Q. You say 'free' photo editing, but I can see 'pay' in a few places!
A. I offer quick editing free.  I define a 'quick edit' as an edit which needs about 3 minutes of work.  There are times when I get assignments listed in the 'paid' category but which are done free because of the time it actually took to complete the job.

This is a service of value US$ 30-50 per hour. Please note that every image is quite distinct in how quickly it can be edited. Another factor to take into account is that as the image resolution goes up, most of the editing tasks take longer for want of more precision, since the image can be viewed in more detail.

But I must add that a major part of my work is done free, and it's easy to work out the substantial value being offered without cost!

(Free-edit offer does not apply if work is sent in bulk. Also, this free-edit service must not be used for the requestor's commercial work.)

Q. So, exactly which photo editing services are free?
A. 'Quick', and therefore 'FREE', photo editing corresponds to about 3 minutes of work. With over a decade of experience and having worked with 60,000+ images over this period, there is much I can accomplish in 3 minutes.

One or more of the following actions are sometimes carried out in a single 'FREE quick edit':

- Simple red eye correction
- Some blemish removal
- Simple colour correction
- Simple exposure correction
- Change of eye colour
- Sharpening — simple and advanced
- Blurring — simple only
- Simple teeth whitening
- Resizing of an image
- Converting to black and white (gray scale)

Q. Do you welcome free assignments?
A. I most certainly do! Just to prove the point, my free assignments have always been priority and I have hundreds of e-mails expressing sheer disbelief at the quick turnaround time.  You may try me now!!!

Q. How many photos can I send for free editing?
A. Not more than 2 per week please.

Q. Aren't there any sites on the web which where people can carry out edits themselves?
A. Yes, but only to correct basic things like brightness and contrast, to rotate image, resize, compose, etc. You will have to work within the bounds of a certain number of pre-sets defined by the program.

Q. Does photo editing require special human skills or does the software do it all?
A. Photo editing is quite like editing a picture on canvas manually.  The difference being that you have great flexibility in the types of tools available, quick correction of mistakes, the facility to make a composite of two or more images and the ability to add special effects.  The apparently automated tasks are seldom just single click operations. Most of the advanced work is done by using digital tools which are sophisticated clones of conventional paint tools.

Q. What strategy do you adopt while editing a picture?
A. I follow a very simple strategy. Avoid over-correction and try to make the picture look as natural as possible.  If my edit is detected easily, I fail...

Q. What are the strong points of your editing skills.
A. With over 10 years experience in retouching and restoration of photographic images, that is what I enjoy doing most.

Q. Can something be done with a supposedly good image?
A. (What I have to say here does not apply if you are into some sort of digital editing yourself). Images which you perceive as acceptable quality, can in most cases be tweaked to look substantially better. This would fall in my free category unless we are dealing with large image sizes or bulk quantity.

Q. Don't you think we would find paying for work over the net risky since we have no hold over you?
A. Try me with some free work first!

Q. Do you have special rates for volume / regular assignments?
A. Yes I offer a substantial discount for these kinds of assignments, because there is mutual benefit in doing so.

Q. Do you negotiate on rates you have quoted?
A. My prices are much lower than what's going, however, you are always welcome to suggest your price or mention your reservation / limitation.

Q Would you consider undertaking free, what falls in your paid category?
A. I have done so in the past, when requested.

Q. What is your turnaround time?
A. 12 - 48 hours on an average. Complex assignments need about 7 - 21 days.

Q. Why should you edit my pictures, can't I do it myself?
A. Sure, anyone can learn photo editing. It requires the right  software, a few months to learn all about it with a fair amount of  patience and time.  If you have the inclination and the time, go for  it...


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Please contact Anil Nath if you have any other questions - E-mail.