Why Do I Not Give the RAW Files to My Clients? | Bergen County Photographer

As a photographer, I am often asked if I give RAW files to my clients. The short answer is “no.” But let me explain.

As I mentioned on the post RAW vs. JPEG, a RAW file is a very large uncompressed file, that contains all the information that your camera sensor records at the time the picture is taken. This type of file needs to be edited, as it is not a final image. The JPEG file produced by a point and shoot camera comes already “edited,” the camera decides the white balance, exposure, contrast etc.

As a photographer my job is to make these decisions and guarantee that the client gets a finished product that makes them happy and reflects my artistic vision.

As a client, you a paying for services and you have the right to receive those services, even if you know how to edit an image and have the means to do so. Afterall, you do not go to a restaurant just to be given ingredients for you to cook the food, do you?

RAW file with no editing

JPEG after editing