Why I do NOT provide Full Resolution Digital Copies?

In short, it deals with being able to control the quality how my photographs are printed. You see, my reputation and skill as a photographer is directly associated with what someone sees when they look at one of my printed photographs. If I provide clients with a digital copy and leave the printing up to them, odds are the prints will not match my intended output.

One of the hardest parts of a professional photographer’s job is to maintain photographic continuity from the time a picture is taken through editing, correcting and printing. To do this, they must develop a completely calibrated work flow and printing system. This requires sophisticated calibration equipment and software, special monitors and tools plus the time, knowledge and skill to execute.

Beyond quality control is that when you hire me as your photographer, you are hiring my creative expertise, skill and knowledge to capture, create and preserve the memories of your event forever.

Let’s take for example that during a typical portrait session I can take anywhere from 200 to 800 pictures and for a more action-involved event up to 2000 pictures. I then have to spend hours selecting the best images and performing any necessary retouching, cropping, or other creative alterations in order to compile your final portfolio.

Once you have selected the photographs you want to purchase, I will then finalize the masters, including any additional changes or corrections, and have them professionally printed. I personally inspect them not only to ensure they meet my expectations, but are something you will be proud to own.

If on the other hand I provided you with a CD of your images, you would be responsible for any editing. Keep in mind that to perform those adjustments you would need to have the appropriate software and knowledge to make them.

Furthermore, you would be faced with having to filter through literally hundreds of pictures that in some cases differ only slightly and then choosing which ones to edit and/or print. You would spend hours, maybe days, reviewing these images in order to pick the ones you like the best, then you would still have to have them printed, organized and placed in an album.

All of this does not take into account that while I am shooting your session I will take certain shots that are specifically made for effect or artistic editing in post production. These pictures can easily be dismissed as poor or bad shots to the untrained eye. Thus, you delete them and miss out on some truly special photographs. These types of shots fall into a signature area of my photography and are part of the reason you hire me.

Undoubtedly my style of photography will be reflected in your images. That is what distinguishes one photographer from another. It is imperative to me that my work is reflected in the best possible light and the only way for that to happen is for me to provide you with the finished product.

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