Hey there, Photographer! If you’re here, chances are you are thinking it’s time to outsource your photo editing. As a booked and busy Private Editor with a wait list , I talk to photographers on an almost daily basis and I hear the same things over and over. “I can’t take on more wedding because I can’t edit them all” or “I’m missing out on spending time with my kids because I’m always editing” or even “My client experience is suffering because it is taking too long to edit a wedding/session.” If any of those resonate with you, you are not alone. 2021 was crazy, 2022 isn’t looking to be any more calm. However, being busy and overworked does not necessarily mean you are ready to outsource your editing. There are a few things you should be able to say “yes” to before you reach out to an editor.

Before I tell you what you need, let me first tell you what a private editor does and doesn’t do.

Does: Match your editing style

Does not: Edit to their own style preferences

Does: Edit a catalog consistent to your anchor images

Does not: “Fix” your photos

Now that we have an idea of what an editor does and doesn’t do let’s talk about what you should have before you outsource your editing.

Do you have a consistent editing style?

Every once in a while, I get an inquiry from a photographer that tells me they are not happy with their editing style. It is so important that you have a style nailed down before outsourcing your editing or this will lead to large amounts of frustration for the editor and yourself. Again, an editor matches your style, and edits mostly from an objective standpoint. If you don’t know what you want your photos to look like, neither will your editor. It is not only important to know your style but to know how to achieve it. This is something that will probably vary from editor to editor but an editors job is to edit your photos to be consistent, not to figure out how to edit for you. This would

Do you charge enough to outsource?

This one is pretty important. You need to be able to afford an editor. In the grand scheme of things, outsourcing isn’t that expensive but it can and will eat into your profits if you’re not charging accordingly. Before you consider outsourcing, run your CODB and confirm that your current prices support you. If they don’t, it’s time to increase and add a little more for outsourcing. The beauty of outsourcing your editing is that you can offset the cost, by shooting one or two more weddings. That will likely cover the cost of outsourcing for the year. And you can take on those extra weddings because you won’t have to edit them!!

Let’s chat!

Are you ready to outsource your photo editing? Get in touch! My team and I love serving photographers like you that want to gain time back and love what they do again!