Wedding photographers: How many hours post production per hour shooting?

[DigitalRelish]

Just wondering how long people spend on post production work (on average). My editing:shooting ratio probably ranges between 1:1 - 3:1. On average, it's probably 2:1 (2 hours editing for every hour of shooting) for me.

 

[Ady N]

3:1 for me or thereabouts. I tend to do 6 hour solid blocks as opposed to an hour or 2 on and off.

 

[Tricky01]

As very much an amateur in this field - and one who doesn't do it as a main profession - my ratio is far worse than those above; I'd say 1:5 to 1:6 shooting to processing, though that is including production of a book too. I think the ratio is worse for a number of reasons;
1) lack of experience
2) abundance of time / because I enjoy it

Because I don't do this for a living, I don't have the workflow nailed or the necessity to achieve such a thing.

 

[DG Phototraining]

Your poll range is too limited as it suggests a 12 hour Wedding would take at least 12 hours to edit, which is a crazy amount of editing time

Dave

 

[DigitalRelish]

Your poll range is too limited as it suggests a 12 hour Wedding would take at least 12 hours to edit, which is a crazy amount of editing time

Dave

Crazy in what way? I included options for what I considered to be the most common values people might choose. For those who have lesser or greater ratios I've included the <1 and 4> options which I thought might be in the minority.

I asked the question out of genuine curiosity rather than wanting to suggest there are no possible values outside of the choices I've proposed.

Feel free to suggest how long a 12-hour wedding shoot would take you to edit.

 

[DG Phototraining]

Crazy in what way? I included options for what I considered to be the most common values people might choose. For those who have lesser or greater ratios I've included the <1 and 4> options which I thought might be in the minority.

I asked the question out of genuine curiosity rather than wanting to suggest there are no possible values outside of the choices I've proposed.

Feel free to suggest how long a 12-hour wedding shoot would take you to edit.

Sorry, I didn't make that very clear :bonk:

I meant it should have started with ratios below 1 rather than just less than 1 as I think that's just too wide a range otherwise

I normally take 3-4 hours to PP a full day's Wedding

Dave

 

[DigitalRelish]

Sorry, I didn't make that very clear :bonk:

I meant it should have started with ratios below 1 rather than just less than 1 as I think that's just too wide a range otherwise

I normally take 3-4 hours to PP a full day's Wedding

Dave

Okay, I see what you mean. That's quite interesting as I think everyone I've asked in real life has been at least a 1:1. I'd be interested in learning more about your workflow (if you're willing to share, that is).

 

[DG Phototraining]

Okay, I see what you mean. That's quite interesting as I think everyone I've asked in real life has been at least a 1:1. I'd be interested in learning more about your workflow (if you're willing to share, that is).

Its nothing special, though I do give full details on my course as its all about saving time

But basically, its all done in LR4 on a 27" i7 iMac so its a pretty speedy machine, but a large part of it is in the shooting - crop in-camera and shoot straight, don't shoot crappy backgrounds that may need editing, and if you do shoot something that might need lots of editing don't show it, just delete it

Dave

 

[Phil Young]

I've done 5 weddings now and filmed 2.

Editing time is the same for everything else I find and the ratio is always around 1:2 shoot:editing.

Anyway, it's nothing compared to video ratio is something stupid like 1:8

 

[swanseamale47]

I'd have to argree with Dave, I can usually edit a full days wedding in a few hours, but it does vary, if I'm editing someones elses shots it can take a lot longer due to the shots not being right from camera.

 

[Phil V]

I almost agree with Dave, mines less than an hour mostly, sometimes a bit more than an hour, depends on my mojo.

 

[Tricky01]

I'd have to argree with Dave, I can usually edit a full days wedding in a few hours, but it does vary, if I'm editing someones elses shots it can take a lot longer due to the shots not being right from camera.

Good point; I need to add a third reason to my list above;

3) Taking care at time of capture / current ability

 

[Phil Young]

I need to actually retract my answer.

Batch editing in LR has enabled a 1.5minute average on the last set (which was taken by another photographer and needed quite a bit of work, some a lot more than others).

Maybe it is more like 1:1 or if using PS then more towards 1:2

 

[POAH]

Depends how many shots I took - say 3-5 hours at the most.

 

[buckas]

Depends how many shots I took - say 3-5 hours at the most.

Would say this as well

 

[Daryl]

4 hours editing? per 1 hour

edit is culling bad shots and keeping. are you confusing post work manipulatation with editing?

PP should be to enhance choosen edited images.

NOT to correct errors and other cock ups.

Far too many togs waste time and Beer time on correcting to make images right when they shouls already be right in the camera at time of shooting.

too many make extra work forthemselves......

 

[POAH]

no 3-5 hours per wedding not per hour of wedding

4 hours editing? per 1 hour

 

[Harvey_nikon]

really depends on the wedding. I've done a couple where the girls were all on the larger side and spent a few extra hours tweaking them to thin them down a little.

Not enough so that they could tell, but just enough so they thought "damn I looked good", it leads to more jobs

 

[Iris]

I'm rubbish - I cull, crop, sharpen and then spend a few minutes on each one doing a couple of enhancements if needed i.e. b&w ir eye sharpening or contrast that sort of thing. I rarely spend time on full manipulation of images, and when i do it tends to be for my own enjoyment

 

[DigitalRelish]

There's quite some disparity between the votes! I know it's only a small sample of people so it's hardly representative, but I'm surprised just how many people spend less than an hour on their post production work for each hour of shooting.

I guess there are also many shooting and editing variables to make this a clean-cut comparison, but it's interesting all the same to see such a variance.

 

[DG Phototraining]

There's quite some disparity between the votes! I know it's only a small sample of people so it's hardly representative, but I'm surprised just how many people spend less than an hour on their post production work for each hour of shooting.

I guess there are also many shooting and editing variables to make this a clean-cut comparison, but it's interesting all the same to see such a variance.

When its work, time = money

Not wasting time (and therefore money) becomes paramount, so efficiency becomes vital. That means speedy machines, learning PP techniques, using actions or presets a lot, and learning not to shoot crap that takes hours to polish

That said - Weddings don't need anything like the PP that goes into beauty work for example. We may remove a zit, but we're not going to spend hours creating perfect skin, manipulating eyelashes etc. hence its quicker

Dave

 

[gadgeteer]

Here's a question then. I've seen on other wedding websites that customers can typically wait 6 weeks for their images to come from their photographer. And I mean images, not albums/prints.

So how come it takes such a long time to deliver then if nearly 80% of togs take < 2 hours of PP per hour of shooting?

So for example, let's say I shot a wedding for 8 hours. That's 16 hours of PP. If I'm a pro, that's 2 days worth of work. If I'm semi-pro I'd probably break that into 2-3 hour chunks per evening say.... Either way I should be done in a few days, a week max.

For me I typically take 1.5-2 weeks depending on how busy I am. I prefer to power my way through it rather than let it languish and a backlog build up.

 

[swanseamale47]

Here's a question then. I've seen on other wedding websites that customers can typically wait 6 weeks for their images to come from their photographer. And I mean images, not albums/prints.

So how come it takes such a long time to deliver then if nearly 80% of togs take < 2 hours of PP per hour of shooting?

So for example, let's say I shot a wedding for 8 hours. That's 16 hours of PP. If I'm a pro, that's 2 days worth of work. If I'm semi-pro I'd probably break that into 2-3 hour chunks per evening say.... Either way I should be done in a few days, a week max.

For me I typically take 1.5-2 weeks depending on how busy I am. I prefer to power my way through it rather than let it languish and a backlog build up.

Possibly because theres other things to do beside just edit this weeks wedding, theres albums to put together from the last wedding, 20x30 canvas to print and mount etc etc, besides any studio work you have as well.
We try to get the slideshow disk out in 2 weeks (about when most are back from honeymoon)

 

[Phil Young]

Here's a question then. I've seen on other wedding websites that customers can typically wait 6 weeks for their images to come from their photographer. And I mean images, not albums/prints.

So how come it takes such a long time to deliver then if nearly 80% of togs take < 2 hours of PP per hour of shooting?

So for example, let's say I shot a wedding for 8 hours. That's 16 hours of PP. If I'm a pro, that's 2 days worth of work. If I'm semi-pro I'd probably break that into 2-3 hour chunks per evening say.... Either way I should be done in a few days, a week max.

For me I typically take 1.5-2 weeks depending on how busy I am. I prefer to power my way through it rather than let it languish and a backlog build up.

That's a good question based on the stats so far.

I would have said because of the photographer not stating unrealistic deadlines but if a photographer takes 3-5hrs per wedding this shouldn't be a problem.

I'm pretty quick with LR and PS but I'd still be looking at 6-10hrs editing based on a 10hr day coming away with 3-500 images.

If I were booking myself out for every weekend I would want a further 2 days to edit (just so it's comfortable for me) per wedding. If I was a pro shooting 2 days a week I'd want another 4-5 days to edit. I can't see how a backlog is unavoidable unless:

A) the final set has a limited number of images.
B) the quality is compromised.

Then again, I don't (in all aspects not just weddings) and I worked recently with a pro that's done 300 weddings and he certainly doesn't...but some people may just get it right all the time on camera.

Rarely have I found you edit a set for the customer and they are completely happy without any feedback of their own so you may deliver your final set and then they have their requests if any which you have to work on before delivering a final set. You also will have to wait on them to get back from their honeymoon to OK the shots and give feedback etc...

I don't think it takes someone 6 weeks to edit but the process may take up to that long I would imagine.

 

[DG Phototraining]

If I was a pro shooting 2 days a week I'd want another 4-5 days to edit. I can't see how a backlog is unavoidable unless:

A) the final set has a limited number of images.
B) the quality is compromised. insulting !!!


Rarely have I found you edit a set for the customer and they are completely happy without any feedback of their own so you may deliver your final set and then they have their requests if any which you have to work on before delivering a final set. WRONG, JUST SO WRONG YOU MUST BE DOING SOMETHING WRONG :shake::shake::shake:

I don't think it takes someone 6 weeks to edit but the process may take up to that long I would imagine. WRONG AGAIN

Soz bud but there's some real crap in there

You actually seem to be insulting those Pros who are merely speedy ???

But I guess, hope, you don't mean that really

I honestly have no idea what you could be doing in editing just 300-500 images that'd take you two days or more of work, and if its because you dodge & burn every image and clone every stray hair, blemish or uneven brick, and still having to retouch images as you suggest then you are just doing something badly wrong

I've never had anyone ask for more editing of any of the images they are presented with, and at the end of my 3-4 hours session they are all good to go as final finished images

You simply cannot afford to be slow as the backlog idea is simply a FAB way to p**s everyone off and never recommend you

Dave

 

[gadgeteer]

I know I'm not the most experienced wedding tog but I've never been asked to reedit any photo.

Earlier in the year when I was looking for a wedding photographer for my own wedding, the two which interested me enough to book appointments with. Both quoted around 2 weeks. Both photographers do 50+ weddings a year each and at the top end of the market.

Plus when you have people posting snaps on facebook on the very same day and your uncle Bob's posting their photos a couple of days after, isn't there an risk that 6 weeks is going to look slow to potential customers?

 

[DG Phototraining]

I know I'm not the most experienced wedding tog but I've never been asked to reedit any photo.

Earlier in the year when I was looking for a wedding photographer for my own wedding, the two which interested me enough to book appointments with. Both quoted around 2 weeks. Both photographers do 50+ weddings a year each and at the top end of the market.

Plus when you have people posting snaps on facebook on the very same day and your uncle Bob's posting their photos a couple of days after, isn't there an risk that 6 weeks is going to look slow to potential customers?

Most of us tell the client around 2 weeks, partly as that's so we're 'trying' to get them ready for when they return from Honeymoon - so they are delighted; the client doesn't know they may actually be ready sooner

Being too slow looks bad, but being too quick can as well

Dave

 

[Phil Young]

Soz bud but there's some real crap in there

You actually seem to be insulting those Pros who are merely speedy ???

But I guess, hope, you don't mean that really

I honestly have no idea what you could be doing in editing just 300-500 images that'd take you two days or more of work, and if its because you dodge & burn every image and clone every stray hair, blemish or uneven brick, and still having to retouch images as you suggest then you are just doing something badly wrong

I've never had anyone ask for more editing of any of the images they are presented with, and at the end of my 3-4 hours session they are all good to go as final finished images

You simply cannot afford to be slow as the backlog idea is simply a FAB way to p**s everyone off and never recommend you

Dave

My average time spent on the last job was 1.5min per image - and around 30 of them we're major cloning jobs... I'd say that's pretty speedy and is from selection to output.

Read again you'll see I'm trying to figure out the 6 weeks thing.

Maybe if you try to explain why it would take someone 6 weeks to deliver a set you might come up with similar reasons.

I wasn't insulting anyone merely trying to come up with an answer to how it would take so long.

 

[DG Phototraining]

My average time spent on the last job was 1.5min per image - and around 30 of them we're major cloning jobs... I'd say that's pretty speedy and is from selection to output.

Read again you'll see I'm trying to figure out the 6 weeks thing.

Maybe if you try to explain why it would take someone 6 weeks to deliver a set you might come up with similar reasons.

I wasn't insulting anyone merely trying to come up with an answer to how it would take so long.

Ah - I get you know - soz :bonk:

It should never take anyone that long, if someone is so busy it might then they ought to be making enough money to have someone else do the PP for them, and get back to great customer service

Dave

 

[big soft moose]

I usually reckon 1:1 when working out how much to charge - but in reality theres a safety margin built into that and i reckon it takes me about 30-45 minuites to edit an hours photo's

 

[Phil Young]

Realised what would help more: It's probably best to give some kind of indication how many shots a finished set is for photographers and how many they could edit in an hour.

Looking at the poll I realised 1hr for 1hr doesn't mean that much if one person has 100 shots per finished wedding and the other has 1000.

 

[ajax_andy]

For a 10 hour wedding I probably spend 30 hours editing and deliver about 250 images.

Workflow as follows:

Open in Lightroom and sort out keepers and duds and remove images that don't make the grade
Go through and make minor adjustments to levels and W/B etc and remove another batch that were in the 'maybe' pile and decided I had better images i'd rather work on
Convert all to .psd files
Open each one in photoshop and do further corrections i.e. skin smoothing and noise reduction etc
Load back in to LR and covert to high and low res versions then burn to disk

My workload takes so long mainly due to having quite a slow machine and think i could easily knock at least 5 hours off this once I upgrade to a better one.
Add another couple of hours off that time once I upgrade to a 5d MKiii as no noise reduction required (hopefully)

 

[POAH]

There's quite some disparity between the votes! I know it's only a small sample of people so it's hardly representative, but I'm surprised just how many people spend less than an hour on their post production work for each hour of shooting.

I guess there are also many shooting and editing variables to make this a clean-cut comparison, but it's interesting all the same to see such a variance.

Depends on how many shots you take in an hour though. Really PP on an image really shouldn't take more than 1-2 mins at the most.

 

[big soft moose]

Thing is if say you take 400 images in an eight hour day , you don't have to edit 50 per hour because a lot of them will be rejects

What I usually do is run through and first cut anything thats not of sufficient standard, then i go back through and pick the best out of each set of similars.

That usually takes about an hour and leaves me with maybe 100 which require detailed PP
which takes maybe 2 minuites per picture average (this is all white balance tweaks, minor crops, levels, saturation etc - I don't do time heavy stuff like cloning on more than a few pictures)

so thats 200 minuites PP = 3 hours 20 minuites, + 1 hour for the initial cut = 4hrs.20minuites editting from an eight hour day.

 

[sandraadamson]

For every hour I shoot approx 2 hours post but I am a bit of a Photoshop junkie and love to really play with my photos when editing.

 

[Phil V]

Mmmm this is depends on your wedding function and also on photographer because that how much you want to post pictures and how much the photographer can be post because this is not a easy you have to make a angle for captured the photo and you arealso co-prate with him for shoot the photos so i think it's depend on your timing and the photgrapher's fun to post the photos in one hour...

Pardon?

 

[TCR4x4]

Pardon?

Hmm, I've just read all his other posts and can honestly I have no clue what he is talking about in any of them.

I guess English isn't his first, second or even third language.

And he doesn't seem to know if his name is Anthony or Peter...

 

[big soft moose]

my money is on him being someone we've seen before

 

[funky_sam]

Has anyone really been far even as....