No, You Can't Have the RAW Files Because I'm Totally a Meanie (That's Sarcasm)
Inspired by Chris Kerr's: The Value of A Professional Photographer, or, “Can I Have All the Unedited Photos?”
If there’s only one question that makes any photographer shudder and run away as fast their legs carry them, it’s: “These photos look awesome, but could you send me the unedited shots you took? You don’t need to edit them or anything.”
In three words: No. No we can’t.
(Okay, there’s an exception, which is explained at the end.)
Many photographers say no to this request not because we are meanies or say no because we want to hold the files hostage. It’s not because we don’t care or don’t want to deal with it. But fear not, I’m definitely not keeping that one killer photo hostage.
“So, what’s the big deal?”
Well, this deal is quite big and I think it’s important that people understand why it matters. Imagine if you called your favorite bakery to order a cake, but when you pick it up, you’re handed all the raw ingredients – raw eggs, flour, sugar, heavy cream – oh and you’ve got to whip the cream yourself. “But I thought I ordered a cake!”
I would’ve expected the baker to deliver me the cake I paid for, not an unfinished product. Just like it’s the bakers job to put the cake together, it’s the photographer job to deliver final photos that meet their standard of excellence. For me, handing over the RAW file is the equivalent of giving a customer raw eggs and a bag of flour – not my idea of a standard of excellence.
Why I don’t provide RAW photos:
1. They’re Bad
No, really. The most important reason why I don’t like to provide raw photos is that they’re bad. They’re bad because they’re flat. They lack depth. They’re unedited. They catch you with your mouth wide open about to sneeze and your eyes mid-blink.
RAW files are simply flat and meant to be edited, because RAWs retain as much information and quality as possible within the file for editing. Not only that, but I spend time to cull (sort through) hundreds of images to remove blurry images, duplicates, or embarrassing moments, before selecting the best out of the bunch.
Fear not, there will never be two different photos which are both great and I hold one hostage from you. From hours of looking at thousands of photos, I can easily pick out things that distract from the subject of the photos – poles sticking out of heads, harsh shadows on the eyes, horizons beheading people. My eyes are trained to catch these less-than-pleasing details, and boy do they annoy me! The culling process is to whittle down the excess so I can give you nothing less than what you need: high-quality, professional-quality, and unique photos.
“Professional-quality” means photos that fit the mood of the shoot, often including those “outtakes” from laughing between poses, casually relaxing, and being silly. In fact, I often like to deliver candids because they capture genuine emotions, not those that are posed. But of course, that’s determined by the purpose of the shoot. Professional-quality doesn’t have to mean no character or no fun.
2. You Can’t Use Them
You may have heard the terms RAW and JPEG before – they’re image file types. You take JPEGs with your iPhone camera. You upload JPEGs to Facebook, Instagram, websites, or when you get them printed. RAW files, which is the only format I shoot in, contains much more information within the file and data with the purpose to be edited.
Those “really flat” RAWs actually retain color and texture details in shadows and highlights (a common practice is to shoot underexposed to preserve highlights), and requires professional software like Photoshop and Lightroom to read them. Nowadays, you can open RAW images with the Apple Photos app, but the control over editing the information in the file is nowhere precise of a professional software. And anyways, you can’t use or upload them.
Until the photo is edited, the image is not finished, and that’s by design. A RAW photo is a carpenter having a wood shop full of tools and materials to build a table, and the ability to create whatever he wants. A JPEG is buying a table at the store, you either like it as is, or you don’t, but there’s nothing you can do about it.
– Chris Kerr
3. You Hired Me for My Work
The real deal doesn’t end after the shoot, in fact, it begins when I sit down in front of my computer. It’s 30% of the actual photoshoot, 70% of editing. How I edit is a crucial process of my photography and it’s part of the service I give, to ensure you are fully satisfied with your final images.
My style and skill as a photographer has been acquired over years of experience, and it encompasses things such as composition, lighting, and a whole range of other skills and knowledge I have learn and polished through time. But I’m not proud to say “this is my work” until it is finished – which a hefty part includes the editing.
It only makes sense that my edits are made to create something truly indicative of my style – which is why you hired me in the first place, over the sea of all the other amazing photographers. As Chris Kerr said, “If you’re baking Thanksgiving dinner, you don’t pull the turkey out half way through cooking and serve it!”
4. It Represents My Brand Incorrectly
Even if you like the raw photos, find a way to share them online, with “perfect” crediting and all, you are still doing my brand a disservice. I totally understand that you are excited about your photos and want to share them with friends and family, but when you post an unedited image it automatically creates an inaccurate representation of my style.
Anyone with a mid-range camera can take a RAW photo, but only the photographer can create their individual style from a RAW file. The edited images shown here are what I want to represent me. They’re what I want people to be able recognize as my work at a glance. It’s the kind of work that’s on my website, what I send as examples, and it’s the caliber that I want people to expect.
5. You Already Have an Agreement for a Set Number of Images
There’s always a prearranged and agreed upon plan of action before the shoot actually happens, and this is where any expectations of the shoot are planned out.
The pre-shoot meeting is where the number of images, the look and feel of the images, wardrobe, visual elements, pre-processing designing, and styles that you’ll see on the photos are predetermined and agreed upon. Thus, the number of photos, shoot time, editing time, materials/props expense, and photo usage/licensing have all been taken into consideration in the price.
When working with a creative team, such as a commercial shoot, the conditions may vary. Sometimes companies already have editors (who know how to achieve the brand style better than I would) and all they need are RAW files. Whether it is more stylized or simpler in post production, I give clients what they request based on their purpose of the photo and not just what I want.
There is creative guidance I provide, but it would be unprofessional of me to deliver something totally opposite of a direction than what I promised. It’s my job as a photographer to deliver the finished product that fulfills your expectations. Your input is invaluable for me to meet my goal – which is to deliver what you need, with the look you need.
However, If you are just falling head over heels with the photos you got, but see more photos that you also love – ask if you can purchase them! I am always excited to edit additional photos and hand over the print release for them – because that means it was a successful shoot and a happy client!
Photographers aren’t meanies, but we are more than happy to explain why we do things the way we do. The simplest thing to do is just keep in communication throughout the process and when in doubt, ask for clarification!