Photo proofing

[Rhoads238]

Hey all,

I am wondering about how you guys proof photos for a client. Normally are you showing unprocessed shots to be selected by the client to be finished or do you finish every photo and they just pick which they want to buy. Also could anyone recommend a proofing website or should i watermark every image and hand them a flash drive or cd.

Any answers to these questions or any advice on the proofing process would be helpful.

Thanks,

Jason

[Colin Southern]

Normally, ...

- Clients will review the images with me after the shoot (if we both have time) - and it's a great opportunity to permanently kill any clunkers.

- Next I'll process the remaining images to "Level 1" - (white balancing / colour correction / levels - GNDs / crop) and load them on an iPad that the client can take away to make final selects

- Final selects are processed to "Level 2" (retouching / sharpening).

- If they're wanting a large print then I'll give the image a final going over.

I do go to great lengths to point out any limitations that are present in the images for the initial select stage (eg "don't worry if it looks a bit dark or the colour isn't right etc -- only disqualify a shot on things we can't change like expressions, blur etc).

Whether or not you put a big PROOF across them is up to you -- depends on how much you can trust them and whether or not they've signed a contract. Some contracts have a clause that says the licence to use them isn't valid until the bill is paid.

[Rhoads238]

Thank you for clarifying Colin. I will be doing another food shoot on Monday. The last time I was doing the photos as a personal favor to the chef. The restaurant ended up loving the photos and wanted to purchase them. Which was great but at the time I hadn't ever considered any of the business side of photography. I felt a bit lost when they asked me for a contract and now an invoice. Fortunately they decided to purchase the photos I had presented to the chef and I dodged needing to ready all the photos for proofing.On Monday I have requested extra time after the shoot to proof the photos on site. Im so excited that after this shoot I will have enough different images of food to put a portfolio and webpage together.

Thanks for the insight,

Jason

[William W]

I am wondering about how you guys proof photos for a client. Normally are you showing unprocessed shots to be selected by the client to be finished or do you finish every photo and they just pick which they want to buy.

Neither.

But what I usually would do, won’t really assist you in your particular question about your upcoming Restaurant shoot.

***

Also could anyone recommend a proofing website or should i watermark every image and hand them a flash drive or cd.

For your Restaurant shoot, I’d suggest neither. I certainly would discourage you from watermarking the images in any case.

IF you choose to give them a Flash Drive or CD, then give only low res images and ensure you are paid some money in respect of the final purchase of images.

But I wouldn’t be giving them a CD from which to make their choice, anyway.

***

. . . I have requested extra time after the shoot to proof the photos on site.

I suggest you do not do that.

I suggest that you make a time with the Client, later, but within a day or two, to review only your culled and preliminary edited shots.

I’d use a large Colour Calibrated Studio Monitor in a suitable viewing room.

If that is impossible for you to do, then use a good quality, large screen laptop computer and ensure the Colour Balance of the Screen is close to OK.

And also make a reasonable choice of the VIEWING ROOM, especially apropos its lighting.

Your turf will be better than theirs - and whatever you do, DO NOT use a coffee shop.

WW