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Wardrobe Stylists Requesting RAW Files
For Wardrobe Stylists/Designers: has any of you asked your photographers for their RAW files? I am just curious what RAW files be of useful to your styling and designing? I brought this up because a stylist/designer replied to my message that he is only going to reciprocate a trade provided that I give him *all* the RAW files from our shoot. I've shot covers for magazine editorials for large companies like RUFSKIN.com (San Diego, CA), aussieBUM.com (Australia), iwantblue.com (Australia) and none of them asked me for my RAW files. All they want is that they want their outfits credited and of course magazine copies. Am I missing something? I want to know if any of you ask for this and why? ronald n. tan www.ronaldntan.com Jun 01 08 06:56 am Link Quite often designers will find things in a photogapher's "throw away" snaps that are very helpful in the design process.I've done many an alteration because a piece doesn't look good on camera Good photographers will change a model's pose to compensate of simple toss the bad images...but that doesn't always help me Jun 01 08 07:06 am Link But that does not explain why he asked me for my RAW files though. I sent out contact sheets to everyone involved for tests so that each creative member will walk away with 1-2 photographs from each look we do. Once a catch all image selections are made, I retouched them. Getting back to question to the rest of the stylists/designers, if you do ask for RAW files, why? I want to to know from several insights. I am still waiting an answer from him (the stylist/designer) that asked me in the first place. Meschantes Couture wrote: Jun 01 08 07:30 am Link Based on the first response you got maybe the issue is the use of the word RAW... maybe he meant unedited images... what he sees as raw images... as a photographer RAW means something different... maybe... just speculating. Jun 01 08 07:36 am Link A possible interpretation. I will have to wait for his response. Bryan Benoit wrote: Jun 01 08 07:44 am Link I would think that the stylist was thinking raw in terms of unedited as well as opposed to the format. I've had a couple photographers that gave unedited images or showed them without asking and I often find images that work better for my particular portfolio than the ones they thought were the best overall. Jun 01 08 08:57 am Link [Edited] I've received PM insights that explained some reasoning.  --Ron Jun 01 08 08:59 am Link Ronald N Tan wrote: Much of the reason comes from being screwed over. Jun 01 08 10:15 am Link Now to all the photographers, I know all about the dynamics of the RAW images but in a legal sense and an editing sense. Well maybe I do not know "ALL about" it but I am not ignorant to the fact that RAW images being released is a serious issue. I might not ask for raw images for a designer but a few choice RAW files and most of the images full sized Tiff's. Followed up by a written agreement on the use of the images for all concerned. Sometimes I might just take the tears sheets and that would be enough. Sometimes that promise is just not enough to get a designer to let things out. Remember, that tear sheet promise is a maybe, it is not a done deal yet. Even if the shoot results in a tear sheet or Commercial ad, there is no promise that the clothing/product will be shown in a good light or that the edit will even be using their clothing/product. Jun 01 08 10:20 am Link . Jun 01 08 10:25 am Link M.hana wrote: wardrobe/hair/makeup getting screwed over for a shoot??!?! NEVER! lol Jun 01 08 12:04 pm Link Wondering why the OP asked the question? In general, do not point to a person's profile or anything like that. Just wondering in general. Checking back for this could be a good thread. Jun 01 08 08:24 pm Link Bryan Benoit wrote: That might be the case, otherwise I don't see why a stylist needs raw files, at all, it's like they asked for all the negatives or a duplicate of all the slides... Jun 01 08 08:31 pm Link If it's a trade, that's what I would want to see, unedited. My eye and need would be different. Unfortunately, this is what is to be expected with dealing in TFP/Trade/Craigslist collaboration these days. One of the reasons it PAYS to pay a professional and not trade. You do indeed get what you pay for, or else. I see nothing inheriently devious with showing proofs to your client in trade to view and choose from. If that is agreed upon up front. When a designer needs a specific look in trade for their $$$$ items, then if you wanted to work with them or not, depends on your comfort level. Otherwise you will need, in most cases, a pull letter from a national or international magazine to prove you are shooting for editorial. Or, you can just purchase the wardrobe. Jun 01 08 08:40 pm Link It's important to define the terminologies here because different people use these terms interchangeably. Most professional photographers define these terms as follows: RAW: Digital negatives which have not been processed by software into tiff or jpg files. These files are blurry by design and may have the wrong color temperature assigned. The exposure can be off by as much as two stops. The images will typically look flat as RAW files are designed to capture the widest dynamic range possible. Unedited: These are tiff or jpg files which have not been filtered by the photographer. They may include shots that are out of focus, poorly composed, over or underexposed, or include nudity which a model did not agree to release. Unretouched: These are tiff or jpg files which have not been retouched by the photographer. They are typically edited meaning they are filtered. Typically, color temperature and exposure has been corrected but not always. My guess is that when a non photographer ask for RAW images, what they really want are unretouched images. Jun 02 08 04:13 am Link I am still here and for others, this thread can be informational. As I have explained in my OP to any new comers, I was surprised that this designer/stylist (his proper title is as Creative Director at a firm he is employed at). Thanks for the insights. --Ron Jun 02 08 07:09 am Link Ron- First, I LOVE your work! and if you ever have need for something special, I'd be proud to send it to you to shoot... I've had good and bad experiences with photographers shooting my clothing work. Some sent finished PRINTS. Some sent a disc of web-sized jpgs. (and they were SMALL jpgs, at that...) No one has guessed the wardrobe stylist/clothing designer has the ability to edit RAW files on their own- or with the help of a photographer friend. I shoot (fairly well- #23167) but I like having another photographer's eye looking at my clothing work, and adding their spin. I ask they not worry about shooting a "catalog" shot- but just shoot what they had in mind, and send me a usable image from their shoot. It does baffle one to question why the designer would trust you to shoot their clothing, but demand all the RAW files. (See my portfolio for several images by Jim Fiscus shots of work we did together...) I generally take negotiations at face value-and if you don't want to surrender a disc of all the RAW files, come up with a counter offer, and leave it at that. (I think you explained your process above-just reiterate that, and go forward.) Keep well. Greg Jun 02 08 07:23 am Link Rafael Andreu wrote: Honestly as an MUA, the pictures photographers have released to me were either overly edited, Jun 03 08 01:27 am Link A point I wanted to make the other night but lost time, a designer is not usually unaware of computer programs and editing. This is one of the reasons why they do often want at least a few RAW shots if not more. They do not simply want unretouched images in TIFF or especially JPEG form. Many designers are quite well versed on image manipulation. I do not know why photographers are the only ones who think they have the knowledge to work a computer. Jun 03 08 01:34 am Link |
