We are Happy to have you Onboard!

2024 Update: We have simplified our process by allowing clients to use any naming format they want for their catalog. In addition you can upload/send us your files in any method that you like. If this makes it easier for you to submit jobs then feel free to make the most of this change. Otherwise you can use our original instructions/information for file prep as you wish.

The setup is straight forward but the overall process of getting started will take a little adjustment to your work flow. We recommend you read the following guides first;

1. How to Setup your Google Drive Folder

2. How to Prepare your Adobe Lightroom Catalog for Editing

What You Need

We have spent a long time working out the best way to get started with new members and so the list is pretty short! We use Google Drive for all of our file management/handling to send and receive files. Feel free to use a different service if you wish; but we will be sending you files back and forth via Google Drive.

• A Google Drive Account (A Guide to Setting up Google Drive) (Optional) or a method to upload/send us your files.
• Adobe Lightroom Classic CC.
• (Optional) At least one sample catalog (preferably a wedding) for us to study and use as a style reference for your work. This helps us get to know you and may help expedite our initial jobs for you.
• A quality internet connection (for uploading/downloading files)

The Steps

It is simple to get started with us, you might already understand/know the process and have the established accounts. Below is a quick step by step guide to getting started with us.

1. 1. Head to our ‘Get Started’ page and fill out the form. It will guide you to the next steps!
   2. You will receive a ‘Welcome Email’ from us with information for you and the next steps (Includes a longer questionnaire)
   3. Familiarize yourself with Smart Previews and preparing your Lightroom Catalogs with our How To Guide – PMC Smart Preview Guide
   4. Prepare a Sample Catalog(s) for us of a completed wedding you have edited recently and are stoked with! which we can then use as a references for your style.
      2024 Update: This is entirely optional; however it helps us to get to know your style faster so we can work faster for you.
   5. Make sure you properly name the catalog with our naming format. 2024 Update: You can use any name for your file/job as you wish, as long as we can identify it is your files. If you are happy to use our old naming format, by all means you can use this. The old naming format is (YourClientNumber-JobDate-ClientNames).
   6. Once you prepare a job for us, zip the files! We need your .lrcat file, your lr-data file and your Smart Preview files/folder to be able to work on your job. This is the minimum we need to work on any edits or culls for you. Without this set of files we cannot complete work for you!
   7. Upload this to the ‘Samples’ folder in your PMC Client Folder. Feel free to upload as many samples as you wish. We study each sample catalog to study how you edit and make notes. This helps us get to know your style faster!
   8. Once done, we are ready for your first job(s). Prepare & Upload your first job/catalog to your PMC Client Folder (using the above steps).
      2024 Update: You can now upload/submit your files to us any way that you wish. Once we receive your files we will prep and load these into Google Drive. If you want to speed up the process, simply upload your files into the supplied Google Drive folder we have shared with you.
   9. Once uploaded, use our New Job Form to submit the new job to us.
   10. Pay the Invoice we send to you, once paid we will start editing your first job (we wont start editing until payment has been received).
   11. We will edit a sample set of the catalog and send it back for your feedback! We always flag the samples GREEN & 1 STAR. You will find sample catalogs in your ‘In Progress’ folder.
   12. Once we receive feedback from you we will continue on with the final edit!
   13. Once ready we will email you a link to the job (although you can always find the finished jobs in your ‘Completed’ folder with some notes  about the edit!

If you have any troubles with the above process we have our FAQ page located here – http://www.plusminuscollective.com/faq/

We have also created some How To Guides which are located here – http://www.plusminuscollective.com/guides/

Please email hello@plusminuscollective.com if you have any problems with the process listed above.