Why, Oh WHY, does it take so long to get my photos?
(photo credit: simplydamon.wordpress.com, courtesy of Google images)
We hear this question from time to time…not only from our clients but from people we know. Understandably, people who have professional photos taken are eager to see the results. Especially in today’s fast-paced, give-it-to-me-now world, we expect instant gratification.
When consulting with your photographer, it is important that timeline expectations are stated clearly. Yes, sometimes things happen, but more often than not you should expect that your photos will be delivered when promised. You also need to be realistic and plan ahead if you need photos for a certain event or time. In terms of time, less is not more…it’s less.
Consider for a moment what goes into your professional photos. First, you must select a shoot date that is agreeable to both client and photographer. Once the shoot has happened, your photographer must professionally edit each individual image. Some photographers outsource this service, but in our opinion it’s better handled in-house. It allows you to be more creative in the final product. Either way, SOMEONE has to handle each image. In a typical session, we will shoot 500 images. Not all of those end up “worthy” but each has to be handled – either edited for your review or removed from viable images. If you spend an average of only two minutes per image, that’s over 16 hours of editing time.
After that, images are typically loaded to an online gallery or sent to the lab for the purpose of printing a proof book. Even labs with quick turnaround times will take at least a week for delivery. Once you have your proofs, you have the daunting task of picking your favorites. Often, clients like to show their galleries/proof books to friends and family for additional opinions. All of this takes time.
Once you’ve chosen your photos and placed your order with your photographer, he or she will make final edits and submit your order. Again, depending on the number of images and type of products you choose, this can take a few days or several weeks. (For instance, if you are ordering an album, you select the images and then your photographer will lay out the album. Once the design is complete, you must review the final design and make any changes before it’s sent to print.) Once your order is finalized it will take at least two weeks (usually up to six weeks for albums) for printing and delivery.
So, let’s say for example you would like to have your finished products by May 1st. If you are only ordering prints, you should allow AT LEAST a month for the process meaning that you would need to schedule your shoot no later than April 1st. If you are ordering an album and prints you should allow twice that amount of time, meaning that your shoot should occur no later than March 1st.
These are only suggestions and you should always check with your photographer for specific guidelines regarding time. And, the point of this information is not to familiarize you with the “plight of the photographer.” Indeed, we love what we do or we wouldn’t be doing it. It just hopefully provides you with some insight regarding the post-production process and helps you better plan ahead. No photographer enjoys delaying the process or disappointing clients. With clearly stated expectations and a little information, you can have the photo shoot and products that you want, when you expect them.
