What Do You Provide?

As someone who is cautiously and carefully going to start working towards making a business out of photography, I am curious to get some feedback on what some of you ultimately provide to your clientele. I understand that's quite a broad question, so let's focus it more towards the type of scenarios I will most likely be getting into.

Let's say you offer some sort of portrait package/s. 1 hour, 2 hours - you photograph let's say a husband and wife for their 20 year anniversary, or a high schooler's senior portraits; something like that. You got your contract, you got your down payment, you meet up and do the photos, you edit them for a couple of weeks and you have your finished keepers.

-Do you give them just a burned CD/DVD with the pics? If so do you have a print company like mpix or prodpi handle it and throw a fancy label on that covers the disc with your logo and their names? Are these full-size (native) images?

-Do you give them an online, password-protected gallery at zenfolio, smugmug or your own website that has downsampled (600-1000px) pics for them to access? If so do you watermark them?

-If anyone does prints, how does that work exactly? Do you give them a DVD or online gallery, then they email you and tell you what files they want printed and what size, then you send them off to a lab to get drop-shipped to your client, then you upcharge them to make a profit?

-Is there typically an agreement you can do whatever you want with the pictures (as the photographer), and they can do whatever they want with the pictures (as the client)? In other words, you take the photos so you want to post them on your website to market yourself and show off your work. They want to post them all over the internet to show their friends and family etc.

I guess I'm just wondering what is considered the norm, what you all do based on your own reasons, and what the easiest and most "user-friendly" approach is for someone like me who is new in the game.

Thanks,
Randy

My base deliver is files online, but I also offer cds or thumb drives at extra cost.

If you are focusing on consumer portrait sessions, it is very hard if not impossible to earn a good living delivering files.

The most profitable portrait shooters I know all rely on in-person sales consultations and selling prints. Putting files online will more or less kill print sales. Same with giving a disc of files.

For portrait work high resolution and facebook resolution files on USB and DVD as well as an passord protected online gallery (bespoke through my website) to share with friends and family.

I don't do prints.

RandMan wrote in post #16873382
-Do you give them just a burned CD/DVD with the pics? If so do you have a print company like mpix or prodpi handle it and throw a fancy label on that covers the disc with your logo and their names? Are these full-size (native) images?

Yes and No. I avoid selling only digital files. I charge $325 for one full resolution jpeg on a custom printed DVD and case; essentially the same file I would use to make a print. I personally design the DVD cover and the case. I include an unlimited printing license (in the photos metadata) which allows them to print them for personal-use only. I also include a PDF copy of the printing license just as a formality so they can show a local print lab if the question comes up. I throw in "Facebook Freebies" without advertising them as a bonus to the client; resized versions of a purcahsed file for use on the web, usually 800px on the long side at 72dpi.

People see that, and start to think twice about buying only digital files. I DO offer files, sized to 8x10 at 150dpi, BUT only with the purchase of a print. They get a digital copy of the photo they purchased along with a Facebook Freebie of that same photo. I supply those on a custom DVD in a standard clear case. The cost of the DVD is included in the price of the print.

Yes. All my proofs are watermarked. I use a custom brush in PS to watermark all my proofs.

I print individual proofs from my lab to show the client in-person. It's the same paper, and same quality as the final print...but it's a proof. I use a little bit of psycology here. When a client can put their hands on their photos, and look through physical photos it plays to their emotions and helps create a connection with the photos which then in turn helps with the sale. I've never had a client NOT ask if they could buy the proofs as well as they have them in their hands. Any proofs they don't buy I keep to show to potential clients when they ask to see some of my work. If all the proofs were bought then I just take that profit and buy the proofs that I want to keep to show later.

As the photographer you own the copyright to any photo you take. YOU can do whatever you want with it. A model release may be needed in some cases, but you still own the copyright. I would NEVER let a client do whatever they want with a photo in terms of cropping, editting, etc, but they can post them online which is why I give them Facebook Freebies.