Zooming in on these two files you will notice one is sharp and the other is fuzzy. After uploading the screenshot to Facebook or other social media platforms - the more pixelated it will appear. The sharp image will appear pixelated as well when you zoom in but it won’t be as poor quality as the screenshot.
In the beginning, every photographer’s main objective is to produce high quality images. It’s why we spend thousands of dollars on the best equipment. Anyone who operates in the capacity of a photographer or even a videographer has spent hours perfecting their methods, learning lighting and shadows, and they practiced and practiced in order to produce a high quality product.
My point is photographers understand and appreciate true quality. They can be pricey because all of their hours learning and perfecting their craft prior to you hiring them, along with their expensive equipment that they purchased and mastered, also their hours spent in post, editing your session - this is the price point.
Many full-time photographers have calculated how much they need to make per session to keep their business afloat along with being able to support their family this justifies their pricing and should not be challenged after a quote is provided. If you cannot afford their prices keep shopping around for a photographer that will cater to your budget. I can’t imagine walking into Best Buy and saying I have $300 let me buy this $2,000 tv. Yet, this is how photographers are treated. Yes it’s my business and yes it’s my main source of income, and no you cannot name your price.
With all of that being said, most photographers are capable of providing you with quality images - original files (not compressed) through photo sharing apps that preserve the true size of the image.
Do:
Ask questions about quality and image sharing or self printing
Download the images from the photo sharing site.
Value the high quality image and appreciate the photographer’s time spent on your images.
Try to understand the process
Do Not:
Screenshot photos for sharing or printing (major quality decrease)
Ask for originals or “Raw” files unless you want to pay hundreds per photo.
Downgrade a photographer’s work because you cannot afford their services.
I’ve seen it time and time again. A photo on Facebook and you zoom in and there’s no sharpness just an image full of globby pixels. Yuck! Download first (to computer or phone) and then upload to social media.
There are some people who don’t care about quality they just want to keep an image forever. Photographers care so much about the art they produce. Do your part and preserve the quality that they worked so hard to create in your images.
Appreciate your photographer.