Do you ever struggle with what to do when a client adds a filter to your photo? Those photos you spent hours taking and editing. Well I hope that this information will help you handle these tough and awkward situations with ease.

Have you ever delivered clients their wedding gallery or family photos and then you get an Instagram notification that you’ve been tagged in a photo? You are so excited that they tagged you, you head over to see which photo was their favorite and see that they added a filter to your professionally taken, carefully edited photo.

What should you do?

Everyone is going to have a different opinion on this but this is mine and how I try to practice.

Contract

It’s important for your clients to read and sign a contract that outlines what is expected of them. Within this contract, you should add a clause about adding filters or misrepresenting your photos.

Happy Client

As artists, photographers take a lot of pride in their craft which includes the editing process. What we don’t realize is that most clients don’t add a filter to be malicious or offensive, they simply don’t know how much we cherish our art.

Think of it in another way. Your clients love the photos. You know this because they posted and tagged you in them! What is worse? Your clients posting photos with a filter on them, getting your name out there or not posting any photos at all?

Destroying Your Brand?

By a few clients misrepresenting your photos, is this going to destroy your brand? No, absolutely not. It is going to get more eyeballs on your site and therefore bring in more clients. A lot of people think that a brand is the look of a business but it’s actually how your business makes the client feel. When someone talks about your business or you, what are they saying? THIS is your brand. Allow those few people to put the filter on your photo instead of writing a strongly toned email to your client asking them to remove the filter.

What to Say

I took this from another post because I couldn’t have written it any better.

“Hi, Client!

I LOVED seeing some of your wedding photos pop up on Facebook! I’m sure you totally forgot, but there’s actually a little clause in our contract that prohibits editing or adding filters to your photos. I know, it may seem silly, but it’s how I ensure the consistency of my brand so I can keep my business healthy.

Please don’t worry about the photos you’ve already shared. I love that your friends and family are liking and commenting! But I’d be so grateful if you’d only share the photos with their original toning from here on out. Thank you so much for understanding!”

If you disagree with me on this point, that is totally ok! You do you 🙂

Do you want to know How to Ask Wedding Guests Not to Take Photos ? If so, click on the link to read more!

** Disclaimer ** – These clients did not add filters to their photos, I just put photos in the post for visual interest