The editing differs from the agreed expectations

When photographs arrive, the first look can bring a small shock. The colours seem different from what you imagined, or the mood is not the one you expected. Before deciding that something went wrong, it helps to describe the difference precisely and compare it with what was agreed.

What was actually agreed?

Editing is rarely described in detail in a quotation, so look for any of these:

• a style note or reference images in your brief
• a sample gallery you were shown
• a written description of the look, such as natural, bright or moody
• limits on retouching, for example skin or background changes

Our photography style preference brief helps you record these before the event. If you did not agree a look, the conversation is about preferences, not a missed promise. That is still a valid conversation, just a different one.

What counts as an editing difference?

It helps to separate three kinds.

Kind	Example	Usual treatment
Technical	Images too dark, wrong colour balance, soft focus	Likely to be corrected if clearly a fault
Style	Warmer or cooler than the reference	Compared with the agreed reference
Preference	You would like a different look from what was agreed	A change of direction, possibly extra work

Your agreement decides how each is handled. We do not state a rule here. Asking a direct question, such as "Is this within the revisions included in my booking?", is the quickest way to find out.

Screens and prints can differ

Photographs can look different on different screens and in print. Our guide on why photographs look different on screens and in print explains the main reasons. Before you raise a concern, view the images on a second device if you can. A phone in bright light is not the same as a computer screen in a dim room.

How do you describe the difference?

Be specific, attach examples and avoid general words like "wrong".

"Hello, the gallery for [event] on [date] looks warmer than the sample we were shown. I have attached three images and the sample. In the delivered photographs, skin tones look orange compared with the sample. Could you let me know whether this can be adjusted, and how?"

This tells the reader what you see, what you expected and what you are asking. It also makes it easy to reply with a clear answer.

Is it a revision or extra work?

A revision usually adjusts work within the agreed look. A request to re-edit in a new style, to add retouching beyond what was agreed or to change the crop for many images is often something different. Our guides on what retouching can and cannot change and on requesting routine selections and agreed revisions explain the usual boundaries.

Ask which category your request falls into before assuming. If it counts as extra work, ask how it would be recorded and charged, and decide whether you want to proceed. Our guide on edited photographs, retouching and RAW files explains what each deliverable means.

A hypothetical example

Imagine a corporate event where the client's brand colours matter. The brief said "natural colours, accurate brand red", and a sample gallery was shared. In the delivered gallery the red looks more orange.

The client picks three images and the sample, and writes a specific message. The reply explains that the red was adjusted to the brand colour but a lighting effect caused a shift in some frames, and offers to correct them. The client approves the corrected images. The process stays simple because the difference was described clearly and compared with an agreed reference.

Colour and black-and-white choices

If your concern is about colour versus black-and-white conversions, our guide on agreeing colour and black-and-white selections covers that point. Agreeing these in advance avoids confusion.

What if you disagree about the result?

If the response does not resolve things, ask for the next step in writing, and keep the examples together. Our hub on when plans or delivery go wrong and our guide on when ordinary support has not helped explain how to continue.