How do you make sure you edit in order?

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Question from Morgan:””I’m a big believer in first come first served. Therefore, I edit all sessions in order. Always. However, I like to give my clients sneak peeks quickly-within a day or two of their session. So, I guess my question is, how do you balance not editing out of order while still offering sneak peeks in a timely manner?”

Patti:  I only do the sneak peeks when I am not swamped with editing. So, I don’t mention sneak peeks. If they get one from me, it’s a surprise and they are happy. Under-promise and over-deliver.

Danie: I never have edits over lap each other. I can edit a wedding on the same day.

Kendra: I also do sneak peeks 24-48 hours. I have an organizer for my computer background. I move a clients folder from space to space. It starts in “select edit” moves to “sneak peek” then to “full edit” then to “ordering” and lastly “archive”. I know that I need to get the sneak peek up but the folders are kept in order within each specific area. If you pm I can send you a screenshot.

Jenna: Danie: Same day?! I’d love to hear your workflow. I can’t even finish culling on the same day.

Morgan: I cull, and pick out 2 or 3 pics for sneak peeks. Edit quickly and send a sneak peek on the same day or the next day. Then I go back to my order of incoming sessions.

Ashley: I always do a minimum of two sneak peaks. I just upload my session as soon as I get home and I quickly skin through and pick my two favorites. Then edit them and post them. I feel like my clients wait so patiently and are paying enough that they get a tiny preview

Ashley: Skim…lol.

Fawn:  If you want to offer them, just pick one or two teasers that will be easy edits to post. that way, you spend a few minutes on those, then you can go back to editing the full shoot.

Kat: Ashley – I also download photos as soon as I get home from the shoot. I then skim the photos (although usually I have an idea in my mind of which ones I think stood out). I try to get 5 photos to the customer the same day (or w/in 24 hours for PM shoots). People love that!!

Colleen: I shoot jpeg/RAW…so I find a cute jpeg file quickly, do a quick edit and post that

Tracey: I return from a shoot and upload to a external hard drive in separate “sneak peek folders. I skim quickly and take three images and post to fb page and tag them within 48 hours. I move the rest to a permanent file “edit”.. I rarely edit out of order as I don’t want anyone to think they are less/more important than someone else..unless its a commercial client or an image for one of the magazine I shoot for people are aware there are people ahead of them and usually under stand!

Michelle:  I do about the same. I tell my clients that I’ll share a few pics via Facebook and tag their photos. It’s nice because they get a nice peek-a-boo into their session, and your page gets some additional visitors.

Lisa: Danie please share your workflow!

Tracy: A wedding can not be edited in a day in my opinion.

Kelli:  Grab one or two to edit and post as teasers then go back to the first come first served order.

Jen:  I grab 1 or 2 to edit as well and post them, then go to first come first serve as others have said.

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