Online proofing

JayClark79

Do any of you say you are not going to put anymore then say for example 500 images online for proofing?

Me and my partner shot a wedding this weekend and alone I have 600 images I feel are useable, and he says he has 300 more he still wants to upload... but he wants to deliver a max of 500 images to all clients...

This doesnt make sence to me... I think if we have 1000 usuable images why cant the customer look at all 1000?.. Who are we to just destroy all but what WE feel are the best 500?... There is no cost difference to us wheather we deliver 10 images or 1000.

smurfy

Who was primary and who was the second shooter? I take my second shooter's images and decide what are keepers and what are not, and when I second shoot for another photographer, they are in the position of deciding.

But since you asked about specific numbers, just MHO, but I think 1000 images is way too overwhelming for most clients. Are they really unique, or just a lot of good or very similar duplicates? It gets boring to look at four or five versions of almost the same photo.

Of course, if this was a twelve hour, 400 guests with photobooth- at- reception- wedding, that's different. But for an average 8 hour day, 100 to 200 guests, 400 to 600 photos should be plenty to tell the story of their day without causing your clients' mental exhaustion.

I give them a "leftovers" folder on the dvd of images that didn't make it on line, but that they might want. So those images are not destroyed, but not part of the equation if they have to pick favorites or prints.

Qarik

JayClark79 wrote: »

Do any of you say you are not going to put anymore then say for example 500 images online for proofing?

Me and my partner shot a wedding this weekend and alone I have 600 images I feel are useable, and he says he has 300 more he still wants to upload... but he wants to deliver a max of 500 images to all clients...

This doesnt make sence to me... I think if we have 1000 usuable images why cant the customer look at all 1000?.. Who are we to just destroy all but what WE feel are the best 500?... There is no cost difference to us wheather we deliver 10 images or 1000.

Just cull till you think you have your best..then cull again. After you have cut down to the barest minimum..cull again. A 1000 shots is too much to look at imo. There is such a thing as viewer fatigue. If you promised 500..I wouldn't show them much more then that.

tenoverthenose

I deliver (and proof) everything. But I also break things down into manageable chunks. For example:
1. groom getting ready
2. bride getting ready
3. ceremony
4. family portraits
5. bridal party
6. bride & groom
.... etc. That way there's not just one area with 1000 images but they get to be the judges. On the other hand, I will not deliver 25 shots of the same pose. I consider myself the expert on the matter and I will make a decision on what to show.

JayClark79

We did it as a team there was no "1st or 2nd shooter" per say....We will be breaking them down by category..> Rehersal, getting ready, ceremony, reception, formals, bridesmaids, groomsmen.... I just got off the phone with him and 500 is not a strict set number its just an about number which i guess im ok with... I just dont want to be eliminating pictures of people because it may not be 1 of the top 500 pics, but might be the only pic of that guest at the wedding for example...

This particular wedding was 5 hours on saturday (indian cermonies) and was 8 hours on sunday 150 guests.

zoomer

For me, I deliver all the pictures that meet my quality standard. I will fudge that a bit for pictures I know will have value to the customer either way.
But then I don't do proofs either. All the photos I deliver are completely finished all editing done.
"Useable" is not a word that enters into my equation as to whether it is given to the client or not.

I look at a picture, I ask myself "would I be comfortable with showing a customer this as the only example of my work they would see without making excuses for the photo".
If the answer is yes then it goes in.
If I would need to make excuses for the photo or would not be proud to show it to someone as the only example of my work, it does not go in.

Some weddings I may cull 70% of the photos taken, some I may only cull 20%. Depends on conditions settings and the people themselves.

I remember an engagement shoot where I delivered over 300 photos, and another where I only delivered 32.

Short answer "only show your best work and let the numbers take care of themselves".

mercphoto

JayClark79 wrote: »

There is no cost difference to us wheather we deliver 10 images or 1000.

But you do want to worry about inducing "choice paralysis" in your client, where they have so much to choose from that they simply cannot make up their minds. If you have 1,000 unique images that's one thing. If you have 5 images that are pretty dang similar to each other then you'll probably want to not show 4 of them.

JayClark79

good advice gang thanks!