The Truth About RAW Photos: Why You’ll Never Get Them (And Why That’s a Good Thing!)

Let’s clear something up. When photographers talk about RAW photos, the untouched, unprocessed files straight from a professional camera like my Canon R6, these are never made available to clients. This isn’t just my policy; it’s an industry standard.

RAW files are like a chef’s secret recipe. They’re huge, unedited, and require special software just to open. More importantly, they’re unfinished. When you hire a photographer, you’re trusting them to use their skill, style, and experience to transform those RAW files into beautiful, finished images. Handing over RAW photos is a bit like asking a chef to serve you raw ingredients instead of a meal. In the photography world, asking for RAW files is actually considered a major faux pas. It’s not just unusual, it’s genuinely insulting to the craft and

creative process. So please, never ask a photographer for their RAW files. Trust me when I say, you’re getting the very best version of your memories with the final gallery.

I’ve been pressured in the past, told by so-called friends that “it’s just a photo, send them now.” But it’s not just a photo to us. It’s our work, our art, our baby. If it’s a quick iPhone snap, sure, I’ll airdrop it. But as soon as it’s a RAW file captured on my workhorse camera, the answer is no. I’ve had to learn to draw a boundary and kindly say no.

Basically, trust us to do our work. It’s what we do best. And honestly, trust me when I say you really don’t want to see those RAWs. They’re usually the least flattering, and if any other photographers out there are anything like me, an over-shooter, you’ll end up with 20 to 50 versions of the same moment: half-blinks, awkward expressions, rogue bogeys, a few evil glances at husbands who won’t cuddle romantically, or the baby dribbling all down your white dress... But you never see any of that in your final gallery. Do you?

What you see is beauty. Love. Calm in the chaos. Polished, finished images edited to my standard and ready for you to treasure.

With love,

Jemima Joy xx

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Hey, I am Jemima and I am a lifestyle family and branding photographer based in Hastings East Sussex, serving Bexhill, Battle, Rye, Camber, Eastbourne, Uckfield, Catsifled and beyond.