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With the celebration of a new year, there also comes many new year's resolutions! How many of you made it a new year's resolution to manage your business better so that you could maximize both your business and personal time? I'm speaking to all my small business owner/photographer friends out there!

How many of you are feeling like you're drowning in your own work? How many of you feel like the post processing of your images is literally TAKING OVER your life?!.....

I've been there!

I remember that one point of time in my career that I lost heart in this art I once loved, and it was because I didn't know how to manage my time well or even take advantage of outsourcing! While I LOVED taking photos, I DREADED working on them. I have a feeling there are many MANY others out there that currently share these same feelings.

It wasn't until I discovered the beautiful meaning of the word "outsourcing" that I fell back in love with photography as a career! I could take the thing that was making my business unbearable and hand it over to someone else to do. I could literally pay someone else to be a second set of eyes on my images.

My choice to outsource the post production of my "proofed" images has helped my business by LEAPS AND BOUNDS! Plus outsourcing has provided me with more personal time so that I can stay sane as a PHOTOGRAPHER, a BUSINESS OWNER, a PERSON, a WIFE, and a MOTHER of three!

While I truly ENJOY working on my personal favorite images and adding my "artistic edits" to these (all the images you see on my blog I have personally worked on), the rest of the images need to go through what I call the "proofing process" so that my clients aren't seeing just raw bland images in the end.

THIS is where FOTOFAFA comes in and makes my life easier! I hand the entire collection of images over to them so that they can cull down, add needed contrast, color correct, adjust white balance, perfect the exposure, and make my proofs look completely awesome for my clients! They truly deserve a pat on the back for the images I've received back and I am very grateful to have them be a HUGE part of my workflow! I'm proud to be an affiliate for Fotofafa because I truly believe in the service their business offers. I suggest try outsourcing your images & you won't want to ever look back....at least I didn't!:)

Plus Fotofafa's customer service is outstanding, they want to help make your images look good to you and your clients, they are open for feedback and are constantly looking for ways to improve. I love this about them!

Here are some images I've received back from Fotofafa recently, you'll see the raw before image on the left and the "proofed" imaged from Fotofafa on the right...what difference, right?!
fotofafab_a_001.jpgI like all of my proofed images to be slightly warm with a hint of split toning, they nailed it here!
fotofafab_a_002.jpgThey took a rough lighting situation and made it look lovely, plus you can actually see the expression on the bride's face as they exchanged vows.
fotofafab_a_003.jpgfotofafab_a_004.jpgThe littlest details in this image weren't lost when the exposure and white balance were adjusted, you can even still see the lace on the bride's dress.
fotofafab_a_005.jpgfotofafab_a_006.jpgLove this before and after from the reception and the happy couple's first dance!
fotofafab_a_007.jpgSometimes shooting indoors with flash at night can be tricky, especially with white balance, the before and after of this image is like night and day!
fotofafab_a_008.jpg
So here is what I'm proposing, if you're one of those people that answered YES to the questions I asked above, then a CHANGE is necessary in your business! Figure out what is taking you the most time, let go of a little control, and outsource it! For me the culling and the post processing of my proofs were more than I could handle. Thank you THANK YOU to Fotofafa for giving me my life back and for adding much value to my business!

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Comments
Shayla Brummer said:
love this/your blog :)
(01.23.13 08:40 AM)
Malinda said:
We took your advice about a year ago and have never looked back! We absolutely LOVE Fotofafa:) It's soooo sooo worth every penny.
(01.23.13 03:14 PM)
Rob Holley said:
Very helpful.
(01.25.13 05:23 AM)
Chicago Wedding Photographer said:
I love shooting straight into / toward the strobe, I think it looks super glam! Really like the first dance set of images with the flash in the background--I bet the look great closeup with the hair lights! Nice work, keep it up.
(01.28.13 02:17 PM)
Laurence said:
Great tips thank you. I have just bought myself a new Canon SLR and am looking forward to trying out your advice.
(01.29.13 06:05 AM)
Lucie Zeka said:
awesome photos
(02.25.13 06:57 PM)