Private Editor or Big Box Editor??  So, which would be a better fit for you?  Are you hoping to have someone who will match your edits and give you a finished product or are you hoping to get part of the way there and finish up the rest on your own?  It basically comes down to what you want in a editor and how much time you are trying to gain back.  We all know that editing can be so time consuming.  By choosing to outsource your editing you can free up major time, dramatically increase your profits, and create raving fans out of your already satisfied client base.  Who doesn’t want happy clients??!!

 

BIG BOX EDITOR

What is a big box editor?  A big box editor is a company you can hire, at usually a lower cost, to edit your images.  Some even have unlimited monthly plans.  Meaning you can send as many images as you want for a fixed monthly rate.  Usually within these lower prices they offer a white balance and exposure fix as their base editing and go up from there depending on the company.  I happen to know a few well known photographers who use these companies and have been very happy with the results and recommend them as well to other photographers.

On the other hand, I have also had several of my own clients come to me after previously using a big box service feeling very discouraged and convinced they will never be able to outsource because of their experience with the big box company they went with.  They were hoping to save a little money, but honestly ended up re-editing the entire wedding and wasting what money they put out to outsource their editing.  So why does this happen and why did they not get the edits they were hoping for?  Here are the top 3 reasons why it didn’t work for them…

1. To start with, the biggest difference between a private editor and a big box editor is that ONE on ONE relationship with your editor.  The bigger companies usually do not assign you the same editor and your photos jump from editor to editor making it really difficult to nail down your style.
2. Communication is usually slower and you are less likely to be able to communicate your feedback and have it be applied correctly each time you send in a wedding and have it turned around in the time you need.
3. When you get your images back they may be white balanced and exposed correctly but, you will not have your personal style applied and tweaked how you normally would.  Also your images will not usually not be cropped or straighten making it inevitable that you will need to go in and touch up the images.  Meaning more time spent on the wedding images that you were hoping to avoid.

Also, FYI, before you choose to go with a big box editing company make sure you read the fine print.  A lot of them require a contract and you will need to make sure you are ok with that as well.

 

 

PRIVATE PHOTO EDITOR

As you know, being a private photo editor, I’m a strong believer in one on one service to each of my clients.  When a client contacts me to potentially take them on and start working with them I always have a face to face meeting or facetime call.  I also take the time to look at their work both on their website/blog but also on their social media posts as well.  Why is this so important to me?  It’s because I feel that one of the best advantages of having your own private editor is your relationship with them and making sure you will both be a good fit for each other.  What better way to start your relationship then to meet face to face.  Here are some other benefits to working with your own private editor…

• One of the biggest difference between private vs big box is you get the SAME EDITOR each and every time.  I understand that my clients work really hard on capturing those beautiful images and it’s not always easy to trust someone else to work on them.  Especially if they have never outsourced before  This is why having the same editor, that you have built a trusting relationship with, will help take that worry and burden off of their shoulders.
• For me personally, I have amazing systems in place to make sure my edits are matching my clients edits and staying consistent to their brand.  During our initial call I extensively go over their editing and take tons of notes as well to refer back too.
• My communication lines are always open and I am always asking for feedback from all of my clients to make sure I’m always staying on track.  Their images are so important to me and I want them to know that.
• My clients are my #1 priority in my business and I only take on enough clients to ensure that I do have the time to dedicate to them.  I truly give 110% to each of my clients and I can do that because I’ve made sure I’m not too stretched to do so.

 

All in all, it’s a known fact that if you want to grow your business and value your personal time as well, outsourcing is the best way to do this.  Whether you choose to go with a private editor or a big box company, you will find that outsourcing is the number one way to gain more time to do what you need and want.  In future posts I will dive more into this, but for now, I encourage you to visit my website if you are yearning for more info.  🙂