Outsource photo editing refers to external photo editing support that businesses and professionals hire to ensure quality and consistent images within budget and deadline. It offers operational flexibility and scalability, saves time and cost, and reduces image backlogs for professional photographers, e-commerce and online store owners, and advertising and marketing agencies.
Photography post-processing service providers offer a wide range of image editing services, including photo retouching, clipping path, background removal, shadow creation, ghost mannequins, color correction, image masking, and photo restoration.
Instead of doing it themselves, most professionals hire photo editing services to declutter their schedule and efficiently do their business work. Before choosing the right company, please make a list of potential companies and check their expertise, experience, portfolio, service categories, and pricing. To outsource photo editing, you can directly click the outsourcing image editing company’s CTA button or ‘Free Trial’.
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What you’ll learn in this article
What is Outsourcing Photo Editing?
Outsourcing photo editing is an external, third-party, or freelance photo editor-provided digital image processing solution that brands, businesses, and individual professionals hire to ensure high-quality visuals. It includes all types of services, including e-commerce product photo editing, image retouching, background adjustment, shadow creation, photo clipping path, ghost mannequin, and photo restoration.
Professional photographers, e-commerce sellers, online store owners, fashion brands, advertising, and marketing agencies mostly rely on outsourcing for the following reasons.
- Professionals collaborate with external image editing solutions to reduce workloads and ensure a balanced workflow.
- It offers fast and flexible solutions, from traditional editing to high-end retouching and customized visual creation.
- Outsourcing saves time, cuts costs and resources for professionals, and allows them to utilize their time efficiently.
Is Outsourcing Photo Editing Worth It?
Yes, Outsourcing photo editing is worth it due to its cost-saving, access to expertise, fast turnaround, productivity improvement, and flexible nature. According to a 2025 blog in CSV NOW titled “Outsourcing Trends and Statistics for 2024”, 78% of businesses think positively about outsourcing. Newly launched businesses rely on outsourcing photo editors as it is cost-effective compared to hiring an in-house editor. Renowned brands collaborate with outsourcing agencies because of high-volume projects, strict deadline management, and consistently premium-quality results.
How Does Outsourcing Photo Editing Improve Workflow Efficiency?
Outsourcing photo editing improves workflow efficiency by ensuring high-quality images, allowing access to experts, and saving time, cost, and resources for photographers, e-commerce sellers, online store owners, advertising, and marketing agencies. Business and individual professionals get scalable results by hiring experts to edit their images.
Improve Workflow for Professional Photographers
Outsourcing photo editing directly impacts a photographer’s day-to-day operation by saving time. They can reclaim their time and vitality to invest in photography, explore creativity, hone shooting skills, and increase capacity. Other benefits that outsourcing offers to photographers are as follows.
- Making use of time to direct client communication, arrange photoshoots, serve on-shoot photography, and generate revenue.
- Ensuring faster turnaround after photoshoots and making happy clients contribute to referrals.
- Reducing burnout by handing over repetitive tasks.
- Providing a consistent style of photography and business growth.
Improved Workflow for E-commerce Businesses and Online Stores
E-commerce businesses thrive on high-quality bulk product images. By outsourcing image editing, those businesses ensure quality, faster turnaround, and uniform appearance of products both in digital and physical stores. Outsourcing eliminates many other hurdles for e-commerce, as follows.
- E-commerce sellers and online store owners can eliminate operational bottlenecks by handing over large-volume images to experts and enabling trends and quality for promotion.
- Products are kept consistent and relevant in the competitive market as outsourcing service providers apply accurate colors, backgrounds, and sizes to maintain brand guidelines and build viewers’ trust.
- Outsourcing professional image editing solutions maintains a cohesive appearance of products through online and physical stores. It increases buyers’ understanding and product clarity and reduces product return rates.
- High-quality image editing ensures that images load fast and align well for online stores and e-commerce platforms. It doesn’t compromise quality. Rather, it contributes to the e-commerce conversion rate.
Improved Workflow for Advertising and Marketing Agencies
Advertising and marketing agencies flourish on images. They need high-end retouched images that exhibit creativity and satisfy the viewers at a faster rate. Outsourcing image editing ensures the following positive impacts on the advertising and marketing companies’ functionality.
- They get premium-level editing with creative visual applications to entice target audiences from various niches, including the fashion industry, the healthcare industry, and electronic gadgets, etc.
- Outsourcing service offers faster turnaround for image delivery, allowing marketing agencies to make on-time ad placements, social media posts, and schedule content updates.
- Marketing and advertising agencies free up their time to utilize innovative conceptualizing, strategy building, and campaign launching to generate higher conversion rates.
- Relying on outsourcing services for high-quality images mitigates organizational risks for any project due to internal issues. As photo editing agencies deliver a bulk amount of projects on time, businesses can proceed with their scheduled work.
What Types of Services Can You Get When You Outsource Photo Editing?
The types of services you can get when you outsource photo editing are photo editing, photo retouching, clipping path, background removal, shadow creation, image masking, ghost mannequins, color correction, and any personalized photo processing services. Professional image editing service providers are well-versed and proficient in a diverse range of photo editing software, including Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Lightroom. You will receive high-end, edited images as per your instructions.
1. Photo Editing
Photo editing, also known as image editing, is the process of digitally altering a photo using software. It includes photo enhancement, subject emphasis, flaw removal, adding elements, and creating a specific vibe. Any changes made to digital photos indicate photo editing. Edited images are used for websites, e-commerce, social media, and printing platforms.
Included Works: Outsourcing agencies use several fundamental editing techniques to fulfill visual needs, such as straightening, cropping, edge refining, color adjustment, object removal, and clipping path.
Industry: E-commerce product, model photography, jewelry photography, automotive industry, food photography, etc.
2. Photo Retouching
Photo retouching is a specialized type of photo processing performed to enhance digital images. The process involves pixel-level adjustments to necessary visual changes in detail, including people’s facial features, the product’s appearance and color, removing distractions, etc. Performing retouching requires a specific skill set, a deep understanding of high-end retouching work, and a color theory of the photo editor.
Included Works: Professional photo retouchers apply different types of techniques while offering outsourcing services such as face, hair, skin tone, body shape retouching, dust and speck removal, shine adjustment, cropping, background color changing, merging or replacing, clipping path, HDR effects, etc.
Industry: Fashion industry, product photography, media and entertainment industry, corporate and business photography, etc.
3. Clipping Path
Clipping Path is a non-destructive type of image editing service that draws a close vector path around an object by using the Photoshop Pen tool. When clipping path experts use a manual approach to clip an element, the selection becomes precise, even for intricate designs and objects.
Included Works: While outsourcing clipping path, you get basic to advanced and customized level clipping based on your project, which covers vector path creation, subject isolation, background removal, embedded transparency, image masking, cutout creation, edge reconstruction, etc.
Industry: E-commerce industry, catalog photography, advertising and media, online magazine, etc.
4. Background Removal
Outsourcing background removal services allows you to change, switch, or eliminate the existing background from a photo. Background removal is mostly used in e-commerce product images to use a white background for a minimal and professional product presentation. It is also used for social media, websites, or ad campaigns to adjust creative and custom backgrounds.
Included Works: Outsourcing background service includes several critical techniques, including clipping path, photo masking, adding shadows, color correction, and ghost mannequin etc.
Industry: Fashion and apparel industry, jewelry photography, product photography, and advertisement agency.
5. Shadow Creation
Shadow creation is the digital image manipulation technique of placing artificial shadows in the photo against the light source. Different types of shadows used in photography are drop shadow, cast shadow, reflection shadow, natural shadow, etc. Shadows are used to add depth and realism to the photo.
Included Works: By outsourcing shadow creation services, you can achieve a realistic view for your images, including layer transformation, opacity adjustment, blur application and softening, perspective matching, shadow mapping for complex objects, light source reconstruction, compositing for shadow effects, etc.
Industry: Product photography, fashion photography, jewelry photography, etc.
6. Ghost Mannequin
The ghost mannequin is a virtual effect created by merging several images. Professional photo editors efficiently create a 3d or hollow effect in clothing images. It adds a volume of apparel products and eliminates buyers’ comparison psychology with models.
Included Works: Ghost mannequin service includes neck, shoulder, sleeve, and bottom joints, mannequin removal, color adjustment, crease and dust removal, fabric clarity, adding shadows, angle adjustment, rotation, etc.
Industry: Only the apparel industry outsources the ghost mannequin effect service.
7. Color Correction
Professional color correction refers to the image editing process of adjusting and changing color balance, contrast, exposure, highlights, tone, and brightness to make images appear realistic and eye-catching. Professional-grade color correction removes viewers’ confusion about the subject in the photo.
Included Works: Outsourcing color correction includes white balance, exposure, saturation, contrast, advanced channel mixing, lighting condition correction, and color temperature adjustment.
Industry: Color correction is mostly used in product images, fashion photos, headshots, portraits, food, etc.
8. Image Masking
Outsourcing image masking ensures non-destructive image processing. It is used for careful editing through selective disclosure and hiding elements in photos. It is applied to objects with soft edges and intricate designs to control the transparency level and editing without altering the pixels.
Included Works: Photo masking covers layer masking, transparent object masking, alpha channel masking, vector masking, and selective adjustments, among others.
Industries: Being a tricky process of photography post-production, the apparel industry, jewelry industry, and technical product industry outsource masking the most.
9. Photo Restoration
Outsourcing photo restoration digitally preserves the damaged, lost, faded, and torn images and changes them to a high-quality image. Photo editors bring back memories by correcting imperfections, matching the surroundings, and ensuring a seamless view.
Included Works: Image restoration includes scratch and dust removal, color adjustment, noise reduction, preserving details and texture, bringing back torn and lost parts, color grading, facial features reconstruction, etc.
Industry: Family and personal photos, archival images, vintage photos, genealogical research, and looking for a photo restoration service are the most important.
Why Should You Outsource Photo Editing?
You should outsource photo editing to ensure quality and consistency, allow professional expertise in your project, save time, cost, and resources, eliminate organizational backlogs, and accept a scalable workload.
- To ensure quality and consistency: Professional photo editing companies own a large team of photo editors skilled in basic to advanced-level photo editing and other photo processing tasks. By collaborating with them, you can ensure high-quality images and maintain your brand consistency.
- To access professionals’ expertise: By outsourcing photo editing, you can hire experienced photo editors to edit your images. They are proficient in different photo editing software apart from Photoshop and Lightroom. You can depend on them for highly complicated editing for a large number of projects at a faster rate.
- To save time, cost, and resources: An in-house photo editor setup takes up time, money, space, a high-configuration setup, etc. Managing a team during a business launch period is difficult. Outsourcing solves this situation by saving everything. They offer an affordable pricing structure and bulk discounts and don’t require any resources to invest for the professionals. You get your images edited as instructed.
- To eliminate image bottlenecks: Businesses dealing with large-scale images tend to have backlogs if they rely on their in-house photo editors alone. That’s why professional photographers, e-commerce store owners, and advertising and marketing agencies outsource image processing services for smooth organizational functioning.
- To accept a flexible and scalable workload: Outsourcing gives flexibility and scalability to businesses. You can choose the time, type of editing, and set requirements to follow for the external editors. Also, you can choose to stop or restart the project as per your workload.
Who Can Benefit the Most When They Outsource Photo Editing Services?
Professional photographers, e-commerce store owners, online store owners, and advertising and marketing agencies benefit the most when they outsource photo editing services. Images are the key source of business operations for professionals in these industries. High-quality, consistent, brand-specific, and well-sized photographs are mandatory for them to stay competitive and retain visual attractiveness. As they don’t want to compromise time and quality, or interrupt prior scheduled work, outsourcing allows them to operate promotional and commercial activities in full swing.
Why Should Photographers Outsource Photo Editing Instead of Doing It Themselves?
Photographers should outsource photo editing instead of doing it themselves to declutter their schedule and focus more on the creative work, manage photography booking sessions, and satisfy clients with high-quality edited images. Editing takes a lot of time and patience due to its repetitive nature. That’s why renowned photographers collaborate with photo editing agencies, hand over their bulk amount of projects with instructions, and make use of the time saved for work-life integration.
Why I Started Outsourcing Photo Editing Service for My Images?
To put it simply, I began outsourcing photo editing services to free myself from creative blocks and reclaim valuable time. After working for several years and shooting a variety of photos, from food, jewelry, watches, and packshots to advertising and 360 photography, I understood that my spare time is for my creative exploration. Each product exhibits unique characteristics, values, and benefits to offer, and I aim to bring out the best look.
As you may know, my creative work has earned me several accolades in various photography genres, including fashion photography, beauty photography, portrait photography, travel photography, architecture photography, etc. By outsourcing images, I channel my efficiency and energy into my work and cut down the valuable time lost editing for hours.
How Do You Choose the Right Company to Outsource Photo Editing Work?
To choose the right company to outsource photo editing, make a list from references and online searches, and check their expertise, experience, portfolio, and service categories. Communicate directly if you want to ask more about their work style and project management system. Lastly, know their pricing structure if that’s affordable for you.
1. Make a List: Gather all the names you have come across from references and online searches, and do some groundwork. Create a list to stay focused on whom you are willing to work with. Research the industry to learn about its reputation, client testimonials, and track record of services.
2. Check Their Expertise: Check your preferred companies’ experiences, editing service categories, portfolio/gallery, and turnaround time of the companies you have shortlisted. Prioritize photo editing companies serving in the industry for at least 8 years or more. They are more skilled and versatile in offering complex, advanced, and customized services for other photography post-production services, including retouching, color correction, ghost mannequins, clipping paths, etc. Take a look at their portfolio or gallery section to assess if their working style and quality are consistent and align with your project. Professional companies usually offer faster turnaround to support commercial-grade bulk projects.
3. Communicate Directly: Contact them directly through their different communication mediums—phone, email, etc. Discuss your project details and level of customization. Professional. From a reliable company, you can outsource bulk image editing services of consistent quality. Ask about the revision process in case of feedback. You will have a clear understanding of their process and their professionalism. While communicating, check the following factors as well.
- The software and technology they use.
- Data and project security measures.
- Project quality measuring process.
- File transferring methods and delivery.
4. Know Their Pricing: Instead of low pricing, analyze quality in terms of pricing. Reliable photo editing companies will display a clear pricing structure, and there won’t be any hidden costs. Pricing is applied per image, per hour, per month, and per project (a specific number of images at a time). During the conversation, you can ask about a bulk discount or the promotional cut price. Know the ways they accept payment to avoid any misunderstanding later.
How to Outsource Photo Editing?
To outsource photo editing, start with the ‘Free trial’ option of your preferred companies. You will have a direct understanding of whether their work aligns with your project or not. Or, you can click the CTA buttons of ‘Get Started’ or ‘Get a Quote‘ to connect with the team and talk directly.
Is It Safe To Outsource Photo Editing With Client Images?
Outsourcing photo editing with client images is safe when the outsourcing company is reputable, reliable, and experienced. Such companies will guarantee security for the client’s project even after the services end. You can ask them to sign an NDA if your projects need complete confidentiality.
Can Small Businesses Afford to Outsource Photo Editing Services?
Yes, small businesses can afford to outsource photo editing services. Most photography post-production agencies offer affordable pricing structures depending on business, bulk discounts, and seasonal cut prices to assist businesses and individual professional visual needs.
Does Quality Suffer When You Outsource Photo Editing Overseas?
Image quality doesn’t suffer when you outsource from renowned photo editing companies that have served for a long time and have plenty of skills up their sleeve; they know different ways to maintain quality, resolution, and consistency as your business requires. Image quality will suffer if the company makes fraudulent statements to hunt clients.
How Do You Ensure Consistent Quality When You Outsource Photo Editing?
While outsourcing photo editing, you can ensure consistent image quality in 2 ways: by providing specific guidelines on the editing style or by showing reference images. Proficient photo editors understand clients’ requirements and deliver picture-perfect results.
Should Freelance Photographers Outsource Photo Editing Or Hire An In-house Editor?
Freelance photographers should outsource photo editing services when they are just starting their business and working during peak season (Summer, Autumn, and Spring). Outsourcing allows flexibility in cost management and bulk image editing workload. Freelance photographers should hire an in-house editor when they have a consistent workload and generate sufficient revenue to support a comprehensive photo editing workstation.
What are The Differences Between Outsourced Photo Editing And In-house Editing?
The differences between outsourced photo editing and in-house editing lie in cost management, resource management, turnaround, and scalability. Outsourcing photo editing is offered by companies or agencies that are equipped with the latest version of editing software and human resources with the necessary skill set. You get expert image editors to work on your project within your budget, along with bulk discounts. They offer faster turnaround with flexible timing, as you decide when to work or not. In-house photo editing requires a dedicated setup and overhead costs. Though it benefits if there is a steady flow of work of the same pattern, companies might face limitations in skill sets and scalability.
Is It Cost-effective to Outsource Photo Editing?
Yes, it is cost-effective to outsource photo editing as the price starts at $0.71. Individual professionals and businesses get bulk discounts and a seasonal cutoff for their projects. Also, it is more cost-saving than an in-house photo editing team (salary, setup cost, software licensing, and other overhead costs).
How Much Time Can You Save If You Outsource Your Photo Editing Tasks?
You can save one-third of your business hours if you outsource photo editing tasks. Editing per image takes around 5 minutes and goes higher depending on complexity. A photographer can utilize all of his sessions by outsourcing photo editing, at least one of which he would spend editing otherwise.
