[Mach]

This is a loaded question. I am terrible at editing photos. In short I don't have the patients and I have no eye for art.

How do I locate a professional that can edit my photos.

I mean if I get that one photo that makes me laugh so hard because it's amazing and I want it edited well is there a list of people?

[bigdavephoto]

Well first off, if you don't like to edit your own photos, asking on this forum would be a start. I'm sure there are a few people on the forum that would edit for you especially if you offered compensation of some sorts. Maybe ask in the general photography threads.


Actually finding a pro to edit your photos, I really don't know. Try asking at your local photo shop.

[panoguy]

You mean post-processing/ retouching?

When I think of a "pro editor" for photography, that's someone to look through piles of shots, pick the winners, and then figure out what needs to be changed to make them even better.
I've heard of websites/ companies that you can upload a bunch of raw files to and they have an army of low-paid workers somewhere that do a quick-and-generic photoshop job of converting and pumping them up. I think they mostly cater to "wedding photographers"...

(NB: I was a pro digital retoucher for decades, so when it comes to post-stuff I can do it while sleeping, hence I did not pursue any of those companies.)

[smf]

If you want someone local, identify one of the local newspaper's photographers whose images you respect. Contact that person and ask if he or she would be willing to help you — and for what fee.
Other options: Look into a local or area camera club. If a local college, community college or arts center has a photo instructor, look into that person's work and decide whether he or she is someone you should approach.
Best wishes.

[adwb]

If you are looking for a full time retoucher rather than a photographer who retouches his own images I would suggest you contact a advert agency, they have retouchers and also use contract retouchers.

I retouch most of my own for clients but some get handled else where, my ones are here

https://purpleport.com/portfolio/countrystudio

[Mach]

You mean post-processing/ retouching?

When I think of a "pro editor" for photography, that's someone to look through piles of shots, pick the winners, and then figure out what needs to be changed to make them even better.
I've heard of websites/ companies that you can upload a bunch of raw files to and they have an army of low-paid workers somewhere that do a quick-and-generic photoshop job of converting and pumping them up. I think they mostly cater to "wedding photographers"...

This is what I am looking for but not the army. Maybe send in 2-10 photos. I would like to be able to talk to someone on the phone and I want them to tell me these are not good, you can do better. This is all in the beginning stages. I never shot in RAW so there is much to learn on my end.

I'd like to do my own editing but I'm extremely busy with my real life. I'm doing this so I could have a collection of photos to sell down the road maybe 5-10 years. Photography is just a hobby but at times I take some shots and i"m like man I might be on to something fun in life.

Thanks ADWB, I'll look into that place.

This forum is a wealth of information and thanks for everyone's input.

[BrianR]

Maybe send in 2-10 photos. I would like to be able to talk to someone on the phone and I want them to tell me these are not good, you can do better.

You can submit photos to the Photo Critique part of the forum here. Multiple opinions for the price of free

A few local photographers and shops around me offer "photo restoration & retouching" services. They're often aimed at restoring old damaged photos, but most advertise that they will also work on new photos. Since this sounds like a long-term use for you, it may be worth finding someone local you can develop a rapport with over the years.

[normhead]

I know of a service nearby where you can have them post process your wok and printout. I think the guy charges $75 sn hour for the post processing work. I've actually seen it recommended that all photographers do this, because printing and photography are two different skills. If you're a really talented and busy photographer, having someone else do your PP and printing just makes sense. Especially developing a relationship with a guy who understands your style and how you want things managed. Most of us just aren't busy enough to be able to farm out the work. We need every dime we can squeeze out of the work we get. My cousins were a husband wife wedding team. He did the photography, she co-ordinated with the printers and put together the albums. Without her my cousins work was worth 2-3 K. After the albums were ordered etc, a lot of them ran 5-7k. There was as much monetary value putting together nice albums as there was shooting the photographs.

If you're learning, there's also the PP weekly challenge. If you can come up with some editing software, a lot of them have an auto-adjust function that is good for about 90% of your shots, unless you are printing.

[interested_observer]

I find that post processing helps my shooting, especially the framing. Unfortunately, while shooting and checking the images, I am usually satisfied. After loading the images and taking a look at them on a larger screen, I start to find things that I should have done, framed things poorly or see better ways to have framed/composed the images.

A while ago, I finally broke down and bought LightRoom. I really do not like their catalog, but I have come to understand their image adjustments. The reason I finally bought LR was that there were so many videos on YouTube as free tutorials - I figured that in and of itself would help me. I happened across one of the sets that offered a processing workflow that made sense to me. Having a process helps a lot, and in turn has really added an extra dimension to the images in general. When I have a problem that I need to correct, I just do a google video search on the subject, find a couple of videos that show what to do, and follow along with my image. It may not be perfect, but it gets me close enough.

I have put together a set of utilities that appeal to me, for what ever reason. LR, Microsoft ICE for stitching panoramas, Oloneo for bracketing and HDR.

Several years ago, I picked up a little netbook with the idea of using it to tether with the camera - with a 10" screen, I could see the images better. Pentax still does not have their tethering really useful, but I take it with me when traveling to review the images and possibly make adjustments in the evening for the next time I shoot.

[adwb]

Here is link you might find of use The Art of Retouching Studio - About Us and there is a facebook,
Retouching group you can search for as well , they are very good with advice and comments.

[redcat]

Here is link you might find of use The Art of Retouching Studio - About Us and there is a facebook, Retouching group you can search for as well , they are very good with advice and comments.

very useful ^^ thanks for sharing !!

[frogoutofwater]

It sounds like you are at a relatively early stage of developing your skills and eye as a photographer (and with respect to the processing of images). Although it is possible to hire people to identify the stronger photos in a series and then process them for you, you might find it more useful at this stage to take some challenging courses that include critique of your images, by the instructor and possibly the other students in the class. This might be a local, hands-on class (or a photography club) or it could be an online course. The International Center of Photography (in New York City), where I'm a student, has some really good online courses. Their online courses require everyone to be logged in and online as part of the discussion at the same time. If that kind of structure doesn't work with your schedule, there are some online photography schools where you don't have to participate at a specific time of week. I'm most familiar with Bryan Peterson's online photography school (bpsop.com). There are mostly 4-week classes, you download a lesson every Friday, and then you have 9 days (unitl the following Sunday) to complete the assignment (usually submission of 3 images), which the instructor critiques. You can see your critiques and those of other students, plus there is an online forum for discussion of the course.

Another possibility is to take a "vacation" and to to a workshop taught by a good photography instructor. Again, these can be great opportunities to learn from the instructor's and other students' feedback on your images - and on the other students' work. (I often learn more from seeing what other students do than from what I do.) Courses can be as short as a weekend or as long as a couple of weeks, but weekend and 5-day courses are the most common.

Once you've developed a relationship with a teacher, it's often possibile to set up mentoring arrangements (for a fee) where the photographer/instructor will review your work and provide guidance for development - either for a specific project or more generally.

And yes, you can have someone else process your images for you, but if you don't know how to do it yourself, your instructions might not produce the results you're looking for. There is no single way to process a particular image, and a lot of it is about leading the viewer's eye to what you want him or her to see. If you can't explain that the person you've hired to work on your photo, then you're not going to get the results you want. So it helps to know the basics yourself, so that you can then provide instructions that make sense and achieve what you want.

[comprock]

If you're still looking for a photo editor, Two Mann Studios, the 2015 wedding photographers of the year, gives props to Montreal's Image Salon.

I'm considering contacting them for a couple of hours of private lessons. It's helpful that there shop is only 30 minutes away.

GET STARTED | The Image Salon

[redcat]

GET STARTED | The Image Salon

Thanks ^^ it's very interesting !
Their retouch are specified there :
Basic

• Customizable look for your studio
• Color correction
• Brightness and contrast
• Conversion to B&W

Basic+

• Customizable look for your studio
• Color correction
• Brightness and contrast
• Conversion to B&W
• Burning and dodging
• Noise reduction and sharpening
• Cropping

Best

• Customizable look for your studio
• Color correction
• Brightness and contrast
• Conversion to B&W
• Burning and dodging
• Noise reduction and sharpening
• Cropping
• Super rich and vibrant tones
• Basic skin retouching