CHRISTI JOHNSON CREATIVE

The Outsourcing Process Step By Step

May 3, 2019

the outsourcing process explained step by step by christi johnson creative private photo editor. title card with laptop black notebook and succulent

If you’re wondering how exactly the relationship works between a photographer and an editor, then you’re in the right place! Today I’m sharing every step of the outsourcing process from initial inquiry to delivered catalog. If you have any questions afterwards, feel free to check out my FAQ page or e-mail me a question! I’m always happy to help.

Inquire About Editing Services

The first step in the outsourcing process is to inquire about the services your editor offers. I offer color correction, cropping/straightening, and basic spot/blemish removal in Lightroom. I also offer culling services in Lightroom. In the first email, I’ll explain my rates and turnaround time.

Fill Out a New Client Form

After you decide to move forward, I’ll send you a “next steps” email along with a new client form. Here I’ll ask questions about how busy you plan to be and how much of your work you plan to outsource. I’ll also ask about your reasons for outsourcing and get some basic information about your editing style. You also have the opportunity to ask questions before our phone call!

Have a Phone or Video Call with your Editor

Also in the next steps email, I include a link to my calendar where you can schedule a phone call. The phone call lasts about 45-60 minutes. In this call we get to know each other better and I’ll pick your brain about your editing style and creative vision. It’s helpful to have Lightroom open so we can go over every editing module and talk about what you typically adjust and where you land. We’ll also talk about any presets you use and how you approach cropping, straightening, blemish removal, and black & white images. If you’d like to do a video call or share your screen with me so I can watch you edit, we can also do that!

Provide Your Editor with Any Presets You Use

After we decide to move forward, I’ll create a shared Dropbox folder between the two of us so we can share files. If you edit with any presets, you can load those here so I have them.

Load Images into Lightroom

After a shoot, you can choose to cull the images yourself or have me cull them for you. If you cull them yourself, you’ll cull in any program you like to use, whether that’s Lightroom, Bridge, Photo Mechanic, etc. Or if you want me to do the culling for you, you’ll put all the images into Lightroom. If you apply presets upon import, you can go ahead and do that.

Pre-Edit some images for your Editor

Once your images are loaded into Lightroom, you’ll edit at least 5-10% of the gallery. If I’m culling for you, edit 5-10% of the amount you want to deliver to your client. These pre-edits are so important for me, especially in the beginning of our relationship. It helps me get inside your brain to learn your editing style. I’ll also use these pre-edits as a guide for how the rest of the gallery should look. The longer I work with you, the less I’ll rely on these.

If you’re used to sending your clients sneak peeks or blogging a few days after the wedding, you’re already a step ahead!! If you want to edit all of the images for a blog post, go for it. Or if you love editing bridal portraits or couple shots and want to edit all of those, you can do that too! And if you want to edit as little as possible, that’s completely fine! You have the freedom to edit as much or as little as you like, as long as you’re giving me at least 5% as pre-edits. I’ll ask you to flag your pre-edits using either a color or star rating so I can differentiate your edits from mine.

Export your catalog with Smart Previews

Next, you’ll select all the images you’re sending to me and export them as a catalog in Lightroom. Make sure you’ve selected the Smart Previews feature! I’ll give you specific instructions on how to do this. By editing with Smart Previews, I’m able to edit remotely without having a single RAW file transferred between us. RAW files are large and take forever to upload. With Smart Previews, it’s much faster to upload and download, and we don’t have to worry about making sure I have enough space on my hard drive to accept your files. Also, the edits I make will be saved right onto the previews! Easy peasy.

Put catalog files into dropbox

You’ll have 3 catalog files to zip up and put into dropbox. You can name them however it makes sense to you. If you don’t know how to zip up files, that’s ok! You can put the 3 files into our dropbox folder. Did you know that dropbox has a desktop app? You can download it and drag the files right into the Dropbox folder on your computer. But you don’t need the app to be able to send me your files! You’ll need enough space on your Dropbox account to send me the catalogs. But remember, since we’re sharing Smart Previews and not RAW files, the files won’t be that large. If you don’t have the paid version of Dropbox you should not need it!

Wait a Few Days

Once I receive the files from our dropbox folder and have them safely on our hard drive, I’ll let you know so you can remove the files if you’d like. But you’re also welcome to leave them there! I’ll get to work on editing your images. I build my turnaround times around the unique workflows of each client. Whether you have a 7-day or 30+day wedding workflow, I’ll work with you and deliver the images when you need them. My average turnaround time for a catalog is 3-5 business days.

In the meantime, you can get to work on another part of your business or just relax knowing that you don’t have to edit all those files! Oh, and this probably goes without saying, but make sure you don’t move your raw files from the place that you stored them when you sent me the catalog. If you move the files, Lightroom won’t know which files to apply the edits to. So leave them be until you’ve exported the images after getting back my edits!

Open the edited catalog

Once I’m done with the edits, I’ll let you know I’ve put the edited catalog in our Dropbox folder. You’ll download the catalog and then open Lightroom using the original catalog that you started with, NOT the new one (you’ll just open Lightroom like you normally do!!). You’ll select the “import from another catalog” option in Lightroom (I’ll give you specific instructions on how to do this) and choose the new edited catalog.

Watch the magic happen

This is my favorite part!! You’ll watch your images populate with the edits I made! Now you’re ready to export them straight to your hard drive or proceed with the next part of your workflow. If there are any images I have questions about, I’ll flag them and mention this in my email when I tell you the catalog is ready.

Give Feedback to Your Editor

This part is SO important! I strongly encourage their feedback!! It’s the only way I’ll grow. If the first catalog isn’t exactly what you wanted, don’t lose heart. I always tell my clients that it will take anywhere from 1-4 catalogs for me to fully grasp their style. As we work together more, I’ll understand you better. I want you to be 100% satisfied with my work, and I’ll work hard to achieve that. I also welcome positive feedback! If there’s anything I did well, I’d love to hear about it!

SHARE THIS Episode

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Listen Now

Listen to the Episode: >Read the Transcript of this Episode< Are you in search of the perfect CRM solution for your business needs? Look no further! In this blog post, we’re going to delve into the reasons why I believe 17Hats is a superior choice compared to HoneyBook. As an online business manager who’s passionate […]

17Hats vs honeybook feature comparison is written in purple text on a tan background

Listen Now

If you’re a business owner who’s looking for some extra help, you may be considering hiring a VA or an OBM. Perhaps you’re already a VA and are looking to level up your skills and income. Or maybe you’re wondering if you should transition from a VA to an OBM. Whatever your situation, this episode […]

Listen Now

Are you looking to take your client experience to the next level? Creating a white glove experience is all about prioritizing your clients’ needs, genuinely caring about their success, personalizing their experience, and solving issues before they arise. In this episode, we’ll explore how to give your clients the best possible experience with a few […]

Listen Now

Today on the podcast we’re talking about sales funnels! I know that can seem scary, but they are simpler than you think! As an entrepreneur, sales funnels are one of the most important parts of your business. Without them, you might have a great product or service, but you won’t be able to get it […]

favorite Episodes

get it for free!

This FREE guide on the 8 steps to take to start your creative business. In this guide, you'll learn the exact roadmap to take to go from 0 clients to fully booked sooner than you think!

Start building the business of your dreams

GET the newsletter

©️ 2024 Christi Johnson Creative LLC

TIRED OF FEELING STRESSED & LONELY?

Check out my FREE on-demand masterclas on the Top 3 Mistakes You're Making that Leave You Feeling Overwhelmed, Insecure, & Lonely. You'll learn how to beat the overwhelm & get closer to your dreams every single day!

GET THE MASTERCLASS!