Everything you need to know: How to outsource wedding post production.
Hello from San Diego!If this is your first time visiting with us, surely you have some questions about how to outsource your wedding post production. It's not easy- we know, but we do hope you'll at least send us some samples to understand how we can best serve you.
So let's walk through the mindset and mechanics of getting started with Essential Edit!
///// 1) There's only one YOU in the universe. The first thing you need to know: We've got your back! But this will be an exercise in letting go! We will do our absolute best to establish a clean and consistent edit all within your preferences. However, there will always be a difference in how you edit and how we edit.
Our most successful clients trust us with the first pass on color, getting every image up to its best potential with global edits for Exposure, Contrast, White Balance, etc. Basically- everything in the Basic panel in Lightroom.
From there they take our catalog, find their favorites and spend some time creatively tweaking those images before sending to the client.
They often report that since we have carried the heaviest part of the workload, they feel more excited, more creative and eager to edit that smaller number of "hero shots."
///// 2) There are two ways to get started:
- Send in a dozen sample images for us to process for free. Your feedback builds your personal style guide that will travel with future orders.
- Send in your first order. We'll pull 20 images, process, and post for your review. Once we get the green light, we will move forward and complete the order.
///// 3) Decide: are you a Master Catalog or Single Catalog user?You may choose to manage your Lightroom Catalog either way:
- One Master Catalog with everything you shot this year, or
- a Single Catalog for every shoot.
Each has their pros & cons and work just fine within the outsourcing ecosystem. But the advantage of using Lightroom Classic CC is the use of Smart Previews, which make sending & receiving files swift and tidy!
///// 4) We only bill you once we deliver your files. That's right! Send us your first order, we deliver to your specs and then we send you a link to your invoice.We want to earn your trust and this is one way our clients have appreciated the chance to review our work.Once you're ready, your invoice can be paid online with Visa, MC, Amex or PayPal. Most of our happy clients will leave a credit card on file with us just like you would with your print lab. That way it's one less thing for you to worry about.
///// 5) Did we miss the mark? Hey, we're amazing, but we're not perfect! ;)
You might get an order back and feel we could have done better.
First, you should know that we are always eager to redo your work if we have missed the mark.
Just shoot us an email with a couple of screenshots to let us know what you're seeing! Your order will go to the front of the line and will be delivered in about 24hrs.
But the difference may be so slight that you can use the Quick Develop module to make the fix in a matter of seconds!
If you come across a section that is too Bright/Dark, Warm/Cool, Contrasty, etc. you can fix it in bulk, without messing up the settings we made to your files.
Just go to the Library module, I like to hit “G: on the keyboard to go into “Grid” mode.
Select the images you want to adjust.
On the right-hand side, you’ll see all the controls you’d usually see in the Develop module. The only difference is these are buttons instead of sliders.
When you click the single arrow, it adjusts all settings *relative to their current settings.*
When you click the double arrow, it adjusts in greater increments.
Remember, even if they have different values, it just bumps them up or down, relative to their current settings.
This makes it quick and easy to adjust all in a certain direction without having to go one by one or sending the job back to us and waiting another day.
We hope this guide helps you understand the process of outsourcing your wedding post production a little better!
