How do you guys do proofs?

[Jim Poor]

I'd say that the DVD is killing your sales more than anything, but if your flat rate is high enough to cover it, then that's your choice. I highly discourage clients from buying digital copies unless they want a license for a specific use. A botched Walmart print job can hurt future business.

On proofs, I started out posting final images as proofs, but when I have an event where I come home with 2000 images, that takes too much time. What I do now is provide a link to a gallery with images that are representative of the final products folks can expect. I show a BW conversion, Minor retouching, Major retouching, a Glamour treatment, and a Composite.

If a particular image speaks to me from a shoot, I may do something with it right then and there, but that is now the exception.

[dvfx]

Depending on what the assignment is, I generally tend to give everything a quick look and make some basic corrections if needed, Then I will usually, create an HTML Gallery or Flash Gallery and either upload it to the server and send the client the link, or will burn it on a CD and let them review it. This works well when you are shoot a lot of PICS.

I use Adobe Lightroom ver 2, which gives me the flexibility to creat galleries or print proofs if I so choose. The other reason is that it cuts down on expenses which you can then pass the savings on to the client.

However, there maybe some situations where you may want or need to do proofs like is you're shooting film or your clients requests it up front, in which case you should figure that into your costs from the onset.

Hope this helps......

JC

[JerBear]

Proofs used to be 1st run prints that a client would choose from, today I use the term preview, since there are no longer pre prints.

We shoot all digital now, since even when we shoot with the Hassleblads, the negatives are converted to digital before printing.

Previews are supplied online, but if we have a client that "must have" prints, then we will oblige (extra LARGE fee applies).

Every shot is PP to qualify for distribution, those selected for final output are eyeballed to the max. We want anyone looking over the shoulder of our client to see only "Good work". Yeah, this takes more time, but hey, don't you want only your best work showing "out there"?

A few shots "May be" converted, but only to show what is possible for the client.


Good Shooting

JM