I posted this picture on facebook the other day as a fun way to show the difference photoshop can make to an image. I had no intentions of it spreading like wildfire and starting a discussion. I am overwhelmed at the amount of messages I receive and the stories I was told. Have you ever found yourself in a situation where it doesn’t matter where you are and the angle you are shooting that you can’t avoid that big ugly exit sign at the back of the reception hall, right behind where the couple is doing their first dance, or even worse that beach ceremony with all of the people in the background, the people that are half naked and laying in neon pink plastic lawn chairs with big bulky coolers next to them? How can you capture that special moment and all of the details that your bride spent so many sleepless nights working on, if these things are distracting and taking away from the value of the image. With that said this post strictly relates to fellow photographers, it’s not judgement so please do not perceive it that way, and it’s not an open forum for your negative response but I would like your feed back. I am simply going to throw this out there and I am not asking you to run with it. Yes, I a newer photographer when it comes to the wedding industry but I feel I have earned the right to ask this and my questions is, Would you give unfinished images to your client? Now what I mean by that question is, let’s say that your client orders a disc with all of the images from the wedding, so that they can print their own prints and use the images for social networking sites, are you going to put unedited images on that disc and send it off? I recently ran into someone who was telling me about their experience with their photographer, he was well known, an all around great photographer, great work to show off in his portfolio, but when the bride received her disc 50% of the wedding reception images were blurry and no red eye correction had been done, even some of the images from their wedding (formal shots) were underexposed, so dark you could hardly see what was going on. Would those be images you would give your client? After talking to several people about this I have realized that some photographers do not do any post processing of their images, except for the 5 or 6 they post online and when the client receives the cd or prints the rest are all unedited. Is this normal procedure? Am I wasting countless hours behind the computer starting at lightroom and photoshop to edit out that hawaiian print bright yellow purse that grandma left on the ground that is standing out like a sore thumb?What I would like to know is your standard proceedure, how do you handle those situations, and what should your client expect from you in these situations?
***After reading your comments I thought I should include my post processing techniques… I don’t know if this is the best or right way, but it’s what I do, and it seems to work…
1. I load all images into Light Room for proofing and post processing.
2. I go through the images and delete every image that is unfixable. (Blurry, exposed incorrectly, duplicates)
3. I do basic edits such as color correction, exposure correction, cropping, red eye correction, etc.
4. I go through and tag images that score a 10 on a 1-10 scale.
5. I import the images that scored a 10 into photoshop for additional post processing, a more intensive editing process, with fun actions and lot’s of changes. Those images will then be the images I use for my portfolio, facebook, or the blog…
This is what I do.. Just thought I would share! 
Hey Britt
I just love your photography… and I seen this post and decided I should reply. I am a new photographer with little experience, but… I agree with you, I would never give a client an image unless it was fully edited. If the customer pays for your creativity and experience I think thats what you should give them… and its very obvious thats what you give your clients. Like I said before I love your style… keep it up <3
Hmmmm, I’m kinda half and half on this… I color correct and edit all images that client ever sees… I apply “me” to them no questions… Do I take people out of every beach image they see… no… Do I go through each and every image with a fine tooth comb…. again, no… what I do do is proof to the client first, and ask her to tell me if she wants anything further done to the images. I do go ahead and do whatever I want to do with the images I will post as my favs but my bride doesn’t always like those. So, I give the option… So, do I edit every image for red eye, obvious flaws etc etc… yes, but do I go extensively into each photo and remove people or other more involved edits, only if she asks me to
Hope this is what you’re looking for in responses… hahaha
Absolutely not! I have also encountered this and it never bodes well for the photographer. Im not saying you have to really edit every picture and spend a ton of time on everything, but you should weed out anything blurry or terribly underexposed. Maybe even run everything through LR really quick.
Personally, I spend time editing bridals,wedding party, details, ceremony and some key reception events. Everything else gets minimal attention. Just quick LR edits and done. The only execptions for this are if I have some shots that I love, but I messed up with the camera settings and they need a bit more work. Then I will take time to do that.
Processing a wedding does take a LOT of time! But I still would not give out all unedited images or anything blurry or black. No one has EVERY.SINGLE.PIC taken turn out perfectly.
Sorry if this sounds hard or harsh. I dont mean it that way. But this is my policy. And I have heard many people talk badly about photogs who give out less than desirable pics. I just dont want to be that person.
Every image that I give my wedding clients has been touched my be in some way. Whether it be just minor adjustments to color and clarity, or one that I’ve edited with textures and actions. I delete any blur, blinks, red eyes, etc and the rest is what I edit. The ones that I just do basic edits on, are ones such as large family formals, shots of the guests in the pews, or at the reception, and some of just random interaction with the guests by the bride and groom. I had a client request for all images so that incase there was one she wanted in just plain color that wasn’t, she could have it. But in that case I just told her that I do not give anyone all images, and instead offered to give her a plain color copy on the disk of any that I’ve made other edits to.
I edit EVERY photo that I give to my clients. I find that there are a ton of photographers that wont do this because it is so time consuming. Yet isn’t this exactly why they hire us in the first place?! Yes, I pick a handful of images to focus my attention to and make them really special but I would never give OOF, under exposed, un-corrected photos to my clients. I wouldn’t be happy if I was given images like that if I were the client so I don’t do it!
I agree with everything you all have said.. I know it is impossible to profit if you extensively edit every single stinking image perfectly but I refuse to let anything that is less than my best out.. I always color correct, correct exposure if necessary, and never ever ever ever ever send off a cd without red eye correction
Thanks for all of your feedback!
Taryn,
I didn’t think you sounded harsh at all! We all have opinions, I thought long and hard about even posting this blog, but you know what I have an opinion and it’s my right to voice it lol!!!
Hey! I am Andrea’s friend. I’ve shot close to 40 weddings and worked in a professional lab developing others work. One thing I know, it’s photography. My opinion is many people pick up cameras, take a class or go to a seminar and almost overnight think they can be photographers. I believe that many photographers turn in disks with unedited images. I recently helped edit a friends wedding that she was being sued over because there was no post production. Personally, I always have an assistant with me for those times when you can avoid people being in the shot. It’s easier to crop and edit a picture in body before you snap it. But in cases like the example you used, the final product was simply priceless. It may work out that only 5 or so images would need that amount of work. All images would get the initial touch up and flawless finish but all in all you shouldn’t be glued to the computer. Unles you are making 5k+ per wedding.
OMG girl…. I am in the same boat as you. I wanna know cuz I do spend countless hours editing every single image that I present. I too heard of some well-known photographers who do that. It just baffles me. But now you are posting this and I am questioning if I should. What is the norm??? I am thinking that these images are representing you and your brand, why on earth would you give them a mediocer to bad image??? For me personally, on a scale of 1 to 10, the image has to be at least a 5 or higher on potential. And usually the 5′s are the reception. So I am curious on the response to your post.
Brittany, I will echo the others. I delete all “bad images”. Everything else is processed through LR and at the very least a batch action of my own in PS. I retouch fully the ones for FB and blogging. Nothing is ever released untouched. Anything that they want other than that is ordered as a print, and of course, those get pretty much a full retouch IF NEEDED. You have to have a system that works for you that is efficient. You can’t possibly individually retouch hundreds of images, and have any life at all!! Thanks for bringing up the question….would like to meet you sometime!
My personal workflow: 1. delete all the unsalvageables/duplicates (hey, it happens.) 2. cherry pick 3-7 images for the blog and facebook, fully edit those images 3. batch process the rest for minor color correction/exposure issues/etc (I crop in camera) 4. provide those images to B&G as proofs 5. B&G select XX number of images (per contract) for ‘enhancing’ and those images also get the full meal deal in PS
Kudos to you for this post. Keep that ballsy attitude and you’ll do fine!
My workflow is much like Taryn’s – cull the blurries, closed eyes, etc, then everything left gets my usual LR treatment. PS to help my vision where necessary.
My thinking is that if I provide a cd, each and every one of those images have the potential to become representative of me, and my photography as a whole. Do I want someone to see a flat, dull, unedited image and have my name associated? Not exactly
that being said — red-eye? Time to get your flash off-axis, Britt!!!