If you had told me when I was a kid that one day I would be a private photo editor, I would have looked at you like you were crazy because one –  I was five,  two – I had no idea what a private photo editor was, and three –  I was dead set on becoming a veterinarian. 

Even if you would have told me seven years ago that I would one day be a private photo editor, I probably wouldn’t have listened to you because I was knee-deep in a sea of crayons, gluesticks, and writing fake elementary school lesson plans for my college courses. 

The truth is until about 4 years ago, I had absolutely no idea what a private photo editor was or that the job even existed. It wasn’t until I invested in some online photography courses and joined the corresponding Facebook groups that I even learned that a private photo editor was a thing – And even then I was extremely confused. 

Editing had always been my favorite part of the photography process, so I was really confused as to why anyone would want to hand that part over to someone else.  But the idea of being a private photo editor really struck me. Editing instead of shooting, sounded like a dream come true, and after putting in some real hard work, I was able to launch my own editing company.

Maybe you’re like I was. Confused about what a private photo editor is, and all that is entailed with working with one, or if you need one. I get it. It can be overwhelming. 

But I got your back. Using the skills I learned getting that degree in education, I’m pulling out an old elementary school teaching technique to help cover all the bases of what you need to know when it comes to private photo editing. Remember when you learned how to find the 5Ws and an H when dissecting a text? Well, I’m doing the same thing over here.

Over the next few weeks, I’m going over all things private photo editing related. Who & What is a private photo editor; When to find a private editor; Where & How to find a private photo editor; Why you need a private photo editor.

I thought the best way to start this series would be to actually define and describe who and what a private photo editor is. So I decided to mash who and what together because it made the most sense in my head. 

First off, let’s define private photo editor: 

A private photo editor comes alongside a photographer and edits a bulk of the photos according to the photographer’s style. 

I know that it’s a pretty generic statement. But I think when people hear Photo Editor, they think, “Oh this person works in Photoshop all day, and removes wrinkles, and random people in the background.” 

While it’s true that some private photo editors do offer some photoshopping, it’s not the main part of what the editor offers. 

A private photo editor spends most of their day in Lightroom Classic, editing a photographer’s work, to match the photographer's style. 

When working with a private photo editor you’re getting more than just someone that can move some sliders in Lightroom Classic. You’re getting so much more.  

A private photo editor is a 

• Color and Style Matching Expert
• Consistency Queen (or King)
• Lightroom Classic Magician
• Your Second Pair of Eyes 
• Photo Biz Bestie 

Color and Style Matching Expert 

Why would you want to hire someone who disregards your style and you end up editing everything again? Oh wait, you wouldn’t. 

When you hire a private photo editor, you're hiring a style-matching professional. Their goal when it comes to editing your photos is to match them to your current style. 

Most editors are going to ask you to send in pre-edited images with each set of photos you submit. These photos are most likely going to be called anchor images because they’re setting the foundation, vibe, and stylistic direction of the set of photos you’re sending over to be edited. I personally ask my clients to pre-edit 10-20% of their photos. The exact number of pre-edited images varies depending on how many lighting and major camera changes happen within the set of photos you’re sending over to have edited. 

The editor is going to use those anchor images to make sure that the exposure, tones, shadows, highlights, and color of the unedited photos match up as closely as possible with your pre-edited images. 

So when you hire a private editor you're getting more than just someone moving some sliders around. You’re getting someone who is studying your style and trying to emulate it across your other photos. 

Consistency Queen or King

This point goes along with the color matching expert. When you outsource your editing to private editors they are on a mission to help you create a consistent style across not only the current session or wedding that is being edited but also all your photos. 

When you work with a photo editor for a while they will start getting more comfortable with your style and they’ll be able to help you maintain your editing style throughout all sessions. 

Lightroom Classic Magicians

A common misconception that people outside of the creative industry have is that private photo editor just Photoshop images all day. The truth is, most Private Photo Editors aren’t spending their days in Photoshop, but in Lightroom Classic instead. 

I have a phrase on my website that says “You didn’t start your business to spend 8 hours a day in Lightroom Classic, but I did”. 

While many photographers get overwhelmed and annoyed with the wonderful editing software, Photo Editors love it! 

I get it, Lightroom is a big application and there are a lot of functions within it. I spend countless hours in the application every week, and I’m still discovering things it can do. A photo editor is going to have tricks up their sleeve to help speed up the process of working within Lightroom and may be able to help you find some ways to edit your photos differently to achieve the look you desire. 

Photo Biz Bestie

A private photo editor wants you to succeed. I love seeing my clients’ businesses grow and I love that I get to be a part of their journey. I have clients reach out to me asking for opinions on their edits, and I love that I get to help them create a style that they're trying to achieve. 

Second Pair of Eyes 

Having an editor lets you have a second person with photo knowledge look over your photos. 

After working with an editor for a while, they’ll get to know your style better and will be able to pinpoint if something looks off and isn’t consistent with your work and will most likely try to help you get it all to look consistent. 

Also sometimes it is nice to have a second set of eyes to notice anything that looks off in an image. To name a few, I’ve let photographers know of awkward sweat stains and an adorable image of a kiddo with a goat pooping right next to her. 

In all, a private editor is more than just a button-clicking robot. They want the best for their clients and take pride in helping their clients reach exciting goals and delivering beautiful photos. 

Join me next week when I tackle the fun topic of when you know it’s time to hire an editor.