Lightroom Classic Expert for High-End Product Photo Masking, Color Balancing & Alignment (45 Images)

We are looking for a meticulous Lightroom Classic expert to assist with a product photography project for an upscale e-commerce stationery brand. The project consists of 45 commercial listing images shot tethered in Lightroom Classic. The images feature various sized, gray suede-covered boxes on a gray suede background, using blank dummy cards as placeholders. Because of lighting and exposure shifts during the shoot, we need the background and boxes balanced perfectly across all images to match a provided "Hero" sample shot. Furthermore, some of the boxes shifted slightly during the shoot and need to be digitally straightened. - Crucial Project Requirements: Instead of destructive editing or standard global adjustments, you will be utilizing Lightroom Classic's native tools so that we can retain full editability for the future. For every image, you will need to complete two main phases: PHASE 1: GEOMETRY & REALIGNMENT * Use Lightroom’s Transform panel (Guided Upright, Rotate, Aspect, etc.) to perfectly straighten the boxes, fix any minor lens distortion, and ensure lines are square and professional across all 45 frames. PHASE 2: ADVANCED PRECISE MASKING Create three distinct, highly accurate local adjustment masks. **CRITICAL NOTE: Some shots include styling props (e.g., a simple paperweight, champagne glass, or plate). All three masks must precisely exclude/go around these objects so that the props themselves remain completely untouched by any adjustments. 1. Mask 1 (The Background): The flat surface suede and the sweep of fabric in the background (excluding all props). 2. Mask 2 (Box Fronts): The front-facing, shadowed/mid-tone planes of the boxes (excluding any overlapping props). 3. Mask 3 (Box Tops & Highlights): The top surfaces of the boxes and any highlighted side edges (excluding any overlapping props). Once the masks are created, you will use them to balance the exposure, contrast, and tones of each photo to match our master sample shot. **Important Note on Quality: Your masking must be incredibly precise. We will later be using these files in Photoshop to overlay colors onto the background for our digital mockups. The masks must seamlessly hug the boxes and clean edges around the props so that the background can accept both delicate pastel colors and rich, dark colors while maintaining a realistic suede texture and natural transitions. (Note: You do not need to worry about masking the blank dummy cards/envelopes themselves, as these will be entirely replaced later). Deliverables: * A Lightroom Catalog (.lrcat) or Smart Previews/XMP sidecar files containing the 45 edited images with the three requested masks intact and geometry corrected for every photo. * Perfectly leveled, straightened, and color-balanced images that match the exposure and tone of the provided sample photo. Project Type & Hiring Process: * Project Scale: Medium (45 images). * Trial Project: We will begin with a paid test milestone of 2 images to evaluate your precision, attention to detail, and geometry alignment. Upon approval, we will fund the remaining balance for the rest of the batch. Qualifications / Skills Needed: * Expert-level proficiency with Lightroom Classic (specifically advanced masking tools, precise brush/object subtraction for complex prop boundaries, and the Transform/Lens Corrections panels). * A sharp eye for commercial product photography alignment, exposure matching, and color theory. * Experience prepping files for high-end e-commerce, mockups, or digital compositing. * Strong communication skills and ability to follow precise technical guidelines. To Apply: Please share examples of your previous product editing, geometry correction, or masking work. Please include the phrase "Suede Perfection" at the top of your proposal so we know you have read the entire description.