The backup and edit
Capturing the shots is half the job, but
storing them and fixing them up is just as important
Ask any professional wedding photographer
about their backup rituals and you’ll almost certainly be told tales that make
them sound borderline paranoid. Making double-backups on site, getting a UPS
man to collect a copy of images at the end of the day and even burning a DVD
right away and entrusting a copy of the RAW images to a relative should
something happen to the photographer. Over the top perhaps, but telling a bride
and groom their memories are gone is certainly a whole lot worse.
Have a backup plan in place to ensure that
the images you shoot make it through the editing process and end up in the
hands of the eager couple.
Retouching
Editing the images is something that should
be factored into your fee. Antici pate how long the editing will take
Everlasting memory
You need to be sure your shots are going to
last as long as the couple’s memory of the day. Always back up your image
Treasured image
Backing-up your shots is as important as
taking the photos in the first place. Don’t get caught out - always make
copies.
Process power
You will need to have a well-specced
computer to handle the amount of files shot at a wedding.
Backing up and storage
Initial backups are vital to avoid loss of
images from a lost or corrupt card. Portable hard drives are handy to have on
the day as they don’t require an external power source. For more stable
storage, a large external hard drive is a good option. A year is a good amount
of time to tell couples you will keep their images for, but to be safe burn a
backup disk and keep the photos indefinitely.
Free Agent Go Flex Ultra-portable Drive
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Price: $110
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Website: www.seagate.com
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On-site backups
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Automatic continuous backup software
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File encryption
Western Digital My Book Storage 4TB
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Price: $400
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Website: http://wdc.com
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High-volume desktop storage facility
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Permanent backup
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Multiple-input cable
SD Card Recover
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Price: $50
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Website: sdcardrecover.com
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Rescuing images off SD cards
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Compatible with Compact Flash, SDHC and
MiniMicroSD
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Supports all top brands
The editing programs
Adobe Photoshop
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Price: $699
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Website: www.adobe.com
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Advanced features
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Total image control
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Airbrushing and portrait touch-ups
Aperture
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Price: $80
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Website: www.apple.com
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Simple adjustments
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Clear interface
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Template photobooks
Lightroom
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Price: $149
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Website: www.adobe.com
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Batch processing
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Easy colour conversions
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Instant res-eye removal
Pro advice Mike Garrard
If you shoot with multiple cameras or with
an assistant, synchronise the time on all cameras. When reviewing all the
images they will then appear in the right order. This makes the selection
process quicker and easier, and they will be in more or less the right order to
present them to the client, saving lots of time.
Of course, watching your framing and making
sure there is nothing distracting in your backgrounds all helps to avoid time
spent cropping or cloning!
I use a piece of software called Photo
Mechanic, made by Camera Bits to quickly look at all images together and
rate/sort them into shots to keep and work on. and those to trash. It's much
faster at building previews than Adobe Lightroom. so I only take my keepers
into Lightroom. Somewhere between 300-600 is a good target for a wedding, I
tend to produce 500-600 on average. Don't pad out your collections by making a
colour and black-and-white copy of the same image, or
include ten pictures of the same thing, though!
Finishing touches
Weddings are all about the flourishes and
adding a few of your own when delivering your images will leave a lasting
impression. Be upfront about what format you deliver the images in and how they
will be presented. Attractive options include producing hardcover photobooks or
presenting prints in a smart keepsakes box with an added bow. If you're
presenting discs, keep your eye on the small things and print colour stickers
rather than labelling the disc yourself. To show extra attention to detail
choose colours and patterns that match the decor or the wedding. It may be the
fine touches that get you recommended to the next couple who walk down the
aisle.
