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I have a client at the moment who really wants to select the exact images from her shoot that I process for her to publish. However 3 of the 5 images are technically poorer than other potential substitutes.

She has chosen based upon detail in the hair (she's a hairdresser) of which there is minimal difference from shot to shot yet even though I have given suggestions as to the best options photographically she has chosen otherwise.

I don't really want my name on work that isn't my best so any suggestions on convincing her?

I don't have to much advice to offer except... if you don't want them to pick it, don't give them the option in the first place.

I can't count the number of times I have taken some shots (whether just for family/friends or for sale) and someone has chosen the most blurry, noisy, out-of-focus, basically crappest one of the whole set to be the one they get printed. It's murphys law.

So now I edit out the crap ones before I hand over the shots.

macka wrote:I don't have to much advice to offer except... if you don't want them to pick it, don't give them the option in the first place.

There is the first lesson learned, only problem was that I was truly happy to hand over about 15 images to choose from and she didn't like that idea. I'm also stubborn and picky though.

spaz wrote: I'm also stubborn and picky though.

You're allowed to be, but as has been said, if you'rve already given them the option of choosing the images you don't prefer, you've just gone and shot yourself in the foot.

Bottom line is to shoot more than you think you want, so that you choose from more, and still give them less.

I had a similar thing happen with a shoot for a fashion wholesaler and learnt the same lesson.

In the end I accepted that the client was happy with the images she picked and has sung my praises ever since which has lead to other work for me.

The way I looked at it was, that at this stage of my career (early days), a satisfied client was worth much more to my reputation than me being picky over the images that carried my name.

Phew, I got let off easy on this one despite the mistake.

I replied to her email of the choices explaining what I saw as technically lacking in each along with similar yet better images. Fortunately she gladly agreed.