I'm taking a break from my writing challenge and discuss what I have found to be one of the hardest topics of photography yet.

Handing over a disc of the digital images.

The past two years I have been to WPPI, Jasmine Star was one of the best speakers I listened to. She told the class about how one of her couples was 2 HOURS LATE to their session. I mean come on people.. I know if I had been her, I would've been pissed. Being a natural light photographer, all she could do was reschedule. Jasmine then went onto say that her husband didn't make matters any better by telling her, "You know it was your fault they were late.." That's when the light came on about educating your clients. If she had only discussed why she set the time she did with that couple, the lateness probably would never had happen.

So with that being said, I want to educate you about digital negatives. Almost every email I recieve from potential clients has this line. "Do I receive a disc of my images?"

Here's a theory I found online that goes perfect with this:

A woman came up to Picasso and asked him to sketch something on a piece of paper.
He sketched it, and gave it back to her saying: “That will cost you $10,000″.

She was astounded. “You took just five minutes to do the sketch,” she said. Isn’t $10,000 a lot for five minutes work?

“The sketch may have taken me five minutes, but the learning took me 30 years,” Picasso retorted.

With the age we're in, everything is now going digital and yes, it's easy to upload them onto a disc, but that's not what you're paying for. I have spent countless hours watching videos, studying, and practicing my craft so when I photograph people, they look amazing! It's more then just a disc to me. And I want people to realize that they are paying for more then a cd. What I do is art and I want my art displayed the best it can be. I have taken the time to find the lab that makes the prints exactly the way you see them edited. Do you think Walmart and Walgreens have the quality I want when you make a few extra prints? Just remember, yes, they're cheap.. but you get what you pay for.

I am in the midst of adding digital files to my packages only because it is expected anymore. I can't compete with a $25 shoot and burn photographer.

Please consider the quality you want when asking for a disc of your images. Do you really want to be yellow when your grandkids go back through your albums years from now?