The truth all photographers want our amazing clients to know.
This is a story of Before and After’s.
There’s two key words in that first sentence; “Amazing Clients.” Because don’t get this confused, you ARE amazing clients, and we love and appreciate you so much. Much more than you’ll ever know. We love making those bonds with you. We love connecting and relating with you. We love meeting your family, and hearing about your vacations. We love making friendships with our clients. Yes, we love the art of photography. We love being creatives! It’s what we’re good at! And we also hold our clients near and dear to our hearts. After all, without you, how would we spread this joy of capturing memories? Of little noses and little toes. The love between couples. The love between families. Heck! The love for YOURSELF and your accomplishments you achieve (hello Seniors and Graduates! Woot woot!).
But please, PLEASE, for the love of all that is good in the world, don’t ask us for the RAWs.
What are RAWs? Let’s ask Google: “RAW is simply a file type, like a JPEG or . jpg. But, where a JPEG photo is considered a photograph, a RAW is a digital negative, an image that hasn’t been processed or adjusted by software in the slightest.” A condensed version is “unedited images.” Most professional photographers shoot in RAW format. This means when we take your photos, although artfully taken, as that’s part of our job as well, it’s typically flat and bland. We then take this file and give it LIFE! We edit it in a way that represents our creativity, our style. The style you fell in love with when you chose to hire us based on our portfolio. This editing style is just one small piece of our brand. Of what sets us apart from other creatives. But it’s a BIG part of why a client choses to hire us. A similes to this would be like going to eat at a fancy restaurant; RAW files are the main ingredient of your meal, processing and editing is cooking it to perfection. You wouldn’t go into a fancy restaurant and ask the chef for his ingredients to take it home and cook yourself, correct? You came there to enjoy the service and the delicious food created for you. Let us do the work for you, it’s what we’re here for. It’s what we love!
Another reason why asking for unedited or RAWs files won’t do you any good is simply because most people don’t have the programs or software to even edit and process a RAW file. Remember, these aren’t like a JPEG. You will most likely need a program that professionals use. And those typically cost money, a subscription or membership.
Long story short. Trust your photographer. We love our clients! We WANT to make you happy. We know that you love our work. Trust that we’ll make you look and feel amazing!
And now, the cool part! Some before and after’s, so you can get a real sense of what RAW images look like (and hopefully help you appreciate the editing that goes into your beloved photos).
