At the end of your photo shoot/tour, you will review the photos on an iPad and receive all of the unedited JPEG digital photos on an SD card on the spot. I shoot the pictures to so they look great right out of the camera. I'll keep a copy of the photos as a backup in case there is a problem.
Why do you do it this way?
Having done these traveler's photo shoots since 2013, I have found that my system of giving all of the photos to the clients at the end of the tour works the best. I have learned this from trial and error.
My clients have been happy with this system. It allows me to shoot a lot of pictures and then you get to pick the photos you like at your leisure.
But other photographers do it differently?
This yet another way that I set myself apart from my competitors. Other photographers usually have a multi-step system where you have to choose pictures from from an online gallery or they give you only a limited number of images that they choose, etc.
This makes everything more complicated. That kind of system is appropriate for wedding and other kind of professional photography -- and I use it -- but not for these sort of "travelers coming through town on vacation" photo shoots.
By giving you all of the unedited photos I shoot, I can:
Keep my prices reasonable.
Give my clients excellent service.
Make a living.
If I have to edit the photos, then I have to raise my prices -- because it takes a lot of time.
As a businessperson, I need to find the right balance of having an excellent, competitively priced product and making a profit. This was the solution I came up with.
What about picture editing?
I do not edit ("photoshop") the photos for these kinds of vacation photo shoots. You get the photos straight from the camera on the original SD card. You can edit them if you like.
It is 2021. Pictures should look great directly from today's amazing digital cameras.
Take a look at the photos on this website -- 98% of them have no have no editing. They are straight from the camera, only resized for the web. And what editing I did do on a few photos was very minor.
I work this way because it is efficient. Life is too short to waste in front of a computer.
I use Fujifilm cameras, which are famous for their excellent color and jpeg file quality. I learned photography the old fashioned way, which was to get the picture right in the camera.
Not every photo will be perfect. Some will be out of focus, over exposed, have your eyes closed, etc. But you'll lots of great photos to choose from, including the one that makes your chin look good.
One of the secrets to professional photography is to shoot a lot of pictures and choose only the very best ones. I'll give you lots of photos to choose from.
Can I get the RAW files?
No. I tried that once and it went badly. I vowed never to do it again.
How do you get the photos in to your computer or device?
You will need some sort of SD card reader to get the photos into your own devices. These can be found online for about $20 or at electronics stores in Kyoto like Yodobashi Camera, Bic Camera or ED-On.
If you have Apple devices, it is possible for me to transfer the images to you through Airdrop -- but you will need a lot of space, up to 16 GB. If you don't have enough space on your phone, I can Airdrop you a few quick shots so you can post them right way.