Wondering what mistakes photographers make when outsourcing and how to avoid them?

Outsourcing your editing is a great thing until it’s not. Sometimes, outsourcing your edits can leave a bad taste in your mouth because the experience is less than awesome.

3 BIG MISTAKES PHOTOGRAPHERS MAKE WHEN OUTSOURCING EDITS

CHOOSING AN EDITOR BASED ONLY ON PRICE

They say, “You get what you pay for.” There are a lot of great and talented photo editors out there. However, “the best deal” may not be the best choice for you.

Outsourcing edits require trust. You must trust your editor to carry out your vision and editing style. It’s important to get to know your editor, not only as an editor, but it’s great to get to know them as a person as well.

If you’re looking for a long-term editor, a mutual relationship is key. As a private photo editor, I like to get to know my clients beyond just their work. I celebrate new babies, new homes, and accomplished goals.

When you choose an editor based on pricing alone, typically the cheapest price, you may find yourself having to re-edit photos which defeats the purpose of outsourcing.

When looking for a private photo editor, take some time to chat with them on FaceTime or Skype, get to know their personality, and think about how you would like working with this person. Trust me, on my end, I do the same thing. Not every photographer looking for a private photo editor is my ideal client.

UNDEFINED EDITING STYLE

You don’t know your style yet. It’s so important to have a defined editing style before you outsource your edits. Outsourcing is about increasing efficiency and if you’re changing your editing style from wedding to wedding, you’re decreasing efficiency. Also, you will have an inconsistent portfolio. This could be confusing to your clients if you don’t have a consistent editing style.

Your defined editing style shows your consistency in shooting and editing and gives your clients confidence to hire you. Your editor is there to maintain your editing consistency and speed up your workflow. Before you decide to outsource your edits, be sure that you have an editing style established.

INCONSISTENT WORKFLOW

Outsourcing is about increasing efficiency. Working with a photo editor will speed up your workflow and help you increase your efficiency.

However, if you don’t have an established workflow or your workflow is inconsistent and constantly changing, outsourcing your edits may not increase your efficiency. In fact, it could slow down your delivery to your clients – which is the exact opposite of the goal of outsourcing!

Before outsourcing your edits, be sure that you have a consistent workflow in place. Do the same thing every time you shoot a wedding. Routine helps with efficiency. When you’re more efficient, you can accomplish more in less time.

By adhering to a routine, you won’t miss a step! You’ll be able to impress your clients with a quick turnaround blogging their wedding which will make them even more excited about seeing their whole wedding gallery.

HOW TO AVOID MISTAKES PHOTOGRAPHERS MAKE WHEN OUTSOURCING EDITING

Before seeking out a private photo editor to add to your team, it’s important to avoid the 3 big mistakes photographers make when outsourcing their editing.

BUDGET FOR A TOP TIER EDITOR

Why? Instead of trying to find the cheapest editor, you want to find an editor with experience. Someone who knows how to match styles, match film (if you’re a hybrid shooter), and is very familiar with Lightroom. That may mean that you go for the editor that charges a little more. By budgeting for a more expensive editor, you’re always covered!

DEFINE YOUR EDITING STYLE

Before you even think about outsourcing editing, you need to have a defined editing style. Nothing is more frustrating for an editor than a photographer who constantly changes their style because they haven’t found it yet. So spend some time finding your style. It will serve you well throughout your career as a photographer.

ESTABLISH A WORKFLOW

Finally, if you want to start outsourcing, establish a workflow. One of the biggest challenges for private photo editors is getting photographers to send their galleries on time. The best way to avoid a backlog of editing is to have a clear workflow.

For example, if you shoot a wedding on a Saturday, your workflow may be as follows:

• Monday: Cull images, choose blog images, share sneak peeks on social media
• Tuesday: Pre-edit images for blog/private photo editor
• Wednesday: Blog wedding & upload images to private photo editor
• Thursday: Share images with vendors / Shoot engagement session
• Friday: Prep for next wedding

If you’re ready to explore outsourcing your edits to a private photo editor, CLICK HERE to schedule your FREE consultation!