Most people overthink this. You don't need to know exactly what you want before you reach out to a photo editor. You need to know a few basics — and be able to describe the rest in plain language.
Here's what to prepare.
RAW or JPEG both work. RAW files give an editor more to work with and typically produce better results, but they take longer to process and cost more to edit. JPEG is faster and cheaper — and for most event or headshot work, the difference in output is minimal.
One thing that matters: don't pre-edit or apply filters before sending. Send the files as they came off the camera. Any adjustments made before the editor sees them make consistency harder to achieve.
Photo files are large. Email doesn't work. Use a file transfer service — WeTransfer is the most straightforward. No account required for the recipient. Upload, share the link. Done.
You don't need to know the technical terminology. You don't need to say "I want S-curve contrast with a +15 temperature shift." You need to say "I like the look of these" and attach two or three photos.
If you don't have reference photos, describe it in plain terms: warm or cool, bright and light or rich and contrasty, natural skin tones or stylized. That's enough to start.
This determines the export specs. Social media needs square crops at 1080px. Web galleries need compressed JPEGs. Print needs full resolution. Knowing upfront means you get the right files delivered — not a folder you have to resize yourself.
Be specific. "ASAP" doesn't help. "By Thursday at noon" does. If you have a hard deadline, say so. If you need rush turnaround, ask about it before placing your order — availability varies.
The process is designed to extract what's needed. You fill in a short brief, upload your files, and receive organized, export-ready photos back. If something needs adjusting after the first delivery, one revision round is included.
Ready to hand it off? Start an order at Chicago Digi Tech →