What is Selection?
Selection is a checkpoint in your project where we align on direction before moving into final delivery. Depending on your project type, this might mean choosing between visual variations, confirming which images should go into post-production, or approving a result so we can finalize it.
The format varies — but the goal is always the same: make sure we're moving forward with exactly what you want.
Project type | Selection included? | When it's triggered | Impact on turnaround |
Product per-image | Only if needed | Internally by our team | None — TT is not affected |
Product per-hour | Always | After the shoot | TT starts the next b/d after Selection is completed |
Model | Always | After the shoot | TT starts the next b/d after Selection is completed |
AI | Always | After generation | Days awaiting feedback are added to the total TT |
When does Selection happen?
Selection is a mandatory stage for per-hour and AI photography projects. For product per-image projects, it's included only when we identify a need based on our experience — most of the time, those projects move straight to delivery without a selection step.
What you'll be asked to do
Depending on your project, Selection may involve one of the following:
Choose from variations — We present multiple options for a scene or deliverable, and you pick the direction to move forward with.
Select images for post-production — You review a set of images and confirm which ones should be retouched and finalized. Common in per-hour and model projects.
Approve an image to finalize — We share a result for your sign-off before we complete the final output. Common in AI projects.
Selection for AI Photography projects
AI projects have a few details worth knowing about this stage.
What you're reviewing
During Selection, the images you see are not yet finished. They may contain AI artifacts or elements that still need refinement — things like color accuracy, product detail, or photorealistic touches. These are all addressed in the final production step. Selection exists to confirm we're heading in the right direction, not to deliver a polished result.
How variations work
We may present multiple variations for a given product or scene — there's no fixed number. For example, if your project includes several similar products (like different hoodie colorways), we'll generate variations for one and use your selection to guide the rest. This keeps the visual direction consistent across your full set.
In some cases, there's only one option to review — in which case, your role is simply to approve it so we can move forward.
Skipping Selection
If you prefer not to be involved at this stage, we can complete Selection on your behalf based on our creative judgment. Just keep in mind: if scene regenerations are needed after the fact, those will be treated as paid revisions, since we won't have had your input to align on direction upfront.
If we missed the mark
If the results at Selection don't match your creative vision, we'll do one complimentary regeneration to get it right. We want to make sure you feel confident before we move into final production.
Selection vs. Approval — what's the difference?
These are two distinct stages in our projects, and it helps to know where each one sits.
Selection happens after production (the shoot or AI generation) and before post-production (retouching and finalization). It's a mid-project step — a moment to confirm direction so we know exactly what to work on next.
Approval is the final step. Once we've completed post-production, we deliver your finished images on the project deadline. At that point, you review the results and either approve them to close out the project, or request edits, which are handled according to our revision policy.
A simple way to think about it: Selection shapes what gets made. Approval confirms the work is done.
How Selection affects your turnaround time
For per-hour and model projects, your turnaround time is tied to when Selection is completed. Here's how that works in practice:
The shoot takes place.
We send you the images for Selection.
Once you complete your Selection, we know which images to retouch — and your turnaround time starts the next business day, based on your chosen retouching speed.
This means that the sooner you complete Selection, the sooner your final images are on the way.
For AI projects, the same principle applies: any time we're waiting on your feedback at the Selection stage is time that sits outside your turnaround. The clock resumes once you've made your selections, and we can move into finalization.