I recently spoke to a local photography club, the Fundy Camera Club. First, I have to say how incredibly rewarding that was. As photographers, we spend so much time in isolation; photographing, processing and delivering our individual craft that we rarely have the opportunity to cluster together and talk shop – but when the opportunity presents itself – wow do we know how to geek out!

One of the questions that came up during my talk was, “How many images should a photographer post after a shoot? Some seem to post the entire shoot, while others only seem to post one or two images?”

I would like to share my thoughts about that question here.

Simply speaking, less is more, and you should really only be sharing the very best of each shoot. But let’s dive a little deeper. In a typical commissioned photoshoot, such as a wedding, commercial or family portraits for example, you are dealing with two things:

1. What the client/creative director (the person paying you!) wants.

2. What you, the photographer/artist/creative director wants.

For me, a commissioned photoshoot generally yields 90% what the client wants, and 10% of my own creative freedom. I consider the fact that the client hired me in the first place because they like my photographic style. Keep in mind, when someone is commissioning you as a photographer, they already like your vision and work ethic, or they would have hired someone else. While you might not have full control over the execution of the complete photoshoot, there is an opportunity to snap 10% of things that fulfill your artistic desires. THESE are the photos that you share in your portfolio and marketing collateral as a reflection of your style, your creative direction and your brand.

When in doubt, share only the photos that you are incredibly proud of, and not the ones that are just okay. 

In the end you shoot for them AND you shoot for you, and in both cases you make your clients and creative directors a part of your photographic pride!