As a professional photographer, I’ve been asked by clients if they can have the RAW files, once or twice in my career. While I understand this request is usually coming from someone who may just want digital images as a more affordable solution, I also know that it’s not in the best interest of the client to receive these files. Here’s why:
RAW files are the unedited, unprocessed images that come straight out of the camera. They are larger in file size and take up more memory than edited, processed images. If you’re not a professional photographer or photo editor, chances are you wouldn’t know how to properly edit these RAW files anyway.
As the client in my studio, you’re investment is for an experience, my time, knowledge, and decades of expertise in both photography and photo editing.
When you receive the final edited images that I’ve spent hours producing, those are the products of my hard work, creative vision and signature polished look.
To give you the RAW files would be handing over an unfinished product.
If you went to a restaurant and ordered a scotch fillet with a medley of seasonal vegetables, you wouldn’t expect a raw steak and a bag of veg served up on a platter. This is no different from the professional photographer.
So if your photographer says no to giving you the RAW files, now you know why, they’re just trying to give you the best product possible!
A photography session in my boutique Gold Coast studio is an experience, not just a photoshoot.
Contact me here if you’d like to know more, follow on Facebook to see what goes into one of these experiences.
