How to make more money with your photography business - Outsource your editing

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When you start your photography business, you are bursting with undiluted enthusiasm and boundless energy, ready to conquer the world of photography!
After a shoot you can't contain your excitement!
You want to get in front of your computer as soon as possible to download the photos and start editing.
All those beautiful Lightroom presets waiting just for you!
But unfortunately, wedding after wedding, shoot after shoot and that feeling starts to wear out.

Being a photographer myself and being part of a network of photographers, I know all too well how overwhelming it can get at a certain point; trying to be a creative, manager and entrepreneur all at once, which leaves you with a very unbalanced lifestyle.

Here are a few reasons why you and many other photographers might resist outsourcing your post production. 

1. You believe that no one will do the job well enough

I understand that it can be terrifying to hand over your photos to someone else. And it might be true that you care more about your own business than anyone else ever will. But remember, there are professional photo editors out there who love their jobs and are really good at what they do. Rather focus on something you enjoy and on what YOU do best.

2. Like most photographers out there, you are a bit of a control freak

Yep, you love being in control. You have a great fear that things will go wrong if you don’t handle it yourself and so afraid of losing control. There’s a good chance that the first time you hand over your images for editing, it won’t be perfect. But nothing and no one are perfect. With a little patience and guidance, you will find the right process. Don’t make your final decision if things don't work out 100% on the first try. Be ready to express how you feel and communicate what you want.

3. It’s all about the money

Some people get greedy and lose focus. Maybe you decided that you would rather keep all the money to yourself instead of paying someone to help you. Obviously, you’re in the game to make money. But you also want to live a little and still enjoy your work. By the way, you can actually make more money by outsourcing.

4. You think to yourself, not now, maybe later

All the work has already piled up and you don’t have the time or energy to go through the process of handing over your editing work to some stranger. Don’t wait until it’s too late. So plan ahead and do it sooner than later. Obviously, it’s going to take time to trust and build a relationship with your photo editor. But after a while, you will find yourself handing over the work without any hesitation.  

So let’s talk about your business. How to run it more effectively and make more money.

I won't go into extensive detail on how to make more money or how to run your business more effectively. But I do want to focus on one thing and how it will influence the rest of your business. 

Outsourcing. Handing over your editing work to a professional photo editor. 

What will happen if you let go of your fears and if you stop spending hours and hours in front of your computer doing post processing yourself? 

You'll get more time to focus on other important stuff:

  • Blogging - Did you know that blogging plays a very important role in the SEO of your website? Blogging more and blogging consistently can boost your website's ranking on search engines. It's also a great way to show new clients your latest work. 
  • Social Media - This is also connected to blogging. When you blog you have something interesting to share on your social media profiles which will also send more traffic to your website. Chances are more people will notice you and in some instances, you might get the chance to connect with new or existing clients. 
  • Marketing - Once again, this is also linked to the first two points. You'll have more time to network, run some paid ads, be part of a local expo, update your blog, interact on social media, update your website and so on. 
  • Update or launch new products - If you want to compete with your competition, you need to stay up to date. You need to make sure the value you offer your clients can compete with the value your competitors are offering. When last did you update your packaging? Are you still offering the best quality albums & prints?
  • Spend more time with your loved ones - There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting to spend more time with family & friends. I'm sure there are a lot of moms and dads who needs to work late nights to keep up with editing when you would rather spend that time with your children. 
  • Get the admin done - Tax, invoices, quotes, emails... All those "fun" things are always pushed to the side when we're too busy and overwhelmed. 

So, are you ready to shoot more and edit less? 

If you have any questions or feel uncertain about where to start, contact me and lets have a chat :)

Editing done your way.