I spent the week-end working on retouching and assembling the folio box for my lovely client, Kristen. I finally have found the exact workflow that I want to achieve. It is effective, creative, time-saving and produces excellent results in half the time I was doing the same work in before.

I choose the image I want to retouch, bring it into photoshop and then set my timer for 6 minutes. I have a method as to what I approach first but that can vary per client as not all clients need the same treatment. I still haven’t quite got it to six minutes with every image but that is my goal. I love retouching, and I could spend hours utilizing all the various techniques that I have learned, but I am then chained to my computer in my office and there are so many other priorities to which I must attend. I have to draw the line somewhere 🙂

So when I am happy with the results of my retouch, I save it in my print template. I print two images at a time on 13×19 paper. Once I have set two images, I start the printing process.  I choose to print my portraits now rather than sending to a lab because I feel that I have more control over the results. And there is nothing like the feeling of seeing my work come out of that printer on the beautiful paper. It thrills me every time!

I save both of the files using an action that I created; one for my Animoto video, and again as a jpeg… both will be for distribution to my clients. While the printing process is completing, I begin retouching the next two images.

When all 20 are complete, I cut them to size and place in mats and folio box and they are ready to go to my reveal. My favorite part of this process… the reveal wall!

xo

Kitti