The Waiting Game: How Long Until You Get Your Photos Back?
Let's talk about the elephant in the room: waiting for your photos after a shoot. It's like waiting for Christmas morning as a kid, except you're an adult refreshing your email every 3 minutes. We've all been there!
"So... When Will I See My Photos?"
It's the question every photographer knows is coming. You've just wrapped up an amazing photoshoot. The sun was perfect, your kids actually smiled (simultaneously!), and nobody had a meltdown (not even you). High-fives all around!
And then, as you're packing up, comes THE question: "When will we get to see the photos?"
Fair question. Totally fair. But here's what's actually happening behind the scenes while you're checking your inbox for the fourteenth time today.
What Your Photographer Is Actually Doing With Your Photos
Remember when we took 24 photos on a disposable camera, dropped it off at Walgreens, and picked them up a week later? Those were simpler times, friends.
Today, for a typical 1-hour family session, I'm taking anywhere from 200-500 photos. Yes, really! That's a lot of your beautiful faces to sort through.
Here's what happens after our session:
Backup, backup, backup -
First thing I do? Backup your precious memories in multiple places. Because losing your photos would be terrible.Culling -
This is where I go through ALL those hundreds of photos and select the ones where nobody's blinking, and where everyone is looking like they are interested and not making a silly face. It's like playing a very detailed game of "Spot the Difference."Editing -
This is where the real time goes. Each photo gets individual attention – color correction, skin tone adjustments, removing that random object that we couldn’t move preshoot, etc.Final Review
One last check to make sure everything is perfect before you see them.Gallery Creation and Delivery
This is the fun part! I get to upload your photographs into a beautiful online gallery and then send you an email that says "Your Photographs are Ready!”
The Actual Timeline: What to Expect
At Sunday & Co Photography, most sessions have a turnaround time of about 2-4 weeks. This gives me enough time to work my editing magic on each image. Sometimes life happens (or I get extra picky about making your gallery perfect), and things might take a little longer than expected. But rest assured, I'll always keep you in the loop if there's any delay!
The Secret Photographers Don't Tell You
Want to know why photographers sometimes take longer than they initially quoted? Because we're obsessing over your photos! We zoom in 300% to remove a tiny blemish you didn't even know was there. We debate between two nearly identical photos for 20 minutes because in one your smile is 2% more natural, but in the other the light hits your eyes just perfectly.
It's not procrastination—it's perfectionism. Which is probably why we became photographers in the first place.
The Bottom Line
Quality professional photography is a carefully crafted experience from start to finish. The wait might feel long, but I promise those perfectly edited photos of your family will be treasured for generations.
Waiting for your photos from Sunday & Co Photography? For specific questions about your session's timeline, don't hesitate to reach out directly.
Now booking family sessions, senior photographs, and mother-daughter portraits for Spring 2025!