We are absolutely THRILLED that you booked Fully Alive to create content for you! Whether your session was for a newborn, maternity, children, family, branding, or a wedding, we are so grateful you chose to work with our team. Truly—thank you for trusting us with something so meaningful.
Our goal is to make this experience as smooth, stress-free, and enjoyable as possible, so we want to walk you through exactly what to expect once your session is complete.
What to Expect After Your Shoot
Our process includes 7–8 detailed steps and typically takes 2–4 weeks to complete.
The full timeline depends on the length of your session and how many clients we’re serving at the time—but we promise the care and craftsmanship are worth the wait.
For every hour we shoot, we spend approximately 15 hours behind the scenes… so the time on set is around 6% of your experience of working with us.
So while you’re patiently (or not-so-patiently) awaiting your beautiful photos, here’s a look at everything happening on our end post session…
STEP 1: Uploading, Backups & File Organization
After your session, a member of our team uploads all images to our editing systems and creates multiple backups on secure hard drives. We also sync files from multi- cameras & cards and organize your shoot into manageable segments to ensure nothing is missed.
STEP 2: Culling (Cull Out & Cull In)
- Cull Out: We remove any unusable images (blinks, missed focus etc). This step is often handled by an assistant.
- Cull In: We carefully select the very best images—keeping only the strongest versions of similar shots. This step is often handled by a senior team member or Tracy herself.
STEP 3: Editing
Every final image is hand-edited with care. We do not slap filters on your images as a batch and call it a day… EVER. Tracy, or a senior team member trained by Tracy, personally color-corrects and fine-tunes each photograph to ensure it reflects the Fully Alive style and is truly picture-perfect.
At this stage, we sometimes mark a few favorites early so we can share sneak peeks (see Step 4!).
STEP 4* | Sneak Peeks
*This step is not guaranteed, but often included when timing allows.
- Social Media: If we’re ahead of schedule, we may share sneak peeks on Instagram (which usually cross-posts to Facebook). Sneak peeks are typically shared within 1–14 days unless you’ve requested otherwise.
Friendly note: We don’t actively manage Facebook messages—Instagram or email is best! - Blog Features: Occasionally, if your session is especially standout or we’re well ahead, we’ll feature your images on our blog with a heartfelt, handwritten post. These usually go live 2–6 weeks after your session.
STEP 5: File Conversion & Exporting
We shoot exclusively in Camera Raw, which allows for the highest possible image quality—but these files aren’t viewable or shareable outside of professional editing software.
Once editing is complete, we export each image as a high-resolution JPEG, making them ready for viewing, sharing, printing, and downloading. At this point we also rename all the files.
This is why RAW images can’t be delivered immediately or shared straight from the camera.
STEP 6: Uploading Your Gallery
Uploading your final images to your gallery can take anywhere from 3 to 24 hours, depending on file size, internet speed, software glitches and gallery volume. This step requires patience—but it’s the final stretch!
STEP 7: Client Portal Delivery
Once your gallery is live, you’ll receive an automatic email from Fully Alive Photography with instructions to access your client portal.
Please be sure to check your spam or junk folder and approve our email address so you don’t miss it!
From your portal, you’ll be able to:
- click on the gallery link to view and share your images
- Download digital files as singles or batch deliver zip files form the company (smugmug)
- Order prints and products
OPTIONAL STEP 8: Retouching
Some packages include additional master retouching beyond our standard edits (such as skin retouching, eye brightening, clothing adjustments, or other Photoshop work).
Because retouching is very personal—We avoid unsolicited photoshop/retouching because beauty is subjective, preferences vary, and it’s time-consuming on a bulk amount of photos. We genuinely believe our clients are beautiful just as they are—it’s not included in standard edits unless specified in your package. That said, we are always happy to provide it when requested. No judgment, ever. ANYTHING you want. We can do it.
If a master retouching package is included in your package (often in retainer memberships or high-level branding collections), or if you’d like to add it à la carte, simply send us:
- The image file numbers
- What you’d like adjusted
- We will send an invoice for the selected amount & get going!
That’s a Wrap!
We hope this gives you a clear picture of the love, time, and intention poured into every single image we deliver.
Your photos aren’t lost in hyperspace—they’re being carefully transformed into meaningful, lasting art. So sit back, relax, and feel free to follow along on social media as you wait for sneak peeks!
Joyfully,
Tracy & The Fully Alive Team