BY HEADSHOT PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS MENTOR, Vanie Poyey

Is editing stressing you out? The real question is, are you batch processing or are you editing each image one by one before your client sees any of it?????

The official meaning of “editing” your images is to delete and remove unwanted images. Now the meaning has changed to also include “altering, retouching or Photoshopping” your images.

You’d be surprised to know how many photographers skip the editing part of a photo session and go straight to altering before their clients see any of the images. If you’re one of these photographers, keep reading. If you’re not, you’re going to want to skip this post!

When I refer to editing in post, or post processing, I’m referring to the process of importing all your images (let’s say 400 of them for 4 setups) into an editing app like Lightroom.

The process of editing includes removing or deleting the ones that don’t make the final cut, applying settings like contrast, blacks, color correction etc., and finally using AI for background and subject alterations, in batches. If you’re completely lost here, then download this tutorial.

A batch for me is a setup or an outfit.

A new outfit usually comes with a new background and with new lighting conditions, and therefore qualifies as a new batch.

Same with a setup. A family portrait under the tree is going to have its own lighting conditions vs. the same family portrait leaning on a rail. Each of these setups would be considered a new batch.

Once these images are batch processed in Lightroom, typically the next step would be to export them to an online gallery and share them with your client.

Now, the other “editing” term is when an image is opened in Photoshop and individually altered.

This can include burning and dodging, softening smile lines, blemishes, additional color correction and so on. However this is something that is done AFTER your web gallery is already shared with your client and usually upon your client’s request or as an add-on of some sort.

Typically, a retouched image would be an additional charge. So there should be NO STRESS with editing images.

Because images that are edited in batches can be done in no time especially with presets. And images that need retouching should be earning you money for each retouch, that’s *if* you’re retouching them yourself so there should be no stress associated with making money on each image you work on.

At some point of course, you’ll want to delegate that role to another retoucher. For now, I hope this helps clarify and remove some of that editing stress!

Think your problem is overshooting? Read this next.