Collating client's data seems like you are asking how you keep track of one's clients, and I suspect there are a multitude of ways folks do that.
Lightroom and Photoshop are certainly the most usual editing software platforms, but lots also use Aperture, or other image editing and storing programs.
We colonials sometimes have difficulty with the English language, you know.
OK. What I would like to know is how you photographers out there keep records of your clients and images. What is your workflow from collecting the clients details and processing the shoot. How do you relate your client data with the images you have shot. I am doing some research on photographers workflows.
I don't shoot anything like the volume of clients you do, but fwiw here's how I manage things; I'm sure that if I were doing this full time, I'd modify accordingly.
- communication done almost exclusively by email (or sometimes even fB messaging, since that's how they initially contact me); email is considered legally binding in the US and FB contact is ideal for the kind of word-of-mouth exposure I specifically want, so I'm fine with that.
- "Letter of agreement" (paper contract) signed at time of shoot; they get a copy, I keep a copy. I also keep copies (pre-filled with name/date and saved under their surname) on my hard drive.
- Images uploaded to hard drive immediately following shoot. Client folder goes: year>month>client name. When I export images from LR following processing, they go directly into a subfolder of the client's name (eg "proofs", "shortlist", "final", "delivered" etc - as appropriate)
- shoot folder copied to an external HDD
- I have Crashplan running, so my 2nd redundancy copy is effectively in cloud storage; I sometimes also burn to DVD (eg when having computer issues last month)
- proofs and final images delivered digitally only - I give them info on printing in the letter of agreement, and explain when I go through the agreement that they are responsible for making their own prints. Given how few audition submissions in the US require paper prints any more, it's usually not that big a deal, and when they do need them they can get them printed in bulk at one of the many headshot printing specialist labs in the US. I do encourage them to buy one master print via my gallery for reference since I have the printer profile for my own lab and can better guarantee colour accuracy, but they don't have to (and I keep the print copy price low - I'm not making money on it, just want to be sure they can get decent paper copies when they need them, and a reference print is always going to be the best way to do that)
Hi Diva..WOW. (eg "proofs", "shortlist", "final", "delivered" etc - as appropriate) thats a lot of stages. Why not just proofs and final.
Sorry unclear - I don't use all of them every time on a single shoot, those are just some labels I use as needed to keep it clear for myself when I've done edits!! EG "processed" is what I call the ones I've done for myself to post on FB or to post here or blog sneak peek or whatever; first edits that may not be the ones I deliver as the final to the client. It's so easy to change the export options in LR that it's no big deal to store different edits in separate folders, and it means I can find different versions I may have done. Not required, just my own way of keeping track for myself
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Maybe you will get a more timely response then.
Collating client's data seems like you are asking how you keep track of one's clients, and I suspect there are a multitude of ways folks do that.
Lightroom and Photoshop are certainly the most usual editing software platforms, but lots also use Aperture, or other image editing and storing programs.
We colonials sometimes have difficulty with the English language, you know.
Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
I don't shoot anything like the volume of clients you do, but fwiw here's how I manage things; I'm sure that if I were doing this full time, I'd modify accordingly.
- communication done almost exclusively by email (or sometimes even fB messaging, since that's how they initially contact me); email is considered legally binding in the US and FB contact is ideal for the kind of word-of-mouth exposure I specifically want, so I'm fine with that.
- "Letter of agreement" (paper contract) signed at time of shoot; they get a copy, I keep a copy. I also keep copies (pre-filled with name/date and saved under their surname) on my hard drive.
- Images uploaded to hard drive immediately following shoot. Client folder goes: year>month>client name. When I export images from LR following processing, they go directly into a subfolder of the client's name (eg "proofs", "shortlist", "final", "delivered" etc - as appropriate)
- shoot folder copied to an external HDD
- I have Crashplan running, so my 2nd redundancy copy is effectively in cloud storage; I sometimes also burn to DVD (eg when having computer issues last month)
- proofs and final images delivered digitally only - I give them info on printing in the letter of agreement, and explain when I go through the agreement that they are responsible for making their own prints. Given how few audition submissions in the US require paper prints any more, it's usually not that big a deal, and when they do need them they can get them printed in bulk at one of the many headshot printing specialist labs in the US. I do encourage them to buy one master print via my gallery for reference since I have the printer profile for my own lab and can better guarantee colour accuracy, but they don't have to (and I keep the print copy price low - I'm not making money on it, just want to be sure they can get decent paper copies when they need them, and a reference print is always going to be the best way to do that)
Works for me at this point!
Sorry unclear - I don't use all of them every time on a single shoot, those are just some labels I use as needed to keep it clear for myself when I've done edits!! EG "processed" is what I call the ones I've done for myself to post on FB or to post here or blog sneak peek or whatever; first edits that may not be the ones I deliver as the final to the client. It's so easy to change the export options in LR that it's no big deal to store different edits in separate folders, and it means I can find different versions I may have done. Not required, just my own way of keeping track for myself