563: Julia Semak – How to find the best photo retoucher for your photography business

PhotoBizX The Ultimate Wedding and Portrait Photography Business Podcast

Premium Members, click here to access this interview in the premium area

Julia Semak is a professional and super-talented photo retoucher who has her editing processes fine tuned like no other. If you've ever considered the idea of outsourcing the editing and retouching for your business, this interview will place you in the perfect position to find and hire the right person, team, company or Ai solution to suit you.

And if one thing is true about running a successful photography business and growing it effectively… it's that at some point, you will need to outsource to grow.

One of the first and simplest tasks to hand off is post-production… or editing.

That's where today's guest comes in. She is a photo retoucher who works with studio owners who are looking to let go of their editing to free up more time.

I thought it'd be great to get a better perspective from a retoucher's perspective and learn what you can do to make the transition to outsourcing seamless and less stressful.

While chatting with today's guest pre interview, she told me there are things you can do to find the right retoucher for you, how to change your process to increase efficiency by 30% in one day and how to make working with a retoucher so much easier.

We'll discuss all that and more with expert photo editor Julia Semak.

Here's some more of what we covered in the interview:

• Tips from an Expert Retoucher: Julia's insights for finding the right retoucher and easing your transition to outsourcing.
• Tips for Seamless Collaboration with a Retoucher: Tips to enhance efficiency by 30% and simplify collaboration with a retoucher.
• Julia's Journey into Retouching: Julia's journey from a computer programmer to a skilled photo retoucher.
• Overcoming Post-Production Challenges: Challenges photographers face in post-production and techniques for optimal photo presentation.
• Unlocking the Power of the Golden Ratio: The human brain quickly recognizes images in the golden ratio and its relevance to photography.
• Capturing Emotions Through Your Lense: Observations on perceiving loved ones and translating emotion into photography.
• Learning Photography with Love: Personal anecdotes on learning photography through practice and the impact of love on perception.
• Elevating Your Photography Game: Advice on enhancing photos through lighting, colour adjustment, and technical skills.
• Building Bridges with Retouchers: Importance of open communication and detail sharing between photographers and retouchers.
• Time-Saving Techniques Using Lightroom: Utilizing Adobe Lightroom for batch processing to save time.
• Finding Reliable Retouchers: Strategies for finding and selecting reliable retouchers through platforms like Upwork.
• Pricing Strategies – Beginner vs. Pro Photographer: Considerations for pricing differences between beginner and experienced photographers.
• Tools for Flawless Retouching: Techniques and tools for skin retouching to achieve professional results.
• Lightroom and Photoshop Hacks: Utilising Lightroom and Photoshop effectively for photo editing.
• Looking Through Julia's Lens: Julia's unique approach to photography services, focusing on mutual benefits and quality results.
• Enhancing Editing with AI: Integrating AI technology enhances photo editing and increases client satisfaction.

© Laurie Brown

What’s on Offer for Premium Members

If you’re on the fence about becoming a premium member, join with the $1 trial today and get access to the FULL interviews each week, a fantastic back catalogue of interviews, and have ALL future interviews delivered automatically to your phone or tablet.

Plus, special member-only interviews.

You'll also receive access to the members-only Secret Facebook Group, where you can connect with other Premium Members and interview guests to help, support and motivate you to take ideas you hear in each episode and put them into action. The group also has FB live video tutorials, role-play, and special live interviews. You will not find more friendly, motivated, caring and sharing photographers online.

Never ask about the portfolio. The portfolio of a retoucher will not tell you or show you anything. – Julia Semak

Seriously, that's not all.

In addition to everything above, you'll get access to instructions on forming or joining a MasterMind Group with other premium members. These groups are super motivating, make you accountable, and build friendships with other pro photographers with motives similar to yours – to build a more successful photography business.

© Birgit Zimmermann

What is your big takeaway?

Following this interview, I’d love to know if you're taking anything from what Julia shared. Is there something you heard that excited or motivated you to the point where you thought, yeah, I'm going to do that! If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below; let me know your takeaways and what you plan to implement in your business based on what you heard in today's episode.

If you are happy with the result in your state right now, it's okay, just use what is good for you. – Julia Semak

If you have any questions I missed or a specific question you’d like to ask Julia or if you want to say thanks for coming on the show, feel free to add them in the comments area below.

NEW MASTERCLASS – Third Party Marketing on steroids with willing and waiting partners

All the details are here: https://learn.photobizx.com/community-fundraising-photography-marketing-strategy-registration/​

Reviews for this class from some of the live attendees…

I'm excited but super nervous about using it for newborns! — Boise’s Best Studio Newborn Photographer, Paige McLeod.

I'm excited to try this. I've done this sort of thing in the past, but I feel like there were some missing puzzle pieces that Johl and Jacinta have provided in this course! — Laurie Brown, based in Alberta Canada and provides headshots for LinkedIn.

Great content, as always. This could be my golden ticket to not relying purely on Facebook Wanted ads. — Jon Mills, dog photographer in West Sussex.

This pushes me out of my comfort zone – but that’s where the growth is, right? Let’s do this! — New Plymouth family photographer, Kadisha Sharma

It’s like taking auction donations and putting them on steroids! I love the follow-up steps and how to get it going! — Amanda Shama, who provides Portland Senior Pictures in the USA.

It was great to hear from Johl and Jacinta together at the same time. The training was excellent and so worth the cost. I've used a similar strategy in the past with variable success, and clearly, I was missing some key elements. I'm so excited to start working on this. — Kelowna wedding photographer, Alexander Del Hierro

© Melissa Alagich

iTunes Reviews and Shout-outs

I check for any new iTunes or Google reviews each week, and it's always a buzz to receive these… for several reasons.

Firstly, it's confirmation that I'm on the right track with the interviews and that they are helping you improve your photography business. That's awesome!

Secondly, iTunes and Google are the most significant podcast search engines, and your reviews and ratings help other photographers find PhotoBizX. More listeners mean more interviews and, ultimately, a better show.

If you have left a review in the past, thank you! If you haven't and you'd like to, head to https://photobizx.com/itunes or https://photobizx.com/google, and you can leave some honest feedback and a rating which will help both me and the show, and I'll be sure to thank you on the show and add a link to your website or blog if you let me know the URL of your website and your name.

Alternatively, if you've left a review for PhotoBizX and are looking for more backlinks to help your SEO, leave a review for the new Photography Xperiment Podcast. Email me your keywords or phrases and where you'd like me to link them.

Another great way to get a backlink to your site is to send a video testimonial. It doesn't need to be fancy, and your phone will be perfect. Click record and tell me how PhotoBizX has impacted you and your photography business.​

© Ina J Photography

Links to people, places and things mentioned in this episode:

Julia Semak Email

Tony at his Jennifer Lindberg Studio Zoom Reveal on Vimeo

Johl Dunn's Community Fundraising Marketing Strategy

457: Jenn Lindberg – From deep financial trouble to an inspiring photography business

451: Michelle Tricca – How to utilise personal photography projects to grow your business

Michelle Tricca

http://www.michelletricca.com​

http://www.instagram.com/mo_tric

3 minute segment on PBS:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVrUYFCuGNQ

The Face Of Immokalee – 10 minute documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=889cOcLG2zk

The Face Of Immokalee exhibit at The Baker Museum:

https://artisnaples.org/baker-museum/exhibitions/2023-24/the-face-of-immokalee

Meet the artist – The Face Of Immokalee:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NE6KijB1o5k

The Face Of Immokalee story by my installer Britten Inc:

https://britteninc.com/portfolio/large-format-print-face-of-immokalee

© Victoria Burcusel

Thank you!

Thanks again for listening and for Julia's coming on and sharing her thoughts and ideas for growing a successful and profitable photography business by outsourcing your photo editing and retouching to free up time to focus on other aspects of running your business.

That’s it for me this week; I hope everything is going well for you in life and business!

Thanks, and speak soon
Andrew

© Veronica Sagredo

The post 563: Julia Semak – How to find the best photo retoucher for your photography business appeared first on Photography Business Xposed - Photography Podcast - how to build and market your portrait and wedding photography business.