Whether you handle your proofs presentation in person in your studio or prefer the convenience of presenting your images online, you should provide your clients with the opportunity to view and order their beautiful, polished images while they are still reeling from the bliss of the wedding. When emotions are high, sales are bigger.
The world of digital photography allows us to shoot wildly and without restraint, but that should not mean that we don’t edit our results. If you provide your customers with digital proofs, you need to take the same care in editing that you would to present a print. Whether they view their proofs on a computer screen or in an album, your sales will be based on your customers’ responses to your work. If you give them a lot of untouched, disorganized files that are not color- or exposure-corrected, they are not likely to order much (or have the confidence in you to book future sessions). It is also not likely that they will give you glowing referrals, which can cost you business.
Edit down your photos for impact and identifiable individualization—you want works of art, not just pleasant candids. If you offer your clients ten similar photos, they will not have the same impact that one profound photo would. Let them see one finished, polished version of the photo you’ve chosen—a singular photo that freezes an exceptional moment. It will not compete for attention with any similar moments or have any trouble standing out. Also, choose your proofs carefully so that they tell the full story without omitting any parts of the day.
Show your client only the best version of the photo. When you avoid presenting a series of similar images, the selection process is easier for your clients and the demand is higher.
Choose your proofs carefully so that they tell the full story without omitting any parts of the day.
Exercise the same care in digital proof production as you would with prints. Make your work stand out and look like it’s worth a lot. Photography sales are all about perceived value; the image must seem worthy of its price. Furthermore, throughout the proofs, your style and skill should be evident. It is very easy to forget these principles when working with digital proofs.