afliegs
TPF Noob!
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2011
- Messages
- 59
- Reaction score
- 0
- Location
- Saint Louis, MO
- Can others edit my Photos
- Photos OK to edit
I've been doing paid photoshoots for a couple of years now, but really only 1 or 2 shoots a month, although they're starting to become more frequent. I've been trying to find a workflow that works for me, but I always feel like my editing takes WAY too long (especially for what I charge).
So, here's what I do...
I charge per hour of shooting. With the price I charge, I include all the full resolution photos from the shoot pretty much straight out of the camera (besides blurs, etc.) with printing rights. And then for every hour of shooting, I let the client pick around 5 to 10 of their favorite photos that I do more in depth editing with (skin smoothing, various filters, etc). I normally end up shooting 200-300 pictures per hour (is this normal?)
Immediately after shooting, I open all my RAW files up in DPP (Digital Photo Professional). I shoot Canon and have tried editing my RAW files in Lightroom, but I'm always happier with the photo after I edit in DPP (and it seems to take less time for me). I delete obvious blurry pictures, eyes closed, etc. Then, I color correct, correct white balance, bump up or down the exposure, etc. (Side note...I almost always find myself changing to Canon Landscape picture style (I shoot portraits, but the skin almost always looks better to me in Canon's custom Landscape picture style)).
After I finish with the RAW files in DPP, I batch process them into a very high quality JPEG. I then batch process into a lower quality JPEG, which I upload to my website (I have a zenfolio website with unlimited storage). I use a lower quality JPEG for upload to my site because the upload time is drastically shorter. Then I contact the client and have them pick out a certain number of their favorites from the photoshoot. After they've picked out their favorites (they're able to share them with me through my website), I start with the more in depth editing of those. And here's what I do...
I use the high quality JPEGS (of their favorite) and open them up in Photoshop. Then I use different healing brushes along with Totally Rad Pro Retouch 2 to do retouching, skin smoothing, selective editing, etc. After these edits are done and I'm happy with the photo, I save it as something like "Favorite1." From there, I almost always do a black and white of each favorite (usually using Nik software) and save it as "Favorite1BW." Then, I take Favorite1 and run it through RadLab a few times to create different looks for the photo. I always tell myself I'm only going to pick one way of editing it, but I almost always end up with 3 or 4 different versions of each of the client's favorites.
From there, I upload all of the versions of the favorites into a separate gallery on my zenfolio site. I give the client the ability to download (or print) those straight from the site. Finally, I put all of the high quality JPEGS and all of the edits onto a memory card and mail it to the client.
All in all, I feel like for every hour of shooting, I'm doing 2 to 4 hours of editing. Sorry about the run-on post, but I could really use some critique and tips! Thanks!
So, here's what I do...
I charge per hour of shooting. With the price I charge, I include all the full resolution photos from the shoot pretty much straight out of the camera (besides blurs, etc.) with printing rights. And then for every hour of shooting, I let the client pick around 5 to 10 of their favorite photos that I do more in depth editing with (skin smoothing, various filters, etc). I normally end up shooting 200-300 pictures per hour (is this normal?)
Immediately after shooting, I open all my RAW files up in DPP (Digital Photo Professional). I shoot Canon and have tried editing my RAW files in Lightroom, but I'm always happier with the photo after I edit in DPP (and it seems to take less time for me). I delete obvious blurry pictures, eyes closed, etc. Then, I color correct, correct white balance, bump up or down the exposure, etc. (Side note...I almost always find myself changing to Canon Landscape picture style (I shoot portraits, but the skin almost always looks better to me in Canon's custom Landscape picture style)).
After I finish with the RAW files in DPP, I batch process them into a very high quality JPEG. I then batch process into a lower quality JPEG, which I upload to my website (I have a zenfolio website with unlimited storage). I use a lower quality JPEG for upload to my site because the upload time is drastically shorter. Then I contact the client and have them pick out a certain number of their favorites from the photoshoot. After they've picked out their favorites (they're able to share them with me through my website), I start with the more in depth editing of those. And here's what I do...
I use the high quality JPEGS (of their favorite) and open them up in Photoshop. Then I use different healing brushes along with Totally Rad Pro Retouch 2 to do retouching, skin smoothing, selective editing, etc. After these edits are done and I'm happy with the photo, I save it as something like "Favorite1." From there, I almost always do a black and white of each favorite (usually using Nik software) and save it as "Favorite1BW." Then, I take Favorite1 and run it through RadLab a few times to create different looks for the photo. I always tell myself I'm only going to pick one way of editing it, but I almost always end up with 3 or 4 different versions of each of the client's favorites.
From there, I upload all of the versions of the favorites into a separate gallery on my zenfolio site. I give the client the ability to download (or print) those straight from the site. Finally, I put all of the high quality JPEGS and all of the edits onto a memory card and mail it to the client.
All in all, I feel like for every hour of shooting, I'm doing 2 to 4 hours of editing. Sorry about the run-on post, but I could really use some critique and tips! Thanks!