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Private Photo Editing
I didn’t even know editing photos for other photographers was a job a few years ago! I thought it was too big a part of the business to not do yourself, but I’ve learned it’s actually the opposite. When you’re business is growing you quickly learn you can’t do it all. There are things that you, as the heartbeat of your brand, have to be the one to do, like interacting with your clients. No one can do that like you do! But there are things you can outsource so you have the time you need. The time you need to take care of your clients. The time you need to spend with your family.
Hiring a private photo editor is a small step that can give you big freedom!
If you can’t tell, this really has become a passion of mine. I have found a work-life balance that I love, and I hope I can help you find it too! Anyway, back to the point of this blog post: here’s a list of questions I get frequently from photographers who are thinking about private editing. It’s not comprehensive, so feel free to reach out if you think of additional questions! You can also read more about how it can transform your business and read testimonials from other photographers here. And if you’re just here looking for help building smart previews, you can check out my other blog post here.
What is private photo editing?
Private editing is a personal way to outsource the bulk of your photo editing. I have my clients cull their galleries and edit their social media images, but I edit the rest! And I don’t just copy and paste your edits. You could do that in minutes yourself! I work hard to make sure your gallery is a cohesive set despite different lighting and conditions.
Editing is such a major part of my brand. How can I give up so much control?
My goal with private editing is that you’re not actually giving up control, you’re just getting time back. Think of it as programming auto-pilot. You’re not the one physically flying the plane anymore, but you told the plane exactly what to do. You won’t be doing the actual editing, but I work hard to learn your style and how you make decisions, so I can edit just like you do. And don’t forget, you get to look over everything after I send you the catalog back. The first few times you may have to make some tweaks, but my goal is to get to a point that you don’t have to do any additional work before delivering the photos to your clients. I ask for feedback with every catalog so I can save you more and more time!
How did you start editing for other photographers?
In October, 2018, Stephen and I moved from North Carolina to Louisiana for his job. 2 months before our first child was born. To say my business took a hit is an understatement. I had no loyal clients and no time to find new ones with a newborn. It was also a lot harder to get out of the house to shoot than it used to be. I had done some Katelyn James Photography education before, and at some point her private editor put out some education. I thought it would be an awesome way to contribute financially to my family while still being home with my son. I love that I’m also giving other photographers time back with their families! Bonus, I never knew I would love it as much as I do!
Do you only work for photographers with the same style as you?
No! Each of my clients has a different editing style, though they do tend to be on the lighter/brighter end of the spectrum. Even when two photographers have similar final images, they have their own way of getting there and subtle things they like to do, which means no two of my clients are alike!
Do you have the KJ preset process? What about other presets?
I do! And I love it. I use it a lot myself, so I’m familiar with how it works. If there are other presets you use frequently, I’m more than happy for you to share them with me. What I usually end up doing though, is creating a couple personalized presets for each of my clients based on their usual edits. I find this is the best way to keep each of my clients’ styles distinct!
What kinds of sessions do you edit?
I mainly edit weddings. I’ve done portrait sessions for clients in the past, but it doesn’t feel quite as worth it for either party for me to edit so few images. However, sometimes my wedding clients need help with portrait sessions during busy season or mini session days, and I’m happy help!
How much does it cost and what’s the turnaround time?
Portrait session images are $0.40/image and wedding images are $0.35/image. Think of it like a bulk discount. If I have your wedding schedule ahead of time with approximate dates that you’ll get the catalogs to me, my wedding turnaround time is 5 business days.
What types of edits does that include?
I edit exclusively in Lightroom for my clients, and the above price includes pretty much everything Lightroom can do. White balance, contrast, exposure, shadows, highlights, hues, color balance, sharpening, noise reduction, chromatic abberation, etc. I even use the layer adjustments tools quite frequently to remove the occasional distracting background element or darken the sky. However, things like head swaps or gallery-wide teeth whitening/blemish removal are not included.
Won’t this eat into my profits? How is this worth it?
If you don’t use your newfound time strategically, private editing does eat into your profits. That’s a simple calculation. BUT if you put some of that time you would have spent editing back into your business, you’ll see huge returns! For example, when do you consider yourself fully booked? If you weren’t editing every full gallery, could you take that extra wedding (or 5)? That more than makes up for the cost of outsourcing. And most photographers don’t LOVE editing, so you’d be doing more of the things you do love, and making the same money. The other part of your business that can grow when you’re not editing every gallery is your client experience. When you can devote real time and energy to taking care of each of your clients, you’re going to get high quality referrals that help you book your ideal client again and again.
Do you cull?
I don’t cull. Some editors do, and I understand the appeal, but I don’t know what special requests your bride made for which photos. I also don’t have a relationship with her to know what she’s self-conscious about or what family member is particularly special to her. You know what you were going for with each shot, and what your bride wants in her gallery, so I leave the culling to you.
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How do you transfer all the RAW files?
We actually don’t have to! I edit in Lightroom, which means all I need to edit your images is the Lightroom catalog and the Smart Previews files. If you’ve never worked with Smart Previews before, here’s a detailed how-to! Even if you’re not planning to work with an editor, it can save a ton of space on your computer to start using Smart Previews instead of working with the RAW files linked.
How do you transfer the catalog and smart previews files?
I typically use Dropbox or Google Drive. Google Drive has 15GB of space and is free! For you, that’s probably enough. With the Lightroom 11 updates, each wedding with the smart previews file is about 1GB, give or take. However, since I have multiple clients that often send me weddings at the same time, I need a bit more space. I opt for Dropbox Plus, which is only $12/month for 2TB of storage.
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