What happens after your session

You booked your session, got lots of emails, picked awesome outfits, laughed and smiled, and made it back home – that was fun! So what’s happening now with your photos. If you’re wondering what goes on in that mysterious time between the last shutter click and hanging beautiful prints on your walls – keep reading, I’ll tell ya! Here’s there lowdown on how your photo delivery happens, and what you can expect between “say cheese” and getting to click “print”!

What’s she up to anyway??

This section is a topic I’ve wanted to blog about for a long time!! If you’ve ever had professional photos taken, you probably know to expect some time to pass after your session before you get to see the photos. But why?

If this is new to you, or even if it’s not – that’s a totally fair question! You booked a photographer, and the photographs are taken! So what’s the hold up?

First of all, I promise I am not just making you wait for it! The job title “photographer”, like a lot of jobs, is really describing a relatively small percentage of what we photogs spend time doing! After the session ends (and before it begins too!) there are a lot of other things that need to be done in order to deliver beautiful, finished photos to you. Here are just a couple that go on during that in-between time before your final photo delivery.

Culling

I’ll keep this one short (yeah right, I’m never short…). This is essentially a boring-sounding photographer term that means selecting the perfect images for your gallery! Don’t worry, we’re not talking about cutting out moments you would so love to have… (more on that later!). Rather, this process is largely giving the boot to shots where someone’s eyes are closed, photos of toddlers scratching their nose, and the like – along with the photographer’s test shots!

Though it may sound a little dull, this step is very important for everyone involved! If you’re paying a professional photographer, part of what you pay for is the time spent making these selections. You should not have to sift through images you don’t want or need, that’s part of my job. But it does have to be done!

Editing

You may have never heard the word “cull” before, but this one you likely have heard about! All friends of photographers know about this BIG part of the process – “Oh I can’t tonight I have X number of sessions to edit…” Or for the really close friends – “Yeah, I’ll come but I’m bringing my laptop to edit while we hang out.” Not that I’ve ever done that before…

This step is where we break out the computer glasses and get really familiar with our clients faces!!! Again, it may not be the exciting day-of-photoshoot experience, but this is a HUGE part of being a photographer and of what YOU, the client, are paying for!

Lots and lots of time can be spent here, in fact most of that time in between your session and your photo delivery is likely used editing your photos! Every photographer has their own style of editing, though there are some similarities in a few different categories you’ve probably seen before like light and airy, moody, golden tone, the list goes on.

My Style

For my awesome Elle Bea Photography clients (and prospective clients, of course!) you can expect your photos to be returned to you with what I have come to call a bright and airy style.

My editing style is very similar to the classic light and airy style of editing, but with slightly more vibrant colors and closer to true-to-life exposure. If you just learned some new vocabulary there don’t worry – there will not be a quiz. All you have to know is if it fits YOUR style!

A peek behind the curtain here – before and after of one of my all time favorite images! The left side is straight out of camera – the adorable moment is captured and the composition is solid – but the right side shows the final image, clean, bright, and polished. This is a LOT of what’s happening to your images before they make their way to you!!

Your Photo Delivery

Almost there!! If you have done a session with me before, there is some new information here for your next session 🙂 You now get to be a more active part of the image delivery process, and will even get to pick which photos you love! I’ll explain – keep reading!

There is once again some less than glamorous behind the scenes work that goes on in this step on my part – exporting, gallery creation, uploading, email drafts, but then finally I send you a link to your beautiful edited images! The wait is over!! Heart eyes emoji… maybe some tears (I love a good “I cried when I saw these” reaction, it’s the best!)

Your session will come with a number of high resolution edited digital images included in the price, and it’s at this point you will be able to choose those photos! The number will vary based on the type of session, but you now will be able to select for yourself which images you want to keep in that included number! The images you love most will be yours to download instantly and keep forever!

But what if I LOVE too many…??

Oftentimes, there may be more of what I call “keeper” images than what your session included – and I am just not one to toss out a great shot! Additional images may be included in your gallery for you to select from, above the number included in your session – and you’ll now have the option to purchase MORE photos!!

Selecting your images and purchasing additional images will happen within your gallery, and you’ll have instant access to the downloadable files! I have moved to a new gallery delivery system that will make this process soooo easy (and beautiful!). Of course, I hope you love ALL of them!!! And if you do, there will be an option to purchase the entire gallery. Also super easy, also instant access!

If you have participated in a mini session or booked a full session with me recently this is sounding a little new and different to you, it is – but just slightly! Know that this change will in no way remove your access to your beautiful memories, rather you are gaining the ability to be sure you are getting the images you LOVE the most!

My mission in this business is to provide you with an awesome experience, and a photography service that delivers images you love, want, and that have a purpose in your life. The purpose may be to print and hang on your walls, to use to create beautiful albums (which will also be a new option!), or to share digitally – all wonderful purposes!! I promise to send you galleries with undeniably beautiful memories of your loved ones, and you get to choose which ones have that purpose for you.

What was that about albums??

Love a good book? Me too!! And as much as I love digital photos, I would so much rather your images live on your coffee table and on your walls than on a USB drive, in a drawer. Imagine the memories relived, and memories made, sitting with your kids saying “that’s exactly what you were like at this age” as you turn the pages of a family photo album from years past.

Because I want that for my clients like, so bad (!!!), not only will your gallery now feature album options – all album orders will also include a FULL gallery download, free of charge! So you can keep all of your memories forever, and be sure they’re seen like they should be!

Album orders will be fulfilled by my amazing friends at Kissbooks! All of their books are heirloom quality, gorgeous books and are completely customizable. Your gallery will have a couple of basic options to get us started on your custom book, or BOOKS! Albums also make great gifts – give a high impact, high quality keepsake and snag a full gallery download at no extra cost. Win. Win.

Beautifully you, keep them forever photos

So now you know! Or at least we hit the high points on what actually goes on from the end of your session to photo delivery, and beyond! I can’t wait to start delivering updated galleries and getting to see which images are the most special to you!! And I would so, so love to also start delivering some really beautiful albums for families across Walker County to treasure forever – let’s do it!

Are you so in by now?? Contact me to start the process of booking your next session! And make sure to join the email list to keep up with upcoming mini session release dates and signups!! It’s going to be a great year!

See you SOON!

-Lindsay

*** Fellow photographer – looking to outsource your editing?? ***

If the thought of not having to skip social events or stay up late editing your sessions brings a happy tear to your eye, first of all – welcome to the club! But hear me out, you don’t have to stay in that bleary eyed club forever!!! Check out Photographer’s Edit so you can finally close that laptop and say yes to those friends you’ve been neglecting.

Photographer’s Edit makes outsourcing your editing easy and affordable! And get this, the owner, Nathan Holritz, is not only a really really awesome guy, he’s a Chattanoogan! How awesome is that!! PLUS, you can use my link then enter code: EBPsentme at checkout to get 50% off your first order! All you have to lose is more time spent staring at your computer screen…