1. Lightroom

I think back to my humble beginnings before Lightroom OFTEN. Before Lightroom, I would edit every single image in Photoshop. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. Maybe you still do that OR it’s your preference, but for me? HECK NO! I need consistency and efficiency for all of my photography and Lightroom does just this for me. Batch editing, exporting, copyright, etc…I’m in photo heaven! Lightroom has increased my turn around time by 100%. Once I have my images culled, I can have a session done in no time and this has been the greatest asset during my peak seasons! I love Lightroom EVEN MORE now that I’ve discovered this next software…

 

 

2. Photo Mechanic

RUN, DON’T WALK to http://www.camerabits.com/ to download Photo Mechanic. Seriously y’all, trust me like never before on this one. BEFORE PM, I would load ALL OF MY RAW IMAGES – all 3,000 from a wedding, into Lightroom…Lightroom was designed for photo editing and organization…NOT processing thousands of RAW images to then narrow down to a chosen few. Not only does this take 5x’s longer, but it’s not the most efficient way for you to get your to-do list done!

Within Photo Mechanic, this software was DESIGNED to process and read RAW files so much quicker than Lightroom…that’s all this software does! It’s a place for you to load, select and export your files WITHIN MINUTES! I am able to cull weddings within an hour with Photo Mechanic. Now, my process looks like: 1. Load into PM 2. Backup on hard drive 3. Select Favorites 4. Load into Lightroom 5. Edit – DONE! It’s probably my favorite process I’ve yet to discover.

 

3. BlogStomp

Blog Stomp = love y’all.

This is my go-to software to blog ALL of my images and get them sized, placed, etc. all in one stop! This is also my favorite way to process my Facebook images and keeping them at a consistent look. I have set-up templates for my blog, Facebook, as well as my favorite submission sites for publications!

This is such a WORTHY, un-pricey investment for your business! I LOVE consistency and this has taken a huge charge in that role for me.

Grab your version here, http://stompsoftware.com/blogstomp/

 

4. Boomerang

For the late night idea bloomer who wants to keep true to those beloved office hours and not have clients contact you at 11pm wondering why you aren’t responding like you did before…BOOMERANG THAT BABY!

I discovered Boomerang about 1-2 years ago and I have used it solid, since then. I use a gmail platform for my e-mailing, so I integrate it into my browser and it’s done! I can type up all of my e-mails at 11pm if I desire and schedule them to hit my client’s inbox at 8am solid, the following morning. AND ALL THE PEOPLE SAID AMEN!

Currently, I’m using the free package because I love that price and I don’t need it everyday – because normally I can reach my e-mails within office hours, but when I’m out or have that rare idea at midnight, this has been a life savor for an often forgetful brain.

Trust me and try it FREE today!!! http://www.boomeranggmail.com/

 

 

5. Honeybook

Chances are you’ve heard of it, but think you don’t qualify.

I’m here to give you that, “I’m waiting on a sign that I really need it” sign. So here I am, being a really good sign dancer with HONEYBOOK written on a flashy arrow like the fellas outside the mattress stores.

Contracts, invoicing, timelines, questionnaires, ALL IN ONE PLACE. UNDER ONE CLIENT DASHBOARD. Oh my word, it’s almost as good as queso y’all. Almost.

This has taken my client interaction UP, made it better and more efficient. Which if you haven’t noticed, is the trend in my attraction.

No more, I lost the contract, what time are we meeting, etc. questions. Your clients have complete access to your dashboard to recall any items you’ve sent or discussed. And this is where I say go sign up and I drop the mic. Because you’re about to love me so greatly.

https://www.honeybook.com/

 

Thanks for checking out what my favorite business tools are — if you have great tools similar to these that you need to let me know about, drop a comment and FILL A SISTA IN! I love discovering new, helpful tools and bettering myself often!

 

Xoxo

 

Holly