Before You Send Your Files
Outsourcing Photo Editing: Your Questions, Answered
The questions photographers ask before handing their work to an editing company, answered plainly: who sees your photos, what it costs, what happens when an edit is wrong, and how to leave if it does not work out.
Honest Answers
Outsourcing questions
How do I know an editing company is legitimate before I send files?
Start small and check what you can. Pinnacle Edits was founded in Mumbai, India, in 2019 and edits for 1,200+ clients worldwide. The free trial is 5 to 10 of your own photos with no card required, so you judge the work before you pay anything, and we sign an NDA before any project begins.
What happens to my client photos when I outsource editing?
They are uploaded over an encrypted connection, stored on encrypted servers and opened only by your assigned editor and our quality review team, who all sign confidentiality agreements. They are permanently deleted 30 days after final delivery, or sooner if you ask.
Will you use my photos to train AI?
No. Your photos are never used for AI or machine-learning training, never put in a dataset, and never shown in our portfolio or advertising without your written permission. Every photo is edited by hand, and we add a written no-AI clause to your contract if you need one.
Do you sign an NDA?
Yes, before any project begins, and every member of our team signs a confidentiality agreement. We never disclose client names or project details.
Is outsourcing photo editing GDPR compliant?
Our data handling follows GDPR and CCPA principles: files go only to the people editing them, are never shared with third parties, and are deleted 30 days after delivery. If your contract needs specific terms, ask and we will go through them with you.
How do I send RAW files to an editor?
Upload them in our order system, or share a Dropbox or Google Drive folder. Send the RAW files with your presets or a few finished reference images and a short brief.
My editor is in another time zone. How does turnaround work?
We are in India, so photos sent at the end of a US or European day are often being edited while you sleep. Standard turnaround is 48 to 72 hours at no extra charge. Portrait and people retouching can be rushed to 36 hours for +50% or 24 hours for +75% of the image price.
What should I send for a free trial to judge it properly?
Send 5 to 10 photos that are typical of your work, including one or two difficult ones, and a finished example of how you want them to look. Judge the trial against your own edits, at full size and as a thumbnail.
What if the edits come back wrong?
Ask for changes. Photo revisions are free and unlimited until the edit matches your brief, as long as you request them within 5 days of delivery; video includes three revision rounds. If the quality still isn’t right after revisions, or we miss the delivery time we agreed, you get your money back.
Per image or a monthly plan: which is cheaper?
For most photographers, per image: you pay only for what you send, and the rate drops as your volume grows. If you send enough work to keep an editor busy, a dedicated editor at $600 a month part-time or $1,100 a month full-time costs less per image and learns your style.
How do I pay, and in which currency?
Orders are paid through PayPal in our order system, and prices on this site are shown in the currency you are charged in. Enterprise clients can arrange other payment methods.
How do I switch editing companies without losing my look?
Send us your presets and 20 to 30 finished images from recent work, and run your next job as a trial alongside your current provider. Once the trial matches your look, move over one shoot at a time.
Who do I contact if something goes wrong?
Email support@pinnacleedits.com, call +1 424 255 7675 (USA) or +91 9967490542 (India), or use the live chat or WhatsApp on this site.
Still Deciding?
These pages go deeper on security, cost and who to hire.