There are many amazing reasons why you would want to become a Private Photo Editor.
No matter who you are, your reasons will likely look slightly different from the next person. Some people dream of being able to work from home so they can continue being stay-at-home moms. Others may be looking to earn a little extra spending money for the family vacation.
But all Private Photo Editors almost always have one thing in common: a deep desire to create a career they love to wake up to.
When I made the decision four years ago to put down my camera and become a Private Photo Editor, I had no idea just how much my life would change. This career has brought so many changes, big and small – but, that’s for another post. 😉
The whole reason for creating an entirely new website separate from my Portrait Photography business was to be able to establish a space to dedicate completely to Private Photo Editing. A space where I can encourage and empower others to learn the skills they need in order to find the freedom and flexibility in their career that they deserve.
So, let’s dive in!
Discover Your Niche & Ideal Client
This is an easy step that beginner photo editors tend to skip – don’t! If you want to build a profitable business that is built from long-term success, you’re going to want to find your niche.
There are two primary categories that each have sub-categories. These two categories are Wedding Photography and Portrait Photography. While wedding photography is self-explanatory, portrait photography can include families, high school seniors, headshots and branding, pets, real-estate, newborns, and more.
To determine your niche, think about what you enjoy seeing pictures of. After all, you’ll be staring at these images day in and day out, so make it something that brings you joy.
When finding your niche, you’ll also want to consider the size and frequency of the galleries you’ll be receiving to edit. Wedding photography will be large galleries (anywhere from 800-1,200 images), and you’ll receive fewer galleries. This means less galleries to keep track of, which helps you streamline your workflow more easily.
Portrait photographers have smaller galleries (typically 50-200 images). Mini sessions, which are common for portrait photographers, are often even smaller at around 10-20 images. You’ll be receiving many galleries a year, so making sure that you have a clearly defined workflow in place in a must. This niche would definitely be for those Private Photo Editors who thrive on organization and planning.
Once you know your niche, you’ll want to begin targeting your ideal client. This includes, but is not limited to, editing style, full-time or part-time photographers, personality, professionalism, etc.
When discovering your ideal editing style, again, think about the types of images you enjoy looking at. Do you typically gravitate toward darker or lighter styles? Film or film-look?
I give more in-depth instructions for finding your ideal client in my FREE Quick Start Guide. Just plug in your email, and get it straight to your inbox!
Determine Your Services & Rates
Before you dive into creating a brand and putting workflows and systems in place, I would highly recommend defining your services and rates. Doing this first will help you to better visualize your financial goals – setting you up for better success.
There are two different ways that Private Photo Editors can choose to charge for their services: per image or per job.
Per image invoicing is most popular when you are handling larger galleries. This is more common in wedding photography. Private Photo Editor can charge anywhere from $0.24 – $0.45 per image.
A Private Photo Editor can make anywhere from $200 – $400 per wedding based on an average gallery of 750 images. That means, you would have a monthly earning potential of $1,000 – $8,000 depending on what your goals are.
Other ways that Private Photo Editor may charge is a monthly subscription/retainer or a per gallery rate. This is more common when working with Portrait Photographers who have a higher quantity of small galleries.
Learn how to lay out your financial goals, and determine exactly how many clients you’ll need to achieve those goals in my Private Photo Editing Mentorships. Together, we’ll walk through step-by-step so you understand exactly how to create a financial plan as a Private Photo Editor.
Download our FREE Quick Start Guide to learn more about how to become a Private Photo Editor.
Learn & Refine Your Skills
It’s normal to feel scared. As my husband always says, “If it doesn’t scare you, then it’s not worth doing.”
Like with any career, you have to invest both with your time and financially to become good at it. That’s what it is so important to be proactive in learning through education from those who have gone before you. The more you learn, the more you practice, the more refined your skills will be.
That’s why finding an educational program, such as a one-on-one mentorship, can be a crucial start to beginning your career as a Private Photo Editor.
That’s exactly what I offer to my students. A one-on-one educational experience for anyone seeking to build a career of their own as a Private Photo Editor.
Everyone has to refine their editing skills. Just because I was a professional portrait photographer before I was an editor, doesn’t mean that I had it easier. Editing your own photos is one thing, but editing someone else’s is a whole new ball game.
During my mentorships, I will be teaching all the ins and outs of editing in Lightroom – including tricks of the trade that have taken me years to figure out for myself. Your editing skills are important. That’s why I’ve dedicated 1/3 of the mentorship to focus completely on Lightroom and building your editing skills.
Create Your Brand & Build Your Online Presence
Last, but certainly not least, you’ll want to have a clear vision of your brand so that you can begin building an online presence that will attract your dream clients.
One of the mistakes I’ve made in the past is thinking that I had to do this all on my own. Well, that’s not true. I may be creative behind a camera, but when it comes to design, I’ll admit that I don’t have an eye for it. I would spend hours, days, and months trying to design a brand that I thought represented me well. Then I would change it again the very next year.
Finding a professional brand designer who can help you focus in on your aesthetic will have you feeling more confident and professional faster. Not to mention, with a lot less stress.
After you’ve established your brand, you’ll want to take those branding elements and utilize them in every online platform you’ve got. Instagram and Facebook are two of the biggest platforms for you to use to get seen. Spend time creating a profile that will attract your ideal clients.
Invest in professional headshots. Your clients will want to put a face to the company. Remember, being a Private Photo Editor is a virtual career. It’s incredibly easy to be less seen when you work behind a computer all day, and communicate to your clients via email.
And one last little piece of advice, if I may. Don’t get discouraged. Building a business can be incredibly overwhelming. It takes time, courage, and a lot of hustle. Every person’s journey will look completely different from the next. Embrace the journey, my friends. Stay true to yourself, be in constant prayer, and success will find you.
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