Customer asking for all photos, what to answer??

[Eva_DownUnder]

Hi, I have just recently done some graduation photos. It was a promotion as I am trying to build up my portfolio. The deal was that the girl receives a cd with edited photos ready to print. Now she is asking if she could get the copy of all the photos I have taken on that day and not only the edited ones
I don't want to give her all the photos and don't really know how to reply now. I would not like to upset her but to make her clear that the cd is all what she gets.
I hope you can help
xo Eva

[BuddhaPi]

what does the contract state??

[Rentham]

Buddha really has the best answer, but I'm going to venture a guess that there is no contract. Otherwise requests like these are rendered moot. I have a policy that I never deliver unedited or RAW images under any circumstance, and I communicate that to the client early. It falls to you to educate the client about this. Help them understand you are doing it because you only want to deliver the best, not because you are trying to be cheap or hide something.

[Biomech]

Ask her if she wants great photos are bad photos.
When she answers that she wants great photos of course, ask her why she wants the bad ones

[autofocus]

Eva, I echo what Buddha and Mike stated above, and will add one more possible option. Tell her you'd be happy to edit some of the remaining images (obviously, only the best of them) and she can purchase them for a fee. Tell her this is the only way you'd consider doing it, and that you never release un-edited images.

[NicolaB]

Ditto Vince. You don't want poor work out there with your name on it. I agree with all else said

[Liz Caldwell]

I would explain to her (you can do whatever you think is best though) that the photos you cut from the CD were cut for good reasons (blinks, test-shots, flash misfires, etc/whatever), and as a professional you just can't have your name attached to work that doesn't meet your standards of quality.

However, if she would like to purchase the unedited versions of the images you did put on the CD, they are available for (insert a price that is 3-5 times higher than you would normally charge for the edited versions)

Once she has the unedited versions though, she can do anything with them; she might end up sending them to a professional retoucher and making it look amazing... or she could send them her cousin's daughter, who just got Photoshop and completely destroys the portrait...

Your name will still be attached to the end result, good or bad. When people ask her about the photo, do you think she's more likely to say, "oh, my cousin's daughter edited that" or "Eva took those for lil Johnny's graduation."

My thought is: If she's willing to pay well for the CD now, it's not likely she'll cheap out on editing later.

[Eva_DownUnder]

Thanks a lot for all the helpful answers. You all are amazing!

There was no contract. We both agreed to the deal via email and I explained in the email that she receives a cd with edited photos ready to print. Thats all. She also receives a print release together with the cd.

I will reply to her now and also collect your tips and put them into my policy.

Thank you again for your help.
xo Eva

[graciousness]

Originally Posted by Eva_DownUnder

Thanks a lot for all the helpful answers. You all are amazing!

There was no contract. We both agreed to the deal via email and I explained in the email that she receives a cd with edited photos ready to print. Thats all. She also receives a print release together with the cd.

I will reply to her now and also collect your tips and put them into my policy.

Thank you again for your help.
xo Eva

That email is a sort of agreement as you did outline the terms and conditions of the shoot in writing.

Don't make it too complicated. Just point her back to what you offered and agreed upon and that's it.

[OsmosisStudios]

Originally Posted by graciousness

That email is a sort of agreement as you did outline the terms and conditions of the shoot in writing.

Don't make it too complicated. Just point her back to what you offered and agreed upon and that's it.

Pretty much.

"as we agreed in our e-mails...". Just remember to hold your ground.