Where to hire someone to do post processing?

Mach · 10-10-2018, 03:40 AM

Photography is my hobby.
Few folks want some of my photos.
Instead of learning post processing I was looking to hire someone to help me.
Where's a good place to look?
Is there a sight I could link the photos so my family can download them for free and still have a quality image to print?

I have PS and lightroom and I do ok with it but I'm wide open with my career and other life stuff.

**BigMackCam** · 10-10-2018, 03:53 AM - **1 Like**

A lot of the photo processing services I see appear to be doing nothing more than applying presets to a batch of photos - e.g. auto exposure, auto white balance, a bump in contrast and clarity, perhaps slight tone curve adjustment, noise reduction and sharpening. Depending on the service provider, pricing seems to be a few dollars and upwards, per photo, for that basic level of processing. Anything more involved, and you're looking at quite a significantly higher cost per photo. Proper re-touching services are (quite rightly) expensive because it's something of an art in itself.

It's so easy and quick - less than ten minutes' work - for you to create a Lightroom preset of your own that does all of the basic processing I described, then you can apply that to a batch of your own photos whenever you need to. Occasionally, you might have to tweak one or two photos a little more - for instance, where the auto exposure or white balance haven't quite worked; but for the majority of your photos, just one preset will work pretty well. You'll save yourself a lot of money for barely any work, especially since you already have the software.

May I ask, what's your budget per photograph?

steve_k · 10-10-2018, 03:57 AM

I use SmugMug for my family and friends to download my photos. They can also purchase prints if they choose. It’s like $5 a month.

As to post processing. Lightroom is very easy to use and you should be able to knock out a photo in 5 to 10 minutes. The best judge of what you are looking for is you. If you are certain you want someone else to do it. Look at the film processing labs. They offer the service for their scans. They maybe willing to do it for your dng files.

Mach · 10-10-2018, 05:40 AM

Thanks, I have a few presets but I'm really not into post processing. I never printed any of my photos.

I haven't thought of a budget. I wasn't sure if freelancers might be a choice and where to find them. I was going to reach out. These are not fine art but something someone could print from walmart or another place.
I know this seems simple for some but it seems cumbersome to me. I'd like to find someone with a better eye than me.

foto guy · 10-10-2018, 06:18 AM - **1 Like**

You could try a freelancer site like Upwork.
Upwork - Hire Freelancers & Get Freelance Jobs Online

dsmithhfx · 10-10-2018, 06:20 AM

Originally posted by Mach

Photography is my hobby.
Few folks want some of my photos.
Instead of learning post processing I was looking to hire someone to help me.
Where's a good place to look?
Is there a sight I could link the photos so my family can download them for free and still have a quality image to print?

I have PS and lightroom and I do ok with it but I'm wide open with my career and other life stuff.

A quick google on "photo retouching" will turn up many local and global services for hire. I imagine the price spread is from infeasibly cheap to eye-watering. A lot depends on what your photographs are of (e.g. landscapes/street/portraits/candid/weddings/family), the out-of-camera quality, and exactly what, subjective 'enhancements' you are looking for. Bear in mind that print consistency from e.g. Walmart is likely all over the map.

I suggest you try one of the services. If you don't like the result, try another.

Mach · 10-10-2018, 06:35 AM

Thanks!

What service has better consistency than walmart? Again I'm new to this.
I know monitors and print shops have different calibrations.

The BIG picture is to one day to sell my photos but for now it's free for digital download. I guess I don't want to throw crap out there for people to download. Its embarrassing.

**zippythezip** · 10-10-2018, 06:53 AM

I love taking photos but hate PP.

I use DXO photo lab, for any RAW shots, it auto downloads the camera and lens info and in seconds its done. I look at what they think it should look at and sometimes I adjust the sliders for black etc, another few seconds and I am done. Try the free demo some time?

I also shoot in JPEG and use DXO or even Photoscape as its free.
That's why I enjoy my Olympus EM10 cameras, make adjustments in the viewfinder, shoot JPEG and done.
Now my shots are not great, but they are all done the easy way with no fake things added =)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/133712283@N03/

dsmithhfx · 10-10-2018, 06:58 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Mach

Thanks!

What service has better consistency than walmart? Again I'm new to this.
I know monitors and print shops have different calibrations.

The BIG picture is to one day to sell my photos but for now it's free for digital download. I guess I don't want to throw crap out there for people to download. Its embarrassing.

Safest is to output your files as sRGB jpegs, most printers are supposed to do a reasonably decent job of matching those. Aim for ~240ppi resolution at print size. You will have absolutely no control over what device people will be previewing, and choosing your pictures on. Total crap shoot.

**BigMackCam** · 10-10-2018, 07:18 AM

^^^ I agree.

If you're not going to post-process your photos, let the camera do the work. Either shoot sRGB JPEG at the highest quality setting, or shoot raw + JPEG so you at least have a copy of the raw file to keep, should you ever decide to carry out even basic post-processing yourself.

Bear in mind, post-processing isn't just for making your photos print-ready. It's equally important if you're going to be viewing files on your PC screen. But if you don't want the hassle, let the camera do it for you with JPEG.

runswithsizzers · 10-10-2018, 08:09 AM - **2 Likes**

Originally posted by Mach

Thanks!

What service has better consistency than walmart? Again I'm new to this.
I know monitors and print shops have different calibrations.

The BIG picture is to one day to sell my photos but for now it's free for digital download. I guess I don't want to throw crap out there for people to download. Its embarrassing.

As for a website where friends and family can download/buy your photos, I second the suggestion by steve_k to consider SmugMug. It's not a free service for you, but your friends and family will not be distacted by annoying advertising and promotions like with some other services. The service is free for your visitors, and does not require your visitors to register.

You can set permissions to allow your visitors to download images, or they can buy prints directly from the SmugMug website. SmugMug's cost per photo is only a few pennies more than WalMart (not counting shipping). Years ago, I did a comparison test by sending the same files out for printing to several different online print services. At that time my test results put SmugMug in the top two out of the 5 or 6 services I tested. I haven't ordered any prints lately, but I trust SmugMug more than WalMart to provide consistent quality.

If you want to sell photos for profit later, you can upgrade your SmugMug account to do that too.

As for your other problem, I wonder if post processing is really necessary for friends and family snapshots? My first suggestion would to stop taking "crap" photos. I am not trying to be a jerk, but seriously, get your camera settings correct, and with good technique, the out of camera JPEGs shouldn't need much post processing, if any. In my experience, friends and family are much less critical than we photographers, and straight out of camera JPEGs should be "good enough" for that audience.

Personally, it's easier for me to get my shots "close" in the camera, and finish the job in Lightroom, but I don't mind the digital darkroom part. If you really hate Lightroom, devote a little extra time and effort into taking pictures that don't need Lightroom.

If you really do have aspirations of selling your photos for profit, you are going to have to make your peace with post processing sooner or later. I can't imagine any pro hiring out their editing for both creative and financial reasons. If selling is your goal, perhaps you should consider devoting a certain amount of time each day to post processing until you are comfortable with it? A sort of self-assigned back-to-school class.

dsmithhfx · 10-10-2018, 08:31 AM

Originally posted by runswithsizzers

As for a website where friends and family can download/buy your photos, I second the suggestion by steve_k to consider SmugMug. It's not a free service for you, but your friends and family will not be distacted by annoying advertising and promotions like with some other services. The service is free for your visitors, and does not require your visitors to register.

You can set permissions to allow your visitors to download images, or they can buy prints directly from the SmugMug website. SmugMug's cost per photo is only a few pennies more than WalMart (not counting shipping). Years ago, I did a comparison test by sending the same files out for printing to several different online print services. At that time my test results put SmugMug in the top two out of the 5 or 6 services I tested. I haven't ordered any prints lately, but I trust SmugMug more than WalMart to provide consistent quality.

If you want to sell photos for profit later, you can upgrade your SmugMug account to do that too.

As for your other problem, I wonder if post processing is really necessary for friends and family snapshots? My first suggestion would to stop taking "crap" photos. I am not trying to be a jerk, but seriously, get your camera settings correct, and with good technique, the out of camera JPEGs shouldn't need much post processing, if any. In my experience, friends and family are much less critical than we photographers, and straight out of camera JPEGs should be "good enough" for that audience.

Personally, it's easier for me to get my shots "close" in the camera, and finish the job in Lightroom, but I don't mind the digital darkroom part. If you really hate Lightroom, devote a little extra time and effort into taking pictures that don't need Lightroom.

If you really do have aspirations of selling your photos for profit, you are going to have to make your peace with post processing sooner or later. I can't imagine any pro hiring out their editing for both creative and financial reasons. If selling is your goal, perhaps you should consider devoting a certain amount of time each day to post processing until you are comfortable with it? A sort of self-assigned back-to-school class.

Yeah, my wife uses a Canon A10 point-and-shoot, and does no PP. The apparent quality is more than acceptable for snapshots of family and friends.

Mach · 10-10-2018, 08:32 AM

Originally posted by runswithsizzers

As for a website where friends and family can download/buy your photos, I second the suggestion by steve_k to consider SmugMug. It's not a free service for you, but your friends and family will not be distacted by annoying advertising and promotions like with some other services. The service is free for your visitors, and does not require your visitors to register.

You can set permissions to allow your visitors to download images, or they can buy prints directly from the SmugMug website. SmugMug's cost per photo is only a few pennies more than WalMart (not counting shipping). Years ago, I did a comparison test by sending the same files out for printing to several different online print services. At that time my test results put SmugMug in the top two out of the 5 or 6 services I tested. I haven't ordered any prints lately, but I trust SmugMug more than WalMart to provide consistent quality.

If you want to sell photos for profit later, you can upgrade your SmugMug account to do that too.

As for your other problem, I wonder if post processing is really necessary for friends and family snapshots? My first suggestion would to stop taking "crap" photos. I am not trying to be a jerk, but seriously, get your camera settings correct, and with good technique, the out of camera JPEGs shouldn't need much post processing, if any. In my experience, friends and family are much less critical than we photographers, and straight out of camera JPEGs should be "good enough" for that audience.

Personally, it's easier for me to get my shots "close" in the camera, and finish the job in Lightroom, but I don't mind the digital darkroom part. If you really hate Lightroom, devote a little extra time and effort into taking pictures that don't need Lightroom.

If you really do have aspirations of selling your photos for profit, you are going to have to make your peace with post processing sooner or later. I can't imagine any pro hiring out their editing for both creative and financial reasons. If selling is your goal, perhaps you should consider devoting a certain amount of time each day to post processing until you are comfortable with it? A sort of self-assigned back-to-school class.

Your right about stop taking crap photos.

They are good and my biggest fault is I'm a perfectionist. I'll look into smugmug and try a few prints.
The biggest step is to do something. Maybe I'm over analyzing this.

Thanks everyone.

mcgregni · 10-10-2018, 09:22 AM

Why not build on the suggestion above to use JPEG mode on your camera ..... you can take further control over the results with the camera Custom Image Controls. They are there precisely for the purpose of tailoring the style of output to certain types or genres of photography (landscape, portrait for example). Take a test shot of something that has a good contrast range, lots of colour and detail, then look at it on your camera LCD screen while adjusting the various Custom Image Sliders. You'll see the photo change bit by bit as you look. Choose the look that you feel best enhances the image, then stick with those settings when taking similar types of photos.

If you are careful with exposure and white balance control at capture, then your photos will mostly come out of the camera ready for viewing and printing without any further editing needed.

runswithsizzers · 10-10-2018, 09:52 AM

Originally posted by Mach

Your right about stop taking crap photos.

They are good and my biggest fault is I'm a perfectionist. I'll look into smugmug and try a few prints.
The biggest step is to do something. Maybe I'm over analyzing this.

Thanks everyone.

What are the chances that a 'perfectionist' is going to be satisfied with the results of someone else editing their photos? The 'perfect' version of your photo, as you see it in your mind, is quite likely very different from another person's version of perfection. And different still from Adobe's algorithms designed to deliver their automated versions of perfection.

If you are a perfectionist, digital darkroom is your friend, and it should be you at the controls.

Some people who hate Lightroom spend a lot of time learning how to tweak their camera settings to get their vision of perfection straight out of the camera. And that is doable; a valid approach. But for me, I'd rather not spend my shooting time trying to dial in the perfect color balance while judging the result on my camera's tiny screen. I can do a better job of it on my computer screen at home.

For the average photo, I probably spend 2 or 3 minutes fine tuning it in Lightroom, including the time it takes to write captions and assign keywords.

By the way, if you go the SmugMug route, there is an excellent SmugMug plugin for Lightroom that makes it easy to create, upload and manage your SmugMug albums from within Lightroom. If I upload a photo to my SmugMug website, then later decide I need to edit it in Lightroom, with two clicks I can re-publish the image so the edits show up online.

As you probably know, it's not trivial figuring out how all this stuff works, expecially if you are stressed for time. I really struggled for months learning how to use Lightroom, setting up my SmugMug site, etc. But if you put in your time, it gets easier.

10-10-2018, 03:40 AM	#1
Mach Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: PA/SC Posts: 47	Where to hire someone to do post processing? Photography is my hobby. Few folks want some of my photos. Instead of learning post processing I was looking to hire someone to help me. Where's a good place to look? Is there a sight I could link the photos so my family can download them for free and still have a quality image to print? I have PS and lightroom and I do ok with it but I'm wide open with my career and other life stuff.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Best of 2016 Best of 2016: There's time... (someone rest, someone goes)	elioloba	Post Your Photos!	7	07-21-2018 08:08 AM
Thematic Post-Processing Post Processing Challenge #258 - Harvard	tuggie76	Mini-Challenges, Games, and Photo Stories	11	05-24-2018 12:39 PM
Uk Lens Hire	freehighlander	Pentax DSLR Discussion	6	06-04-2014 03:17 PM
TP asks businesses not to hire	Lex Madera	General Talk	7	10-25-2011 11:42 AM
Indian Call Centers Hire in U.S.	stevewig	General Talk	4	05-23-2011 07:22 AM

10-10-2018, 03:53 AM - 1 Like	#2
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,681	A lot of the photo processing services I see appear to be doing nothing more than applying presets to a batch of photos - e.g. auto exposure, auto white balance, a bump in contrast and clarity, perhaps slight tone curve adjustment, noise reduction and sharpening. Depending on the service provider, pricing seems to be a few dollars and upwards, per photo, for that basic level of processing. Anything more involved, and you're looking at quite a significantly higher cost per photo. Proper re-touching services are (quite rightly) expensive because it's something of an art in itself. It's so easy and quick - less than ten minutes' work - for you to create a Lightroom preset of your own that does all of the basic processing I described, then you can apply that to a batch of your own photos whenever you need to. Occasionally, you might have to tweak one or two photos a little more - for instance, where the auto exposure or white balance haven't quite worked; but for the majority of your photos, just one preset will work pretty well. You'll save yourself a lot of money for barely any work, especially since you already have the software. May I ask, what's your budget per photograph?

10-10-2018, 03:57 AM	#3
steve_k Site Supporter Join Date: Dec 2016 Location: Shelton, CT Photos: Albums Posts: 708	I use SmugMug for my family and friends to download my photos. They can also purchase prints if they choose. It’s like $5 a month. As to post processing. Lightroom is very easy to use and you should be able to knock out a photo in 5 to 10 minutes. The best judge of what you are looking for is you. If you are certain you want someone else to do it. Look at the film processing labs. They offer the service for their scans. They maybe willing to do it for your dng files.

10-10-2018, 05:40 AM	#4
Mach Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: PA/SC Posts: 47 Original Poster	Thanks, I have a few presets but I'm really not into post processing. I never printed any of my photos. I haven't thought of a budget. I wasn't sure if freelancers might be a choice and where to find them. I was going to reach out. These are not fine art but something someone could print from walmart or another place. I know this seems simple for some but it seems cumbersome to me. I'd like to find someone with a better eye than me.

10-10-2018, 06:18 AM - 1 Like	#5
foto guy Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Vernon, Connecticut Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 292	You could try a freelancer site like Upwork. Upwork - Hire Freelancers & Get Freelance Jobs Online

10-10-2018, 06:20 AM	#6
dsmithhfx Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Toronto Posts: 5,151	Originally posted by Mach Photography is my hobby. Few folks want some of my photos. Instead of learning post processing I was looking to hire someone to help me. Where's a good place to look? Is there a sight I could link the photos so my family can download them for free and still have a quality image to print? I have PS and lightroom and I do ok with it but I'm wide open with my career and other life stuff. A quick google on "photo retouching" will turn up many local and global services for hire. I imagine the price spread is from infeasibly cheap to eye-watering. A lot depends on what your photographs are of (e.g. landscapes/street/portraits/candid/weddings/family), the out-of-camera quality, and exactly what, subjective 'enhancements' you are looking for. Bear in mind that print consistency from e.g. Walmart is likely all over the map. I suggest you try one of the services. If you don't like the result, try another.

10-10-2018, 06:35 AM	#7
Mach Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: PA/SC Posts: 47 Original Poster	Thanks! What service has better consistency than walmart? Again I'm new to this. I know monitors and print shops have different calibrations. The BIG picture is to one day to sell my photos but for now it's free for digital download. I guess I don't want to throw crap out there for people to download. Its embarrassing.

10-10-2018, 06:53 AM	#8
zippythezip Site Supporter Join Date: May 2014 Location: Springhill Nova Scotia Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 397	I love taking photos but hate PP. I use DXO photo lab, for any RAW shots, it auto downloads the camera and lens info and in seconds its done. I look at what they think it should look at and sometimes I adjust the sliders for black etc, another few seconds and I am done. Try the free demo some time? I also shoot in JPEG and use DXO or even Photoscape as its free. That's why I enjoy my Olympus EM10 cameras, make adjustments in the viewfinder, shoot JPEG and done. Now my shots are not great, but they are all done the easy way with no fake things added =) https://www.flickr.com/photos/133712283@N03/

10-10-2018, 06:58 AM - 1 Like	#9
dsmithhfx Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Toronto Posts: 5,151	Originally posted by Mach Thanks! What service has better consistency than walmart? Again I'm new to this. I know monitors and print shops have different calibrations. The BIG picture is to one day to sell my photos but for now it's free for digital download. I guess I don't want to throw crap out there for people to download. Its embarrassing. Safest is to output your files as sRGB jpegs, most printers are supposed to do a reasonably decent job of matching those. Aim for ~240ppi resolution at print size. You will have absolutely no control over what device people will be previewing, and choosing your pictures on. Total crap shoot.

10-10-2018, 07:18 AM	#10
BigMackCam Digitiser of Film Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: North East of England Posts: 20,681	^^^ I agree. If you're not going to post-process your photos, let the camera do the work. Either shoot sRGB JPEG at the highest quality setting, or shoot raw + JPEG so you at least have a copy of the raw file to keep, should you ever decide to carry out even basic post-processing yourself. Bear in mind, post-processing isn't just for making your photos print-ready. It's equally important if you're going to be viewing files on your PC screen. But if you don't want the hassle, let the camera do it for you with JPEG.

10-10-2018, 08:09 AM - 2 Likes	#11
runswithsizzers Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: USA Posts: 186	Originally posted by Mach Thanks! What service has better consistency than walmart? Again I'm new to this. I know monitors and print shops have different calibrations. The BIG picture is to one day to sell my photos but for now it's free for digital download. I guess I don't want to throw crap out there for people to download. Its embarrassing. As for a website where friends and family can download/buy your photos, I second the suggestion by steve_k to consider SmugMug. It's not a free service for you, but your friends and family will not be distacted by annoying advertising and promotions like with some other services. The service is free for your visitors, and does not require your visitors to register. You can set permissions to allow your visitors to download images, or they can buy prints directly from the SmugMug website. SmugMug's cost per photo is only a few pennies more than WalMart (not counting shipping). Years ago, I did a comparison test by sending the same files out for printing to several different online print services. At that time my test results put SmugMug in the top two out of the 5 or 6 services I tested. I haven't ordered any prints lately, but I trust SmugMug more than WalMart to provide consistent quality. If you want to sell photos for profit later, you can upgrade your SmugMug account to do that too. As for your other problem, I wonder if post processing is really necessary for friends and family snapshots? My first suggestion would to stop taking "crap" photos. I am not trying to be a jerk, but seriously, get your camera settings correct, and with good technique, the out of camera JPEGs shouldn't need much post processing, if any. In my experience, friends and family are much less critical than we photographers, and straight out of camera JPEGs should be "good enough" for that audience. Personally, it's easier for me to get my shots "close" in the camera, and finish the job in Lightroom, but I don't mind the digital darkroom part. If you really hate Lightroom, devote a little extra time and effort into taking pictures that don't need Lightroom. If you really do have aspirations of selling your photos for profit, you are going to have to make your peace with post processing sooner or later. I can't imagine any pro hiring out their editing for both creative and financial reasons. If selling is your goal, perhaps you should consider devoting a certain amount of time each day to post processing until you are comfortable with it? A sort of self-assigned back-to-school class.

10-10-2018, 08:31 AM	#12
dsmithhfx Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2015 Location: Toronto Posts: 5,151	Originally posted by runswithsizzers As for a website where friends and family can download/buy your photos, I second the suggestion by steve_k to consider SmugMug. It's not a free service for you, but your friends and family will not be distacted by annoying advertising and promotions like with some other services. The service is free for your visitors, and does not require your visitors to register. You can set permissions to allow your visitors to download images, or they can buy prints directly from the SmugMug website. SmugMug's cost per photo is only a few pennies more than WalMart (not counting shipping). Years ago, I did a comparison test by sending the same files out for printing to several different online print services. At that time my test results put SmugMug in the top two out of the 5 or 6 services I tested. I haven't ordered any prints lately, but I trust SmugMug more than WalMart to provide consistent quality. If you want to sell photos for profit later, you can upgrade your SmugMug account to do that too. As for your other problem, I wonder if post processing is really necessary for friends and family snapshots? My first suggestion would to stop taking "crap" photos. I am not trying to be a jerk, but seriously, get your camera settings correct, and with good technique, the out of camera JPEGs shouldn't need much post processing, if any. In my experience, friends and family are much less critical than we photographers, and straight out of camera JPEGs should be "good enough" for that audience. Personally, it's easier for me to get my shots "close" in the camera, and finish the job in Lightroom, but I don't mind the digital darkroom part. If you really hate Lightroom, devote a little extra time and effort into taking pictures that don't need Lightroom. If you really do have aspirations of selling your photos for profit, you are going to have to make your peace with post processing sooner or later. I can't imagine any pro hiring out their editing for both creative and financial reasons. If selling is your goal, perhaps you should consider devoting a certain amount of time each day to post processing until you are comfortable with it? A sort of self-assigned back-to-school class. Yeah, my wife uses a Canon A10 point-and-shoot, and does no PP. The apparent quality is more than acceptable for snapshots of family and friends.

10-10-2018, 08:32 AM	#13
Mach Junior Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: PA/SC Posts: 47 Original Poster	Originally posted by runswithsizzers As for a website where friends and family can download/buy your photos, I second the suggestion by steve_k to consider SmugMug. It's not a free service for you, but your friends and family will not be distacted by annoying advertising and promotions like with some other services. The service is free for your visitors, and does not require your visitors to register. You can set permissions to allow your visitors to download images, or they can buy prints directly from the SmugMug website. SmugMug's cost per photo is only a few pennies more than WalMart (not counting shipping). Years ago, I did a comparison test by sending the same files out for printing to several different online print services. At that time my test results put SmugMug in the top two out of the 5 or 6 services I tested. I haven't ordered any prints lately, but I trust SmugMug more than WalMart to provide consistent quality. If you want to sell photos for profit later, you can upgrade your SmugMug account to do that too. As for your other problem, I wonder if post processing is really necessary for friends and family snapshots? My first suggestion would to stop taking "crap" photos. I am not trying to be a jerk, but seriously, get your camera settings correct, and with good technique, the out of camera JPEGs shouldn't need much post processing, if any. In my experience, friends and family are much less critical than we photographers, and straight out of camera JPEGs should be "good enough" for that audience. Personally, it's easier for me to get my shots "close" in the camera, and finish the job in Lightroom, but I don't mind the digital darkroom part. If you really hate Lightroom, devote a little extra time and effort into taking pictures that don't need Lightroom. If you really do have aspirations of selling your photos for profit, you are going to have to make your peace with post processing sooner or later. I can't imagine any pro hiring out their editing for both creative and financial reasons. If selling is your goal, perhaps you should consider devoting a certain amount of time each day to post processing until you are comfortable with it? A sort of self-assigned back-to-school class. Your right about stop taking crap photos. They are good and my biggest fault is I'm a perfectionist. I'll look into smugmug and try a few prints. The biggest step is to do something. Maybe I'm over analyzing this. Thanks everyone.

10-10-2018, 09:22 AM	#14
mcgregni Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Surrey, England Posts: 2,603	Why not build on the suggestion above to use JPEG mode on your camera ..... you can take further control over the results with the camera Custom Image Controls. They are there precisely for the purpose of tailoring the style of output to certain types or genres of photography (landscape, portrait for example). Take a test shot of something that has a good contrast range, lots of colour and detail, then look at it on your camera LCD screen while adjusting the various Custom Image Sliders. You'll see the photo change bit by bit as you look. Choose the look that you feel best enhances the image, then stick with those settings when taking similar types of photos. If you are careful with exposure and white balance control at capture, then your photos will mostly come out of the camera ready for viewing and printing without any further editing needed.

10-10-2018, 09:52 AM	#15
runswithsizzers Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: USA Posts: 186	Originally posted by Mach Your right about stop taking crap photos. They are good and my biggest fault is I'm a perfectionist. I'll look into smugmug and try a few prints. The biggest step is to do something. Maybe I'm over analyzing this. Thanks everyone. What are the chances that a 'perfectionist' is going to be satisfied with the results of someone else editing their photos? The 'perfect' version of your photo, as you see it in your mind, is quite likely very different from another person's version of perfection. And different still from Adobe's algorithms designed to deliver their automated versions of perfection. If you are a perfectionist, digital darkroom is your friend, and it should be you at the controls. Some people who hate Lightroom spend a lot of time learning how to tweak their camera settings to get their vision of perfection straight out of the camera. And that is doable; a valid approach. But for me, I'd rather not spend my shooting time trying to dial in the perfect color balance while judging the result on my camera's tiny screen. I can do a better job of it on my computer screen at home. For the average photo, I probably spend 2 or 3 minutes fine tuning it in Lightroom, including the time it takes to write captions and assign keywords. By the way, if you go the SmugMug route, there is an excellent SmugMug plugin for Lightroom that makes it easy to create, upload and manage your SmugMug albums from within Lightroom. If I upload a photo to my SmugMug website, then later decide I need to edit it in Lightroom, with two clicks I can re-publish the image so the edits show up online. As you probably know, it's not trivial figuring out how all this stuff works, expecially if you are stressed for time. I really struggled for months learning how to use Lightroom, setting up my SmugMug site, etc. But if you put in your time, it gets easier.