Why You Should Hire a Private Photo Editor

It’s no secret that professional photographers often turn to outsourcing as their businesses grow. Fully booked calendars and little time to edit can lead to burnout and frustrated clients. So, what’s the solution to an expanding market? Outsourcing to a trusted professional! Let’s take a closer look into the world of editing, go through common practices and see if you should hire a private photo editor!

What exactly does the outsourcing process look like?

We know that editors take over the role of post-processing for photographers, but what exactly does that process look like? First, it all starts with a test edit. Any editor worth their salt will offer you a consultation free of charge, where they view your RAW images, adjust according to your preferences and submit back to you for review.

Next, your editor will walk you through the process of editing anchor images, notating any specific adjustments or detailed masking, and how to export and transfer your galleries. From there, you’ll schedule any weddings or sessions into their calendar and rest knowing you’ll have beautiful galleries and happy clients!

Why you should hire a private photo editor

First, I need to touch on a really important tidbit: when you hire a private photo editor, you’re offloading those tasks to someone who can dedicate their time and attention to your galleries. It will alleviate stress and increase your productivity in other areas of your business.

Trust me, I totally get it. As a busy wedding and portrait photographer, mom of 4 and editor, striking a balance with a full schedule can be HARD. We photographers dread spending hours in front of the computer, losing precious family time, and delivering galleries late. Investing in an editor takes that huge chunk of work off your plate, so you can bring some balance back into your business (and personal life, too).

Not to mention, you’ll finally have the ability to scale your business and increase profit margins by unloading tedious tasks onto a trusted professional. That podcast you’ve always wanted to start? DO IT! The vacation you and your hubby talked about last year but had to put off again? Now you’ll finally have the time, money, and freedom to go to the things that truly matter most.

One final note, using an editor can also create consistency and maintain the quality of product for your brand! Galleries delivered early and with amazing quality will lead to happier clients, more referrals and rave reviews! It’s a win-win!

Are you ready to hire a private photo editor?

Now that you’ve got a healthy understanding of what a photo editor does, the typical process, and the benefits of outsourcing, it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty. Here are a few things that signify you’re ready to outsource your editing:

1. You have a consistent editing style that your editor can match with each gallery
2. You’re booked up solid and need to gain time back in your business and personal life
3. You are ready to scale your business in other ways and wanting to eliminate tasks that are time-consuming and take away from the areas of growth
4. You’re wanting to develop a custom preset that aligns with your editing style and to reduce time spent in post processing

Also to add, hiring an editor as a coach to teach you the art of editing is a fantastic way to hone your craft and learn new skills! Coaching calls are typically available to allow photographers to pick a pro’s brain on a subject. I personally offer these Editing Coaching Calls because SO MANY photographers just have a few quick pain points they need to shed some light on…and I love to help them navigate those issues and find solutions!

How do you hire a private photo editor?

Truth be told, hiring an editor is pretty straightforward and can be done in a single day! Once you’ve scheduled your test edit and given your editor the green light, you just schedule your future weddings and sessions with them! Boom! Your photo editor is going to be your trusted pro through busy season, so communicate with them regularly and leave detailed notes about your galleries.

Nobody likes to talk money, but it’s a fact of business. Outsourcing isn’t free, so what is the average investment? As with most things, there is a wide gamut for what people charge (and are wiling to pay) for private photo editing. It ranges from $0.20 per image to $5 depending on the niche and level of detail you’re asking the editor to perform. A newborn session with detailed masking in photoshop, or a high end model portrait for Vogue is going to cost you a lot more than a 10 image mini session set with Santa.

Many editors (like myself) have a flat rate for small galleries and then charge per image for large ones. There are typically also extra charges for detailed brush tools, masking, heavy retouching and object removal. Again, the price varies by editor and by complexity of the job.

So there you have it, folks! Private editing can be such a blessing to busy photographers, and it can provide so much peace of mind to those who need to place their art into trusted hands. Are YOU ready to start the process of hiring a private photo editor? Don’t wait until the thick of busy season to invest in yourself! Head on over to my Editing page to read more about my process and submit a test edit today!