CLIFF NOTES ON HOW TO START
- Create a specific LR catalog for each project with smart previews.
- Time sync all images within a 10-second range.
- No presets or changes to original images.
- Zip the ENTIRE LR folder for smart previews and all folders inside.
- Use your ethernet cable plugged into your wifi extender.
- Upload to our shared dropbox account via the site, not app.
- Email us with catalog name in subject and job details.
- You get an email saying your job is complete.
- You download the SMART PREVIEW catalog only.
- You can see all of the 1 star selections.
- Invoices for completed jobs are sent at the end of each week.
We get it, sometimes you just want to jump in.
Scroll for detailed steps, tips and tricks.
The Step by Step GUIDE
To SEND And RECEIVE JOBS - Best Viewed on a computer screen
1
2
There are several, easy steps to send a wedding to us. Your initial steps are to dump all of your images and create a Light Room catalog specific to the project you are sending us. We will only be receiving and culling your smart previews of this catalog, not your original images. It is very important to make sure all of these images/cameras are time synced within 10 seconds. If your images are not time synced there will be a $39 charge for us to do it. We always want to work with your data and don't want to change it. We prefer you make sure all images and cameras are time synced.
Once you have created the catalog make sure to not put any presets on your gallery. Presets can make things very complicated on our end, we will not cull galleries with presets on them. You can opt to edit some previews, we will see this and select to include in the final cull. The catalog can not have any other color/star/other ratings on the images. It must be free and clear of everything but a few preview edits.
Before you go any further make sure you SAVE YOUR ORIGINAL FILES AND CATALOG IN MORE THAN ONE PLACE. You will need all of this to open what we send you back. You are only sending us a small preview of your files, we do not have access to originals and you will need originals to be able to open your LR catalog.
- Create a specific LR catalog for each project.
- Time sync all images within a 10-second range. ($39 fee if not done)
- No presets or changes to original images.
- Save all original files and LR catalog to more than one place.
Helpful Links and Tutorials
A general google search will help you with details about how to create a specific Lightroom catalog and time syncing. Here are some links that we found helpful.
VF presets tutorial on HOW TO CREATE A NEW LR CATALOG
SLR Lounge tutorial on HOW TO CREATE A NEW LR CATALOG AND IMPORT
Famau Media video on HOW TO TIME SYNC IMAGES IN LR
2
2
Your next step is to create a smart preview catalog in Lightroom. This is what you will send to us via dropbox. You have already received a link to our shared dropbox. You will send us a ZIPPED or COMPRESSED file here. You will zip/compress the entire LR file that contains the catalog of smart previews you created. If you send a regular LR catalog that is not smart previews it will never load because it is roo much data to send over the internet. When you send us the smart previews it is just a smaller jpeg of your original files.
You will upload the zipped file of the smart previews (remember to zip the ENTIRE file, all the folders inside of it!) to dropbox. When you start uploading you will send us an email with the job name (the same name as the LR catalog, usually the date and client name) and any notes you have about the job. For example: bride was very specific about wanting earring photos, mom was self conscious about her arms, child didn't smile in any photos but we tried, photos of bride and dad aren't well lit but are sentimental ect. We will not know you are sending a job if you do not send an email alerting us, dropbox does not notify us. If you need a rush job please confirm with us delivery time needed by before sending.
TIPS:
Purchase a wifi extender with an ethernet cable plug in option for uploading and downloading. You may have high internet speed but this simple step will resolve 98% of problems you may run into with sending catalogs! This $50 combination will make so many aspects of your photography business run more smoothly.
If you choose to download the dropbox app on your computer it will store all those files there also. For most photographers working off laptops with limited memory we DO NOT suggest this. We feel going to the website, not the app, combined with using an ethernet cable is the best option for no issues.
- Create a LR smart preview catalog with the date/client name.
- Zip the ENTIRE LR folder for smart previews and all folders inside.
- Use your ethernet cable plugged into your wifi extender.
- Upload to our shared dropbox account via the site, not app.
- Email us with catalog name in subject and job details.
Helpful Links and Tutorials
A general google search will help you with details about how to create a specific smart preview Lightroom catalog and basic dropbox tutorial. Here are some links that we found helpful.
Anthony Morganti video on HOW TO CREATE SMART PREVIEWS
Adobe tutorial on HOW TO CREATE SMART PREVIEWS
Howfinity video on DROPBOX FOR BEGINNERS
*note that we don't suggest using the dropbox app on your computer as it stores all those files on your computer.
3
2
We open your gallery and make sure things look ok. If we feel anything is off, perhaps the session or wedding is missing key elements, we will reach out to you and confirm before we get started. We then start to review your cull based on your custom profile and give the final images a 1 star rating.
Once we complete your cull we will compress and send back the SMART PREVIEWS catalog only. We do not send back the entire zipped folder. Since you have your originals you can easily open LR with this catalog only and it will link to all of you originals. This means your download time when getting images back is only a few minutes since it is a very small file.
We will send you an email to tell you the job is complete and is being uploaded. The email will include the final number of selected 1 star images so you can make sure things are correct. We will include any issues we feel need to be noted about the job in this email also.
From here you can sort everything by the 1 star rating. As you are going through if you feel something is missing you can select to sort by no ratings and see all of your original images.
At the end of each week we send an invoice for any jobs that have been completed for the week. Multiple jobs may be on each invoice but will be broken down in the notes. You can pay your invoice online via card.
- You get an email saying your job is complete
- You download the SMART PREVIEW catalog only
- You can see all of the 1 star selections
- Invoices for completed jobs are sent at the end of each week
3
2
SCHEDULING JOBS
You do not have to schedule your jobs with us, this is completely optional! We do appreciate it when you do as it helps us plan and schedule. You are welcome to send jobs to us in any quantity at any time but if you do schedule at least 30 days in advance those scheduled jobs move to the top of our queue for a quicker turn around time!
Send us an email with the approximate dates you will be sending a particular number of jobs. We give a +2 day window on send dates you give us. For example you say you are sending 2 weddings on 6/3 as long as we receive by 6/5 they stay at the top of the queue!
You can schedule jobs up to 6 months out. It may seem like an impossible task but we find incentivizing people to schedule keeps everyone more accountable and organized resulting in a better workflow!
During peak season we can get over 30 jobs sent a week. You do not have to schedule but doing so keeps you at the top of our list with our quickest possible turn around time to help keep your workflow moving in the busy season.
3
2
TROUBLE SHOOTING
You get an email from us saying we can't open your catalog from dropbox because it won't download properly. 99% of the time the problem is the upload never completed because you didn't use an ethernet cable. It may appear complete but because it's so much data there is room for error. An ethernet cable is almost always the solution.
You can't view our selections. While this is extremely rare, simply email us and let us know! We will delete and upload it again. We keep your catalogs and selections for 10 days after delivery. If you contact us in that timeframe we are happy to help! After 10 days your galleries are deleted and we will need to cull and bill your project again as we no longer have the originals.
You see an extra charge on your invoice. There are only two times this can happen when you didn't time sync your gallery prior to sending and we have to charge a $39 fee OR you asked for a rush fee and we communicated with you the delivery date and 30% rush charge.
