I do offer a set of digital negatives as part of the options you can select when building your perfect wedding or portrait package. However some people still have many misconceptions about what digital negatives are and also what they can do with them. Hopefully this guide will help you understand the differences between a digital negative and a final print.
What are Digital Negatives?
Think about what film negatives are – small, unedited, easy to store with lots of potential. Digital negatives are, in essence, the same. These files have had very basic adjustments to account for exposure and colour balance but have not had retouching or resizing for printing. They are a blank canvas with lots of potential if you know how to get the most out of them. However, digital negatives are NOT the same images that you see in our portfolio, our albums or indeed on our blog. The images we present to you the client or viewer have had various amounts of extensive editing and retouching.
Why would I want the digital negatives?
Many people want these files as they feel safe knowing that they have a copy of all their images from a wedding or portrait session, or because they want to print the images themselves, or indeed to post the images online for friends on Facebook etc You are welcome to do as you wish as long as it falls under the limited copyright release that accompany the files.
When I get the image files, do I own the copyright?
Simply put – No. The photographer retains copyright as soon as the image is taken and we do not sell copyright ownership to anyone, for any price. When you purchase digital negatives, you receive a disk of images, plus a copyright release that can be printed off, that gives permission to use images for certain purposes, such as making prints or other products, or for personal use on a website. The release is specific to the person(s) purchasing them and can not be duplicated for anothers use.
What CAN’T I do?
First and foremost, you can’t sell on the copyright release to anyone else. This means you can not email them to a long lost Aunt on the other side of the world, and tell her she is free to print the image all she wants. Only you, the original client, has permission to use the images. You also can not make significant changes to the files (cropping and resizing is OK but leave the image editing to us). You also can not sell DVD’s, CD’s or prints of the images to your friends and relatives, companies, magazines or websites. For the latter two we are happy to submit them on your behalf. Simon Revill Photography is the only entity authorised to sell or distribute the images, if you have a specific requirement we are more than happy to work with you to accommodate your needs.
Why are your photographs so expensive?
Depending on the image – the process that each goes through prior to being printed can take hours, it is skilled work and as such is charged for accordingly. This is why there is a difference between taking your digital negative to a local one hour lab for a 7×5 print for pence and one purchased from us. The local processor uses inferior papers and printing inks compared to professional labs who use only the finest materials and whose colour processing has been carefully matched to our workflow. All this requires expensive equipment and software to produce results of the highest quality. For large prints, we have the means and skill to produce prints that are not lacking in detail or suffering from a loss of quality. This is something your local lab simply can not do.
What does editing an image entail?
This is an open ended question and much is subjective to the photographers vision and style. It can mean increasing contrast, Adjusting white balance, changing colour hues, removing pimples and blemishes, slimming down those unattractive body parts, altering eyes, erasing distracting elements and adding special effects like vignettes etc. The possibilities are endless and every image requires something slightly different. Each image will go through two sets of adjustments and editing. The first consists of minor tweaks to make it a proof image.
It is much easier to show you visually. the first is the “unedited” image as it may appear straight out of the camera, the second is the “proof” (the image you see in your proofing galleries and the one you receive as a digital negative), and lastly the full edited version that is ready for printing or use in your album. Differences can be subtle on screen but the printed versions are as different as “chalk and cheese”.
I love the look of the edited photo’s , but I want the digital negatives. Can I pay extra for you to retouch them all?
An average wedding has anywhere between 150 – 350 proofs, it could take a minimum 100 hours to do this and at a conservative £20 per hour would be £2000.00. Frankly, although we would love the money, the time sacrificed would be to the detriment of our other clients. It would also be a wasted investment on your part – as you probably never want to print all the files. Better to invest in the ones that are your favourites and have them printed and editing by ourselves – any size or medium you want.
Should you have any more questions about editing, digital negatives, or anything else, send us an email and we will be happy to help.