This Fotog Friday is a little different than the last few Fridays. It’s something that has been weighing on my mind a lot in the past few weeks, and I wanted to make sure I documented it.

What We’ve Got Here Is A Failure to Communicate

Every once in a while in any business, there is a time where a client or customer is unsure of everything they are paying for. This can be frustrating for everyone involved. It takes time to deal with the issues and headaches and possibly loss of sleep (at least in my case). With photography, the question is usually “how much does it cost? and what do I get with that?” I try to make sure I am very clear with my clients, but there are times that miscommunication happens. We’re humans. We tend to assume that everything is going to go as we plan, but we all know that is not always the case. We make mistakes. I tend to tell my clients that their session is going to cost a certain dollar amount, then explain to them that afterwards, their fully edited photos will be available via digital download with a print release so they can print how and where they would like.

Now, I have to remember that not all my clients speak technology. Not all of them will realize what I mean when I say “high resolution photos,” or “digital download.” I do tend to deal with some older clients, and they don’t always understand technology in the same way as I, and I have made that mistake in the past of assuming they did, especially when they don’t ask questions. Sometimes the only way I know to address something is because an issue has been brought up in the past.

Here we are in the digital age and there are photographers out there who choose to still do in person sales. They charge less for their “sitting fee” but then they charge you for the prints themselves. On the other hand, you have other photographers who have chosen to shoot their clients images and then hand them over on a cd or USB drive. Some of these photographers are newer in the business. I’ll admit that when I first started, I was giving out CDs of the images.  After about 6 months of doing so, I realized that people were losing their CDs and they would just end up stuck in some bookshelf or a drawer, and the photos were never to be seen again. I also never gave my clients all the images, but would cull through them only giving the best. I would remove the ones with blinking eyes, or crazy faces, or if there were a series of some in the same pose and lighting, I would chose the best out of them, and I still do that to this day. If you are on any social media platforms, I would be surprised if you haven’t seen some of these memes…. this one is of the gorgeous miss Beyoncé. This is a great example of why professional photographers don’t give you all of the photos.

On the left, she looks fierce, and on the right, it’s actually quite scary. Your photographer doesn’t want you to see you looking like that. The end.

I have chosen not to run my business with either in person sales or giving away ALL the images because I want to have my clients get the BEST images, the images they really love, and not have to choose only a few due to higher costs. I also don’t use a disc or USB because technology is changing SO fast!!! Most computers now a days don’t even come with a CD drive, and USBs are losing their cred over online storage FAST. When I book a session, I charge up front for my time and my talents, and then my clients get the BEST images from our time together to print how and where they want, to share them on social media, and anywhere else they see fit.

Let’s get a little deeper into this.

What to Expect with Misty C. Photography

When I photograph a session, I am shooting each photo as a RAW file. A RAW file is just that, raw (think of it like a raw egg.) It contains minimally processed data from the image sensor of the camera, and is unable to be printed and must be edited (like the egg getting cooked!) with a raster graphic editor, one of the most common being Photoshop! The file is usually kind of “muddy,” the colors aren’t very crisp, and that’s what all has to be changed with Photoshop. The lighting has be adjusted-highlights, shadows, whites, blacks. Sometimes the White Balance needs to be adjusted-if you’ve ever taken a photo and everything looks green or blue, or yellow, that’s because of the white balance. The colors can be saturated, or color can be removed and it can be black and white, but then different changes need to be made.

Sure anyone can buy Photoshop (with a hefty price tag) or subscribe to the creative cloud and pay for it monthly and play with their photos themselves, but it takes time and practice and an artistic eye to make your photos look like you expect them to look, and that’s why you pay a professional. We’ll take a look at a photo I recently took of my adorable little baby.

You can see the top image-before editing-was just kind of muddy. The color wasn’t right, everything is a little pink, and it was a little dark.

Then you can see the bottom image- after editing. The image is crisper, the colors look more accurate, and dang that baby is CUTE! 😀

That wasn’t the best example in regards to having to change things after the fact, but when you hire a professional, those are the things that you don’t have to worry about. You don’t have to worry that you will look like you just stepped out of a smurf movie, or that you will have a crazy face, or that there are other possible images that you’re going to look even better in.

I can assure you as my client that I am giving you the best images possible! I take myself out of the equation. I don’t look at it like I don’t like certain images so I don’t add them. I look at it as a professional, and I am taking the best photos that I can with the knowledge I have. Then I am choosing the best photos out of that bunch. I don’t keep the best ones from you. I don’t hoard the extra files to black mail you later. Actually, in all honestly, once I’ve delivered the images, I usually delete the ones that didn’t make the cut. Those RAW files are HUGE, and take up a lot of space. There’s no need to have those photos that just didn’t work.

After the session, and once the editing begins, I take time and go through each image individually to make sure the edits are perfect. Sure, there’s times that I miss things. I recently shot a beautiful girl in a dress that had to be clipped in the back. I completely spaced that in some of the photos, you could see the clip and I needed to fix it, but once I was informed, I quickly fixed it and resent the photos.

I make mistakes guys. I’m human like the rest of us, but I always try to make it right.

I look at more extensive editing this way though. If there is something on you that will be gone within the next 10 days, I will remove it. Zits or acne, maybe your child has a black eye or a scab or a rash, things like that, I gladly remove. Even if you tell me you hate a specific mole on your face or something to that extent, I can take it out. Easy peasy. But I’m not a high end commercial photographer. I don’t do extensive retouching and smoothing and adjusting. There’s times and places for that and it’s in magazines and billboards. I try to get things right in camera, and I will do my best to make you look amazing!!!

All that in mind, I want to serve my clients best as possible. I want you guys to know what you are paying for. I want you to know that I spend my time and talents to get you the best images possible. No one wants to get their photos and not be happy with what is delivered. So i’ll end with this.

Make sure that no matter what business you are doing, that you are clear about expectations on both sides. Don’t assume anything. Make sure that communication is open and you are clear when you do communicate. This will make things about 20594830275 times easier in the end. I’m so grateful for everyone that has stuck with me in this crazy endeavor of mine, and I look forward to continuing to serve you guys! You’re amazing, and seriously, thank you! 😀

Let me know ANYTIME if you have any questions regarding what to expect with your time working with me!