Let’s Talk RAWs

If you’ve ever looked through a photographer’s contract, you may have noticed a line stating that RAW or unedited images are not included in your gallery. And if you’re not a photographer, you might wonder: Why not? If the photos were taken, why can’t I have all of them?

It’s a fair question! So, let’s talk RAWs.

First, what exactly is a RAW photo?

One of the biggest misconceptions is that a RAW photo simply means an unedited version of the JPEG you receive in your final gallery.

It’s actually a specific type of digital file created by a professional camera.

RAW files contain a large amount of image data straight from the camera sensor so that photographers have as much flexibility as possible during the editing process. They’re designed to be processed, not necessarily viewed or shared as finished photographs.

Because of that, RAW files are also extremely large and often require specialized photography software to properly open, edit, and export. Depending on your computer, phone, or software, you may not even be able to do much with the file as-is.

Think of a RAW file as an ingredient rather than the finished dish.

Taking the photo is only part of the process.

Photography doesn’t end when I press the shutter.

After your wedding or session, I go through every image I photographed and carefully select the strongest photographs to tell the story of your day. That means removing duplicates, test shots, missed focus, blinking, unflattering expressions, accidental frames, and all of the other images that naturally happen while documenting real moments.

From there, every selected photograph is edited to create the finished images you see in your gallery.

Editing includes things like adjusting exposure, color, white balance, contrast, cropping, straightening, and making other refinements that bring the photograph in line with the work you saw before booking me.

The images you receive aren't simply the photos that came out of my camera. They're the finished product.

You’re booking the finished work, not just the camera.

When you choose a photographer, you’re choosing them for much more than their ability to take a photograph.

You’re choosing their eye.

Their timing.

Their composition.

Their understanding of light.

Their ability to anticipate moments.

Their editing style.

And, importantly, their judgment about which images best represent your wedding or session.

When you book me, you’re trusting me to photograph your day and then deliver the best versions of those photographs.

That selection and editing process is a huge part of what you're hiring me to do.

But what if there’s a photo I wish had been included?

This is another reason people sometimes ask about RAWs. They worry there might be an amazing photograph sitting somewhere on a memory card that they never got to see.

My goal when culling a gallery isn't to keep good photographs from you. Quite the opposite.

If there are multiple photographs that are meaningful, beautiful, or contribute to the story of your day, I want you to have them.

The images that don't make it into a final gallery are generally left out for a reason. They may be duplicates of a stronger frame, test shots, out of focus, someone may be blinking or mid-expression, or the photograph simply may not meet my standards for delivery.

I don't place an arbitrary limit on your gallery and then hide the rest. I select and deliver the photographs I believe are worth having.

Why photographers protect their RAW files

Imagine hiring a chef because you love their food, then asking for the ingredients halfway through the cooking process so you can finish the meal yourself.

Technically, they're part of what eventually becomes the final product, but they're not the product you hired the chef to create.

RAW photographs are similar.

My name is attached to the photographs I create, and the final editing process is part of my work. An unfinished image doesn't accurately represent the photography you saw on my website, social media, or galleries when you decided to hire me.

That's why, like many professional photographers, I don't include RAW files as part of my standard galleries.

The bottom line

When you hire a photographer whose work you love, you're trusting them with the entire creative process, from pressing the shutter to choosing the strongest images to putting the finishing touches on your gallery.

RAW files are simply one step in that process.

What I want you to walk away with isn't a folder full of unfinished files that require special software to use.

I want you to have a collection of photographs that have been thoughtfully selected, carefully edited, and are completely ready for you to download, print, share, and enjoy for years to come.

That finished gallery is the product, and creating the best possible version of it is exactly what you've trusted me to do.