your behalf and quite often I submit my work to these types of publications to be featured.

5.  Even though you can print on your own, my photos cost more because:
Proper professional retouching and processing takes time. It is a service that is individual to each client and it is an area of expertise that I take pride in.  Yes there is a difference between taking a digital, unaltered, file to the supermarket or other mass retailer and getting a print for $.20 – $.60; or getting a fully retouched image from me for $65.

I use a professional print lab that uses quality papers, they have more stable processes that ensure colors are accurate, and people at my lab know me and the workflow I have.  All of these things go into producing the types of quality images I offer my clients.  My prints come mounted to sturdy material, so that your prints can last a lifetime. Remember that you are also paying for my time, so that an image when printed, looks perfect in your home. All this work requires training, equipment and special software which is why they seem more expensive at first glance.  If you decide to print your images out yourself, we offer suggestions of consumer labs to print with such as Costco and Mpix online, and specific things to request when printing your own images.  This information is included on your CD with your print release.


6.  Is there really a difference when you fully retouch my photos?
Professional retouching is subtle but covers many different things, and some photos may have more work applied than others – but in general the following areas are covered:

Exposure Adjustments, Color Casts, Color Settings, Spot, Blemish and Stray Hair Removal, Special Artistic Effects, Removing unwanted items

The first adjustments are to bring an image to a “proof” and this is what an online gallery usually contains or CD’s included in wedding or event coverage.  Complete retouching is what I provide all my clients for albums, prints, and portrait clients on their CD of images.  Fully retouched images are also what you see on my blog or my portfolio galleries online.

Below is an example, and depending on the quality of the screen you are using – you may think the changes are subtle … but they are required.  The “unedited” photo is the image straight out of the camera, the “proof” photo is the photo after basic editing to bring it to proof stage.  This is the image that will be on your wedding disk and in your proofing galleries online.  The “edited” photo is the final retouched image.  Extensive retouching has been done to this image and these images are what we will use for prints, albums, canvases, or other finished products ordered through our studio and also the images that will be delivered on portrait clients CD’s.

7.  I’m SOLD on your editing, can I pay you to retouch all of my files?
My suggestion is to invest in the images from your event or session that you absolutely love and want displayed in your home, and have them printed and edited by me.  Unfortunately I do not fully retouch all wedding and event files.  For these types of events I offer a CD of digital negatives or proofs so that you have an archive of all your images.  Files that you purchase or that go in your album are the ones that are fully retouched.

For portrait clients you have many options for digital files or prints.  I do not include digital negatives or proof CD’s for portrait clients.  Digital files that are received on CD are fully retouched, completed images.

PS…please remember to take precautions in safeguarding your digital files!  Keep them out of extreme heat or cold, remember to make a back-up copy for yourself in a couple of different places.  I suggest making a copy of your CD, storing the images on an external hard drive, and uploading them to an online service that keeps your files safe.  Having them in multiple back up locations is a smart idea.

 

Got more questions about editing, digital files, or anything else regarding this topic, get in touch with me!

Feel free to share this information with your friends or family.  Education helps everyone…

*this article was inspired and based off a similar article originally written by Stacy Reeves, a photographer based in Dallas, TX.  It has been rewritten by Amanda K. Photography and is intended as informative education for photography clients