It has taken many years, all sorts of trial and error, new programs coming out, old programs disappearing, and so on… for me to figure out a good workflow with my business. But I feel like I’ve got it down… for now!
I’ve listed below the different programs that I have loved using and if you’re into photography (even as just a hobby) hopefully these are something you’ll want to take a look at!
(I’ve also included some fun snowy photos because I’m still dreaming for a white winter down here in the foothills! Send snow our way!)
For client interactions and gallery deliveries I absolutely love these two programs //
In my opinion, Pixieset is the best for gallery delivery! I also work behind the scenes at Buckskin Bride and we have a lot of different photographers sending in their galleries for submissions… so I’ve seen and used my fair share of gallery delivery methods and programs. I have to say that Pixiset is definitely one of the easiest and most user friendly. Plus, it looks good on both computer screen and mobile! (And it has the option of mobile download which I feel like is a must with social media these days!) It’s easy to set up an online store for print orders and you even have the option of creating email templates to go with your galleries.
A little thing that I like to do when I send out a gallery is add some pointers at the end of each email!
I include ::
– a few pointers on the download process
-a reminder that Walgreens + Walmart aren’t the best option for prints
– I mention that I love when they tag me in their posts
– a reminder to not alter the images when posting to social media
and a few other things!
Pixieset : use this referral code to get extra storage with your purchase
https://pixieset.com/ref/m4KV0xzykR
As far as contracts + invoicing go, 17Hats is my jam! It’s easy to set up ::
-Reminders for me to remind my clients of things (haha is that confusing?)
-Questionnaires for wedding clients and other clients
-Print releases
-Contracts
-Invoices
-Banking info. You can connect your card and keep all of your transactions organized
-Client emails (I don’t use this option, but it’s there!)
-Connect your calendar
But my favorite part about 17hats is the clients portals that you can set up! When I book a new client I set up their portal and send them over the link. Then they can hop on there and see their past payments, contracts, questionnaires, print release and whatever else is a part of their interaction with me!
17hats : use this referral code for 10% off
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Editing programs that I love ::
Lightroom, of course! That’s where all of the editing happens! I do use presets and have not made my own but tweak the heck out of everything all of the time. Try some out, they’re fun!
Photomechanic. If you do not have this and shoot a lot of images… GET THIS RIGHT NOW! Culling was always my very least favorite part of my job and took me FOREVER to go through the thousands of images that I’d shoot at one wedding. This speeds things up so much! I just jumped on this band wagon the end of last wedding season and I wish I would have done it so much sooner. I kept hesitating to get it because I was smack dab in the middle of wedding season and kept telling myself, “everyone may say it’ll save you, but you have no time to learn a new program right now!”
Since it’s slow season, do it. But even if it was busy season I would tell you to get it. It’s super simple to learn how to use and really will save you in the end… even if you are slammed!
I also use JpegMini. It shrinks file sizes without reducing the quality. I run all of my edited images through this after they are edited and before delivery. I live in a little old farmhouse that had never had internet until I moved in… so you can imagine how good the connection is here! Uploading files into galleries goes so much quicker after they’ve been through jpegmini.
For blogging + social media, my favorite programs are ::
Narrative. It puts together beautiful blogs! I didn’t use it for this post, but I always use it when posting a session or anything with a lot of images! It’s another one that is very simple to learn and use. (Get 15% off with code : kelsey-55 )
Planoly is the best for planning out instagram posts! There really hasn’t been anything that I’ve found that I don’t like about the app. It saves time in the end when I sit down and plan things out using Planoly ahead of time… and I’m all about saving time while still being professional.
I hope that some of those different programs peak your interest! Most of them help me to save time on small little tasks that always take WAY longer than one would think. Many are also good to help you preplan before busy season hits so that you still look like you have it all together even when you feel like your heads about to pop off!
