Do you let the client see all your pictures from a wedding?

I recently shot a wedding for a couple and out of 1100 or so pictures, I gave them about 400. Many of the ones I didn't give them were duplicates (so as to avoid blinking, etc.)

Well, I am good friends with the family, and in talking, I told her that I took about 1000 pictures. She asked if she could look at all the pictures I took, even the ones that didn't make the cut, so I said sure. I put them online for them to look at, and now there are about 140 pictures that I didn't include in the original DVD that I gave them. I don't really have a problem with this as they said they will pay me for the extra time it takes to go through and edit/correct the ones I didn't include.

The thing is though, is that I was pretty liberal with the pictures I selected to give them. If it was in-focus, exposed properly, I included it.

I am just wondering if this is a common thing for people to ask for. I just have never had it happen before.

Thanks for the input.

I explain in advance that I will take more than they will see and only those that make the grade will make the gallery.

I would never show them any more as I don't want anything going public that I'm not completely happy with ...... every image is a calling card for me.

I agree with Paul and I would never show photos I am not completely happy with, not even if it is friends and not common clients.

If I reduced it to only images I was truly happy with, they'd get maybe 12 photos.

Well, I guess I can't go back and change what has already happened. I did ask her to not share the gallery with anyone other than herself and the grooms mom, for that reason. I don't want people looking at it and thinking, man, every other picture is blurry or, off center, when the reality of it is that I was either doing some sample shots, or taking doubles to make sure people weren't blinking. I will be more cautious in the future though!

cdifoto wrote in post #5850159
If I reduced it to only images I was truly happy with, they'd get maybe 12 photos.

Really? While I do get the 10-20 REALLY GOOD shots, I tend to be truly happy with all the pictures I give them. I try to look at it in the sense that, what will make them happy. It it is a really good closeup of the grandparents dancing, sharp and properly exposed, centered, etc....I am really happy with it because I know they will be happy. Even if it isn't your typical magazine type money-shot.

I offered a supplemental shoot of some engagements I did recently because I wasn't really happy with any of them. She liked pretty much all the pics as did her mom, but I didn't and that's what matters to me. Unfortunately weddings cannot be reshot. Not that I screw up...I'm just really really really picky about my photos and never content.

cdifoto wrote in post #5850159
If I reduced it to only images I was truly happy with, they'd get maybe 12 photos.

me too! i did a ATC event a few weeks ago i did two 8 hour days and ended up with about 1400 pics - out of them i got them down to 120images that made the official disk and in my portfolio i have 12 - i always cut back to try and get a MAX of 12 for my personal portfolios and out of them one or two may make it to my 24 shot "public" portfolio - none from this shoot did (although five made it to Fly Past Magazine so the pages from the issue will make my "published" work portfolio)

But i do understand that with events the subject is generally more important then the image - so i try to strike the balance - but no one ever gets to see the uncut folder.

Hi,

Okay, I don't shoot many weddings... by choice. But, I'd never share all the photos I've taken anywhere. Period.

I'm not just talking about culling out the ones that are accidental shots of my toes, or the ones with eyes closed or flash wasn't recharged sufficiently.

I go through and pull out anything that I'm not happy with. I'd then pull out any that are highly duplicated. Depending upon the job, it could be a final portfolio of 10 or 12 images from 1000, or 600 "keepers". What's important is to put yourself in their shoes, what images tell the story and meet their needs, sometimes including some that aren't technically "perfect" or aesthetically what I'd personally want hanging on my wall. The client has some preferences too, and they might be different from mine.

Recent two day event was good for about 1200 shots and rapid editing boiled that down to 785 images posted in the online galleries. Of those, there are maybe 100 or so that I'd consider selling for stock. There are maybe a dozen that are exceptional enough that I might use them for commercial products I make myself, such as calendars, greeting cards or mouse pads. There may be a half dozen or less that I'd print and frame to sell as "fine art".

I strongly agree with Paul's idea that every image I let out into the public domain is like a calling card... Great analogy and a very useful way to think about it.

I cull from 1000 or so down to 300-400, the customer doesn't see the rest. I keep the culled images until after the album's done, so I can do head or eye swaps if I need to.

I also cull down from the total number shot and then, if a CD/DVD is provided as part of the deliverables I renumber all the image files sequentially. That way there are no missing numbers for the client to question.

I have done it, but prefer not to and totally don't like it. I am taking around 1000 and then give them 300, but they generally trust my editing. When my own son got married, Dave didn't give me all the shots, just the ones he could process. I ended up ordering a large album with 2x3's of all the pictures and that was wonderful. I think people don't want to miss anything, and that's fair, but really, not every shot is going to be wonderful or even useful.