Tims Wedding Workflow

[tim]

Originally Posted by kona77

Absolutely fantastic post. How about a nice stuffed koala Tim.

You're thinking about the west island, also known as Australia

[mizuno]

Originally Posted by tim

You're thinking about the west island, also known as Australia

Yeah, over there they only have little flightless birds and sheep.

[tim]

Originally Posted by mizuno

Yeah, over there they only have little flightless birds and sheep.

The moa?

[kona77]

Originally Posted by tim

You're thinking about the west island, also known as Australia

Interesting, no koalas there. I think I will have to go to New Zealand to see for myself.

[sblais]

Hi Tim,

I have a quick question for you. This workflow is very good for proofs. Mine is actually quite similar but slightly different (for one, I prefer a good single-malt scotch instead of bourbon ) - to everyone their own!

I was just wondering how do you include albums in this workflow. Do you let your clients chose their favorite images, then do the montages from their selection for the album pages? Or do you propose something right off the bat, along with your proofs and let your clients propose modifications?

[tim]

Originally Posted by sblais

I was just wondering how do you include albums in this workflow. Do you let your clients chose their favorite images, then do the montages from their selection for the album pages? Or do you propose something right off the bat, along with your proofs and let your clients propose modifications?

This is my proof workflow, my album workflow is quite different, here it is really quickly. Customers can either choose their favorite 20 or so images for me to base the album on, or they can give me a list of images to try to get into an album. Either way I fully process all their selected images plus the images that I think need to be there, then go into PhotoJunction to design the album. I sometimes use templates, sometimes I don't. I don't always include every image they ask for in the initial design, sometimes their selections don't work together, but I work with the customer to get what they want.

Once the design is done I put it on the web for review, and change it if necessary - I usually go through 2-3 iterations. The customer is sent a printed proof to check and sign off on, they have to check all images are correct, names and dates are spelled correctly, and sign my album agreement to indicate the album is how they want it. The final touches are then done before the album is sent off to Queensberry.

[Grace]

That's a good question. I would like to know as well. I have always stated that it was the artist choice of final images for the album, but changes could be made. Not one person has ever complained but I am doing a wedding for a friend and she said she wants to choose all the images. That means i have to wait on her.

Thnks for all the info!~

[Grace]

you answered at the same time

[sblais]

hehe, Tim's on the ball! (he's not busy stalking "happy members" ) Many thanks for the info Tim!

[tim]

So far my album portfolio isn't too extensive, so i'm not pushing that I have full control. I base my business around doing what I would reasonably expect from any photographer I would hire to shoot my own wedding, and I would want to have at least some say in the image selection and album design. However saying that i'd choose the photographer with the style of photography and albums that I want.

Going forward, once I have more album experience, i'll tweak how I word things with customers to suggest that they give me more control over the album, but i'll always keep in mind what I would expect myself.

Right now I have 3 or 4 albums with Queensberry for production, including one matted studio sample, with perhaps 4 more customer albums to do when I get time. Those albums aren't cheap, but they're fantastic albums. I'll do a digital studio sample once I have the time and material, perhaps in winter.

[sblais]

Originally Posted by tim

So far my album portfolio isn't too extensive, so i'm not pushing that I have full control. I base my business around doing what I would reasonably expect from any photographer I would hire to shoot my own wedding, and I would want to have at least some say in the image selection and album design. However saying that i'd choose the photographer with the style of photography and albums that I want.

Same here... Just starting with albums this year, so this information, even though it may not be honed yet is still greatly appreciated!

[Grace]

nice reminder tim-

[johnstoy]

It's very unselfish and gentlemanly of you to share the basic foundations of your livelyhood...

I'm retired... However:
I for one, will apply and follow some of your sequencing during my first wedding shoot, in September...

The good news is, that I know and photograph, most of the participants in the upcomming ceremony... many since their births, and we get along quite nicely...so there will be some of them, who will help, in the end result...

Presently, I put extra pressure on myself to perform in a extra timely fashion, when post processing (straight RAW) results from concert venue shootings... which I do routinely, every week... Thereafter... I review my performance and results... And the next time, I only repeat what works to improve my time and quality of results...

I've skipped the night cap in recent years... but love every minute of this wonderful, but serious hobby...

[tim]

Originally Posted by johnstoy

It's very unselfish and gentlemanly of you to share the basic foundations of your livelyhood...

This is technician stuff, the foundations of my livelihood are the way I interact with people, the images I take, the post processing I do, and the albums I create. None of that's in here, but what is here is enough to give people a bit of a head start on the basic stuff

[johnstoy]

Originally Posted by tim

This is technician stuff, the foundations of my livelihood are the way I interact with people, the images I take, the post processing I do, and the albums I create. None of that's in here, but what is here is enough to give people a bit of a head start on the basic stuff

Well said Tim... Those other intricate parts of the job require individual creativity, personality and lots of "people" knowlege... improving in those "other" categories takes experience in working with clientele... A good listening ear helps... thanks for the heads up and helping me focus on the issues...