One of the most common questions photographers get is: Can we have the RAW files? (Or the unedited jpegs)? It’s a fair question, especially in an age where digital files feel synonymous with ownership. But when it comes to wedding photography, RAW files aren’t part of the product – and there are really good reasons why. Let’s dig into what RAW files are, why they aren’t included, and what you actually do get when you work with me.

What Are RAW Files?

RAW files are exactly what they sound like: raw. Think of them as the unprocessed ingredients before a meal is cooked. They come straight from the camera sensor with zero adjustments: flat, unfinished, and requiring specialized software to even view them properly. Photographers use RAWs as the starting point to craft the polished images you see in your gallery.

But here’s the important part: RAW files are not the final product. They’re like a painter handing you their palette and brushes instead of the painting. Without processing, they don’t represent my work, or the memories you’re trusting me to preserve. The same goes for unedited jpegs – similarly, we don’t release any images (the format is unimportant) that are not edited according to our exactly house standards. Even the sneak peek receives the same level of care and attention as the final gallery.

The Misconception About RAW Files

Some couples think RAWs equal ‘everything taken’ or ‘the highest quality possible.’ But that’s not accurate. RAW files are not archival products. They are working files, the raw ingredients that eventually become the high-resolution JPEGs you receive. A professional wedding photographer has spent years honing speed, skill, and an eye for editing — this expertise is why we can efficiently turn thousands of images into a polished gallery as part of our service.

The final JPEGs, on the other hand, are archival. They’re universal, printable, and built to last. Conservatively, these high-resolution JPEGs can be printed up to 18×24 inches at a close viewing distance, which is what’s in my contract. In practice, especially with uncropped images, they can often print beautifully up to 30 inches across. That’s large, display-quality artwork for your walls, not just digital clutter sitting on a hard drive! Honestly, even if you wanted to, you likely wouldn’t have the time or the professional expertise and skills needed to process RAW files into the finished images we provide.

Wondering what you receive instead of RAW files? This article breaks down what’s in our wedding photography packages:

Why We Don’t Share RAW Files

RAW Files Aren’t the Finished Product

RAW files aren’t the finished product. They’re flat, unpolished captures that don’t reflect the style you hired me for. Editing is not just cleanup — it’s where much of the artistry happens. That’s when colors come alive, tones are balanced, and images are refined into storytelling moments.

RAWs can be confusing or disappointing to non-photographers because they don’t look “finished” – underexposed, flat, or grainy by design. Years of practice go into refining colors, tones, and contrast—every subtle tweak, like getting the greens exactly how they want them, or skin tones perfectly creamy and life-like, is part of developing a signature style that RAW files alone can’t convey

Think of it like cake batter versus the finished wedding cake. Or a movie’s outtakes versus the polished film. Or a writer’s rough notes compared to a published novel. You wouldn’t ask a baker to serve you the batter, or an author for their scribbled first draft. What you see in your gallery is the final product, created with intention.

The Years of Practice Behind Editing

Every working wedding photographer has spent years developing a workflow to become fast, consistent, and competent at editing. Every tweak is made with quality and consistency in mind, bringing the artist’s vision to life. Many images are intentionally underexposed to preserve details that can later be enhanced in post-production.

RAWs also require specialized software and technical know-how. Even with programs like Lightroom or Photoshop, plugins, updates, and file compatibility can make opening RAW files challenging. Plus, they require a steep monthly subscription and a learning curve to use. For most people, transferring, storing, and managing hundreds of gigabytes of massive files isn’t practical — you’d end up spending hours on work that you’ve paid professionals to do for you.

Quality control

Every single image you receive has passed through a careful, multi-layered quality control process. Culling takes hours, paired with years of experience, to separate what’s worth keeping from what isn’t. As of August 2025, I now have an in-house editor who takes care of the entire editing process, from culling in PhotoMechanic, through global edits in Lightroom, to the removal of distracting objects in Photoshop.

Nothing is rushed, but it is a process that warrants a full-time professional because the work is extensive and labor-intensive. To find out more about what goes into the photo-editing process, read the articles below:

You already receive all the images that are sharp, well-composed, properly exposed, and tell the story of your day. Left behind are the ones that don’t meet that bar: out-of-focus shots, duplicates, bad expressions, blinks, test frames, or experimental captures that didn’t work. They’re the “leftover ingredients” after the cake is made — necessary for the process, but not something you’d want to serve. (Though we do include a few borderline shots, where the technical quality isn’t perfect but the moment is worth capturing.)

Sometimes I screw up. Well, it’s unavoidable when you’re shooting 10,000 frames — they can’t all be masterpieces straight out of the gate. Sometimes things are out of focus, oddly composed, too dark, wonky, pointless, or just a little off. In short, they didn’t work. Those mistakes don’t make the cut because they don’t reflect your wedding or my work — and honestly, I’d rather no one else sees them. I’m under no obligation to share them with clients.

You can be assured, though, I haven’t left out “hidden gems.” If an image is even halfway decent, it makes the cut. What you’re left with is the complete story, told through photos that deserve to represent your wedding and my work. In 500+ weddings, I’ve never had a client request RAWs or dislike the editing — because you’ve already seen the style in advance and confirmed it works for you.

Protecting our brand

Once a RAW file leaves my hands, I would lose all control over how it’s used. Someone could apply heavy filters, crop oddly, or adjust colors in ways that don’t reflect the standard I stand for — yet the image could still be associated with my name. Delivering RAWs can unintentionally misrepresent my work. Protecting my brand ensures every photo associated with me maintains consistent quality and integrity.

Legal reasons

RAW files are the digital negative of photography. They’re proof of authorship and tie directly to copyright. Sharing them creates complications around rights, usage, and ownership. Supplying the final, edited JPEGs ensures you can enjoy your photos freely for personal use without any of those risks. Once RAWs are shared, it’s unclear what clients could do with them as this would be well outside of the contract — selling, reposting, or altering may create legal complications.

Practical limitations

RAW files are massive, often hundreds of gigabytes in total. They aren’t practical to transfer or store. For most clients, looking through unedited images would be overwhelming, especially since many are underexposed, blurry, duplicated, or experimental frames. They require expensive software to open, and expertise to know how to edit them. For a full-day wedding with 2 shooters, we have produced as many as 14,500 files. Even for a 2-hour wedding at City Hall, I can produce over 3,000 files. Editing is our job, and you’ve hired us and paid us handsomely to handle that. Let us suffer for you — you get to enjoy the polished final product.

Archival value

RAW files are working files, not designed for long-term use. They don’t include any of the tweaks, tones, or refinements stored in a photographer’s Lightroom catalog. They don’t include all the extensive Photoshop work where we painstakingly remove skin issues, visible underwear, background people, trash cans, exit signs, etc. Those edits are what transform a RAW into the final image you receive.The JPEGs you receive are archival: high-resolution, universally compatible, and built to last. They can be printed, displayed, or stored confidently, ensuring your wedding images remain accessible and beautiful for decades – something RAWs alone cannot guarantee.

What About Film Negatives?

Film sometimes gets pulled into this conversation. Couples ask: if you shoot film, do you give the negatives? The short answer: no.

Here’s why:

• Shipping film negatives back adds cost, and I avoid that for couples.
• I provide the largest possible scans of film photos – the maximum resolution available – so you’re getting the best possible digital version.
• My team and I are not film lab technicians. We don’t process negatives, and we’re not set up for handling physical film. That’s why it’s clearly stated that all film products are delivered digitally only.
• And a practical point: in California, if a photography package includes any tangible item, like negatives, sales tax becomes due on the entire package—not just the physical product. By keeping everything digital, I save my couples from having to pay tax on the whole photography investment.

Digital delivery is a way to ensure you get the highest quality product without unnecessary costs. It also avoids the risk of physical damage/loss. For more about film photography with me, check out the dedicated guide below:

Trust & Transparency: What You Do Get

What you do get is a carefully curated and fully edited gallery that reflects both your wedding day and my professional style. Every image is carefully adjusted for exposure, color, cropping, and background distractions. This is the version of your story that’s meant to live on.

In over 500 weddings photographed, no couple has ever asked for RAW files, or disliked the editing aside from very minor tweaks. That’s because the key to a great match is ensuring you’ve reviewed my work beforehand and know that the editing style resonates with you. If you love the style you see on my website, Instagram, and blog, then you can trust your gallery will reflect that same look and feel.

FAQs About RAW Files

Can I pay extra to get the RAW files?
RAWs aren’t something I normally make available for a reasonable price, since they don’t represent a finished product. The only exception would be in an extraordinary case — for example, if someone wanted to purchase the entire set for a flat $10,000 fee. That would come with a written release in which I relinquish authorship and request not to be tagged or credited, since the images wouldn’t reflect my work.

What if my videographer wants RAW stills?
Your videographer should work with their own footage. Still photography RAWs aren’t useful for filmmaking.

How do I know I’ll like the edits?
Because you’ll have already reviewed my portfolio and decided to book me based on my editing style. My website, blog, Instagram, and YouTube all give you a transparent look at what I deliver. Always ask to see full, recent galleries from a similar venue and time of year, and always ask to what unique factors may affect how images look. I have a separate guide to this below.

Do you delete the RAW files?
I keep RAWs during the editing and delivery process, but they aren’t stored indefinitely. Once your gallery is safely delivered and backed up, RAWs are not part of the long-term archive.

What if something is missing from my gallery?
If you think a moment is missing, reach out! Often it’s already included elsewhere in the gallery. Rarely, an image might not have made the cut because it would have required extensive editing to work like headswaps or cloning, but sometimes something can still be done. Remember, we intentionally shoot extra so every moment should be represented.

The Bottom Line

When you hire us, as with most established professional photographers, you’re investing in expertise, curation, and a final product that’s archival quality. RAW files and negatives aren’t designed to be part of that final delivery. Instead, what you receive are polished, timeless photographs that you can print, share, and enjoy for decades to come!

Zoe Larkin

I’m Zoe, a wedding photographer based in San Francisco! My style is candid, capturing authentic moments for my couples all over the Bay Area and Northern California. Creating content is my passion! Follow along on the blog, Instagram, TikTok & YouTube!

Zoe Larkin Photography