Lesson learned thought its worth sharing

1; This will happen whether you have contracts in place or not. You may as well get paid for it. If you deliver to a client who you're not friends with on FB you'd have no idea what they've done anyway.

2; You will do more damage to your brand trying to prosecute contracts with family members for a couple of FB photos than you will just letting it go.

The majority (90%+) of my sales are digital. I only have a passing interest in what happens to them from there provided it's for 'normal' domestic use. They're not watermarked so the realistic chances of my customer doing a horrible edit, posting it online, having someone see said horrible edit and that person actually inquiring as to who the photographer was, making the judgement that it was ME who did the edit, and then having that person actively avoiding my business on that basis is pretty low methinks.

As an aside, I truly believe the "don't sell your files because people will make dodgy prints at Walmart and your reputation will be ruined" mantra is perpetuated by businesses clinging to an outdated business model. Might have worked in 2005 but not now...the world has moved on.

I find it surprising that your family members needed to re-edit the photos. No disrespect to you, but maybe you need to improve on your editing? I don't know. I didn't see the photos. But I can't imagine someone taking a well edited photo and go "hmmm, I think I'm gonna run this through instagram".

Just a thought...

HiepBuiPhotography wrote in post #15803591
I find it surprising that your family members needed to re-edit the photos. No disrespect to you, but maybe you need to improve on your editing? I don't know. I didn't see the photos. But I can't imagine someone taking a well edited photo and go "hmmm, I think I'm gonna run this through instagram".

Just a thought...

people think they look this way or that and want to add their own touch so as to look how they THINK they should look, or how they THINK the photo should look. A friend of mine does this. She takes a perfectly good photo and starts playing with the different options for color, etc and she ends up with what I think is a mess sometimes.

if they aren't paying for it, I'd guess they are more likely to mess with it. If the photo cost them a thousand bucks, you think they are going to screw with it, or more likely place the photo somewhere without touching it.

I see it as a car. If you buy a $60,000 car and something goes wrong and needs repair, you figure, i'm not going to screw up a $60,000 car, so I'll let the pro handle it. Now if you have a $300 beater and something goes wrong, you would be more likely to have a thought of how much harm could I do, it's only a $300 beater, let me give it a shot.

Good point, Mike

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HiepBuiPhotography wrote in post #15803591
I find it surprising that your family members needed to re-edit the photos. No disrespect to you, but maybe you need to improve on your editing? I don't know. I didn't see the photos. But I can't imagine someone taking a well edited photo and go "hmmm, I think I'm gonna run this through instagram".

Just a thought...

My edits were good. Everyone loved them. She just felt the need to do selective coloring.

vengence wrote in post #15804744
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It always amazes me how new people like you come on here and start talking like this. If you have nothing useful to add to the conversation you can go elsewhere. Maybe one day you will see how it feels if you ever do this trying to start up a business.

EDIT: It is now apparent you are just a troll. I saw another of your posts recommending that people use MS paint for editing so that they do not need expensive gear. Plenty of other rude posts from you to other members as well.

Ratjack wrote in post #15806819
I saw another of your posts recommending that people use MS paint for editing so that they do not need expensive gear.

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Vengence, I recommend you read section 4 of rules.

https://photography-on-the.net ….php?p=353304&p​ostcount=1

To everyone in this thread, Thank you very much for your input. This was probably just hard for me to deal with since this was my first time doing something like this while trying to start a small business. I ended up just telling her not to worry about it and to do whatever she would like with the photos. I just asked to not be mentioned on the photos that they edited since I do not want people thinking it is my work. Thank you everyone!

Yup. I think asking not to mention you nowhere near their "edited" images was strong enough line and it's enough. Well played. To go further it's just nonsense and beating your head against the rock.

Ratjack wrote in post #15802412
Do you guys ever worry about people seeing the pictures and think you did that? Causing a bad reputation with your editing skills?

Think about it this way:
When you see a 2001 Dodge Neon (approximately 6 horsepower) with a spoiler on the trunk lid, a car bra, oversized wheels with low profile tires, brass plated spinner hub caps, and a big throaty exhaust system... do you think Chrysler actually built it that way?

This isn't a business problem. It's an ego problem. Let it go, man.

Curtis N wrote in post #15810952
Think about it this way:
When you see a 2001 Dodge Neon (approximately 6 horsepower) with s spoiler on the trunk lid, a car bra, oversized wheels with low profile tires, brass plated spinner hub caps, and a big throaty exhaust system... do you think Chrysler actually built it that way?

This isn't a business problem. It's an ego problem. Let it go, man.

Oh man Curtis... you need to get out of the hood a little more often

The bigger lesson is that people will often want to edit photos for themselves and there are hundreds of websites ad apps that make that easy. If you want to succeed in the personal and family portrait business, you should accept that your clients will often modify your photos. A contract will not stop this trend, and the most likely outcome is that your clients will make less referrals to you if they think you are trying to control their freedom expression.

Ratjack wrote in post #15801777
lol. They did the selective color on a big flower the girl had on her head (in a headband).. so its all black and white except for this big pink blob on her head.....

When I questioned her about it she said "well this is what we like"..... -_- I will never press the shutter button again without a signed contract.

You don't give the customer what they want? Do you talk with your customers before you do a shoot to see what they are wanting in the finish product? Talking with the customer first, hearing what they want gives you the opportunity to guide them into wanting something more along the lines of what you feel is the best way to create the pictures. This way you have also cut down on the amount of edits the customer may feel they need to do to the picture you shot.

I can not imagine anyone in the "Family" taking a contract seriously. or inviting me to Christmas after making them sign a contract.

my suggestion for stuff like that is great do the pictures but if they want to edit and repost just don't credit you. if the images aren't watermarked or credited then its not an issue for you and happy families or if u really don't want this to happen don't take the pictures