We're in the thick of busy season around here which is like a bolt of electricity for creatives. It's energizing to have so many amazing projects on the books; to have countless opportunities to build the portfolio, connect with other vendors, and capture memories with your couples. But once the photos are backed up onto the drives -- that's when the overwhelm can set in. I'm personally still not used to using weeks of turnaround time. I'm used to having all the time in the world and being so jazzed up about a session I edit it within 24 hours. As much as I try to still be that way, the bittersweet news is that my business is growing and thriving! This means bigger back-to-back projects that take longer to cull, edit and organize. It means I'm putting a little more pressure on myself to exceed expectations.
In 2022 I've worked really hard to transition from a general portrait photographer to specializing in couples and weddings. And it's paying off! But I'm also learning that as a wedding photographer I need to optimize my processes. From booking guides to post-production. I've been using a few tools that have made a pretty significant difference for me and I'd love to do a few highlight blogs to share them for any other photographers looking to take a little weight off their shoulders.
Today we're talking about Batch.AI, which, when I heard about it, blew my mind. The company promotes that their software (a plug-in for Adobe Lightroom) can edit 1000 photos in 1 minute. Okay... but how? But will it be in my style? What about masks? What about different light situations? Too good to be true. After seeing a couple other photographers talking about it on Instagram Reels I decided to investigate a little more. I was in a headspace at the time where I was really wanting to be consistent with my editing throughout a gallery, which felt a little overwhelming and I was definitely open to any help. The fact that Batch.AI provides a free trial was a massive hook.
The AI = artificial intelligence. Which you might say "duh" to, but if your brain is fatigued from 12-hour editing days like mine then you might instead say "ahhh.. yep that makes sense. okay I'm with ya, Jess". The tool works by mimicking your unique edit style (color, tones, etc). My first question to the founder was "how is this different from copy/pasting settings"?. The most significant features for me were the ability of the plugin to replicate tools, like masking, and for the plugin to match and fine tune edits to my style. The plugin works by asking you to edit about 10-12% of the total gallery (a few shots throughout) and "anchoring" them with a color label, star rating or something else so that when you run the software it can use those anchors to best match the entire gallery.
The first time I used it, not only was I delighted that the edits were consistent throughout the gallery (in a way I hadn't quite been able to nail before), but that allowed me to deliver an album for my clients with significantly more images. And I already overdeliver so I was feeling like hot shit now.
I'm still learning and researching the best practices to make the most of Batch.AI for larger galleries, like my wedding galleries, but each time I run the plugin I notice it's yielding more and more deliverables. Having the option to optimize my galleries with a tool like this can relieve a lot of my anxiety when I have projects lined up in the queue for editing.
Anyway, I am in fact procrastinating editing a gallery now so I should wrap this up. But if you're a photographer I highly recommend looking into this tool ASAP for your busy season. If you have specific questions about the plugin or want to share your own experience with it please drop it all in the comments below!
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