Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

[MTesa]

Hi! Well, that's my question. I'm doing portrait retouching and photographers (family photographers in this case, so not fashion or editorial) always ask for psd files, I refuse not so much because I'll reveal my techniques (but that's a very good reason too) but because the psd are extremely heavy files and would take ages to upload.
By the way I offer sample retouchs and recieve their guidelines for the jobs, and comments for future changes, etc...

What's the standart for photo editing jobs? Deliver or not deliver psd?

Thanks!!

Teresa

[skoobey]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

Delivering PSD is exception, and definitely not standard practice. I do deliver them on occasion, but I really do think it's mostly clients thinking they'll find out some "secret", rather than them actually needing PSD in order to change things later. After hundreds of PSDs I've sent I can only verify that 1 has been used to change the image. So, no it's not something to do for family photographers, unless they are willing to pay you more, because you will pretty much block your upload sending a ton of PSDs daily.

[MTesa]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

Thank you Very much, that's the answer I was looking for

[Tony W]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

You should be delivering exactly what your clients request i.e. assuming you want to keep your clients! Uploading taking a long time is a pretty weak excuse as your time will be accounted for in your charges - in addition you will most likely be doing other things rather than watching the countdown to file upload!

It is neither an unusual or unreasonable request. Put yourself in your clients position.
What if they need an urgent change and you are not available?
What if they need you to make changes and you have lost the original psd or gone out of business?

Charge for your time accordingly and deliver what your client asks for is my advice. Should you feel you have some secret squirrel Photoshop sauce that you do not want the client to see just merge those layers together to hide the exact work sequence leaving other layers intact.

[skoobey]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

You should be delivering exactly what your clients request i.e. assuming you want to keep your clients! Uploading taking a long time is a pretty weak excuse as your time will be accounted for in your charges - in addition you will most likely be doing other things rather than watching the countdown to file upload!

It is neither an unusual or unreasonable request. Put yourself in your clients position.
What if they need an urgent change and you are not available?
What if they need you to make changes and you have lost the original psd or gone out of business?

Charge for your time accordingly and deliver what your client asks for is my advice. Should you feel you have some secret squirrel Photoshop sauce that you do not want the client to see just merge those layers together to hide the exact work sequence leaving other layers intact.

Do you REALLY think some portrait photographer that is paying 5$ an image for bulk retouching needs PSD files. Don't make me laugh.

[andrewrodney]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

Do you REALLY think some portrait photographer that is paying 5$ an image for bulk retouching needs PSD files. Don't make me laugh.

Do you really think anyone getting paid $5 an image is even worth consideration? Don't make me laugh.
BTW, PSD no, TIFF, yes (but we've been over this before).

[Tony W]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

Do you REALLY think some portrait photographer that is paying 5$ an image for bulk retouching needs PSD files. Don't make me laugh.

Read and understand the question. R U not able to understand the question here, this is not about a clients needs (by your definition all are stupid) but serving a clients requirements.

Regardless of what you believe they need if they insists on a specific file format you supply it and charge for it accordingly. By all means advise them that you believe their needs are at variance with their request.

And I think Andrews comment about TIFF rather than PSD is probably wise advice

[Flashtones]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

The original post is vague. But if an unknowledgeable client requested PSD's of me I'd send them flattened PSD's/TIF's.

They may have just heard PSD's are better than JPG for cropping and tweaking without re-compression artifacts. Or sometimes the client wants an adjusted file while also being able to revert back to the original. In this case I'd provide a file with two layers, one the original and one a merge of all adjustments so they can have the retouching on or off.

Sure, if you're working for a retouching studio you might have to provide all your adjustment layers, but that's not the case here.

[MTesa]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

Thank you all! Great answers, all this helps me a lot.

I'm new to the forum, also to editing for others, I'm just starting out.

The clients I speak about request PSD because they want the Layers to have control if they want to change something of the edit themselves, not just because they want the higher quality file (psd or tiff). And yes, this would be bulk editing for a low price, so... I will consider just having a different price for it.


Tesa

[andrewrodney]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

TIFF has just as many layer options as PSD. In fact, there's hardly anything you can do to a PSD you can't with a TIFF (duotone comes to mind). PSD is a proprietary file format, TIFF is an openly documented file format. Both are owned and controlled by Adobe. But far more applications can read a TIFF than a PSD. You want your software product to read a PSD, you pay Adobe for that.

[MTesa]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

Hi, yes, my question wasn't related to tiff vs. psd, I just used "psd" as in "high res file with layers". The client I speak of wouldn't know the difference, she just wants acces to the layers, so it could be on tiff or psd.

[Tony W]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

So advise her on the pros and cons of TIFF v PSD and let her make the choice.

Do not try and hold her image hostage within what you see as your special layered file. The image is not yours and you have only been commissioned to fix some flaws, minor or otherwise, therefore you have no rights to the image.

You do however have the rights to protect your working methods therefore as stated in my first post just merge those 'specials' into a single layer while leaving others intact.

If you are confident of the quality and value of your work then there should be less risk of losing your client - although of course nothing is risk free. In addition by complying with a clients request and supplying a layered file you will be displaying your trust in the client relationship.

If on the other hand you believe your client wants to use your work to learn and then dump you, you have at least some choices as it is going to happen regardless.
1. Offer to tutor one to one at a generous fee to YOU.
2. Carry on without acknowledging this possibility - it may just go away
3. Replace the client with others that you feel you can forge a long term relationship. You may want to do this by raising your prices and lengthening time of delivery rather than a straight refusal.
4. Insert here

[skoobey]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

5$ an image is normal rate for bulk orders like weddings, online shops etc, usually because it involves very few adjustments. You don't deliver PSDs for that. Tesa said it wasn't higher-up work. Doesn't matter if it is a dollar or 100 dollars, it's still only few adjustments, and that usually means many images, hence no need to justify sending huge files.

If she can't tell you what it needs to be changed, she is trying to learn. You can be nice and send her a couple of files. But sending hundreds of PSDs a day for this type of photography? No.

[MTesa]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

Thank you all, this is very valuable information.

My feeling is that this photographers I've come in touch with have small business and are used to have all the process in control and are the type of person that no matter what you do, even imitating their editing style, offering samples and following guidelines they will still think "I would have edited it differently", hence they want the Layers to further adapt your work to their taste... they are scared that you'll ruin their photos... but they're just fussy, I mean, they don't even have a clear idea of what they want, she sent me a sample saying she wanted the colors to look more close to the original image and her sample was way more red than the original... so.. you know... haha

Also a big problem is I live in a country where internet conections are just not enough stable and powerfull to easily and quicky upload huge files, also expensive.

Thanks again,

Tesa

[ftp-Jeff]

Re: Retouching jobs: send psd to client?

I think the question is regard layered files. Some agencies need layered files. Bur portrait photographers? probably not.