Most clients ask me “What is your process?” when I first chat with them about photo editing or album design, and I always honestly respond… “Well, it’s slightly different with every client.”
My goal is always to be a silent partner with the photographer and try to edit or design albums in the style of the photography. I don’t want to take the artistry away from the photographer, but rather enhance it to provide a seamless experience for their clients. For this reason, I choose not to publicize most of my work. I really do feel that a large percentage of client satisfaction is attained during the post-processing so I take it very seriously. I also have brides and grooms reach out to me after their wedding day because they unfortunately chose an amateur photographer and the photos they received are sub-par. I’m like Instagram on steroids – I love being able to turn photos into artwork and add a pop of “wow” to each moment captured. Without further adieu… the process:
Photo Editing
With every new professional photography client I will assign a username and password to access a dedicated server that’s housed conveniently in my office. It’s amazing that my photo editing and graphic design services are based in Atlantic County, NJ but I literally have clients across the country! The username/password is private and you and I are the only ones able to access the content in your specific folder.
The photographer then uploads their Camera Raw Files (CRW)… Nikon or Canon… does not matter, to the dedicated server via an FTP client (Filezilla works just fine). If you have a Lightroom preset that you are used to using, send that along as well!
I edit the photos in Lightroom, based on your style displayed on your portfolio website, Facebook, or provided examples, any conversation we’ve had or feedback you’ve provided based on past jobs.
I’ll send back the Lightroom XMP/Sidecar files via email. You can load/install them on your own Lightroom catalog for the same job, view the edits, make any changes or provide any feedback that you have and then proceed with the job as you would any other! If you prefer, I can send High Res JPEGs back instead of XMP files. Totally up to you.
If you are a professional photographer, I do not require an initial deposit (think of it as a “trial period” so that I can show you that I am a legitimate professional doing quality work, and a good fit to work with before sending multiple jobs). I will invoice at the end of each job and can be paid via PayPal (becca@pictureitgraphics.com) or check. For all other jobs (photo and graphic related) I require a 50% deposit before beginning. View the pricing page for info.
Album Design
With every new professional photography client I will assign a username and password to access a dedicated server that’s housed conveniently in my office. It’s amazing that my photo editing and graphic design services are based in Atlantic County, NJ but I literally have clients across the country! The username/password is private and you and I are the only ones able to access the content in your specific folder.
The photographer then uploads the high res JPEG files that they have chosen to be in the album, or the bride and groom have chosen to be in their wedding album. Like photo editing, I design the albums the way the photographer specifies, and align it with their style of photography to the best of my ability. Some photographers choose to include a folder of potential background images I can pick and choose from if applicable based on the style of wedding album. My pricing is as such: Up to 100 images $150, 101-150 images $200, 151-200 images $250. (This is effective December 2012.)
Photos are edited for cohesion in photoshop and then I design the album in InDesign and either send the IDML file back to the photographer, or export JPEGs and bind a PDF for the photographer and bride and groom to review. I am willing to handle any and all revisions to the album, within reason. Usually there are about 3 total rounds of revisions before going to print. Final HIGH RES jpegs are then sent to the photographer so that they may place the order with the album company. For proofing purposes with the bride and groom, I recommend that the photographer use Album Exposure. I am comfortable logging in to Album Exposure with the username and password to upload and handle changes.
Any other questions or process requests I am delighted to discuss!
