Avoid providing the raw images

I've seen lot of photographers asking on social media, if should they provide to their clients the RAW copies from their events or individual photo sessions.

It may be a hot topic, but every one is taking it in their own way.

You can see opinions everywhere in a quick search for each of the forums or your favorite photo group.

Some will say “…sell them but price them high and make money from it…”.

Some say “…you should take a customer's request and give it to him in the name of service…”.

In this post, I will give some details about this topic and “WHY?” , I as a photographer, should NOT provide the RAW images to the client, for any reason:

The RAW images are a non-edited file!

RAW files are unedited images and therefore not an accurate representation of your work or brand, regardless of industry: photography or videography. If you're taking on clients, it's vital that you only deliver your best work to them.

An example for you, THE CLIENT : for your wedding event, when you order your wedding cake from the best bakery in town, would you expect the baker to deliver a tray full of ingredients? 🤔

I don't think so, because you hired the baker for a finished cake, the final product, not an unfinished product, so you can make the cake yourself, right? Same way is doing a photographer or videographer when it comes to deliver to you the best images or videos, at the highest quality.

File Size and Storage:

Compared to compressed image formats such as JPEG, the RAW files are much larger. In particular when dealing with a variety of files or large projects, the delivery of raw files can cause storage and bandwidth problems.

Complexity:

A photographer need to use specialized software for viewing and editing raw files, such as Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop or any of the basic image processors. Those tools may not be familiar to the customer or they do not experience a proper handling of raw files.

Copyright and Control:

It is common for photographers to maintain copyright and artistic control over their work. The sending of RAW files could lead clients to perform modifications which are not approved by the photographer and may negatively affect his reputation.

Client Expectations:

Clients typically hire photographers for their creative vision and expertise in post-processing. Delivering raw files could lead to confusion or dissatisfaction if the client was expecting fully edited and polished images.

Professionalism and Quality:

Delivering fully processed images demonstrates the photographer's skills and professionalism. Delivering the RAW files to clients may not show the photographer's work in the best light.

Also, photographers spend time selecting and editing the best photos from a shoot. Sending raw files would bypass this selection and editing process, which can result in customers seeing unfinished or lower quality images.

In conclusion, providing clients with edited, high-quality JPEGs or other formats allows photographers to present their work in the best possible light while maintaining consistency with their style and brand.

What’s your opinion? Let the world hear your thoughts and leave a comment here.

#rawimages #rawphotos #rawfiles