Today, I want to talk to you about editing. Editing is a huge piece of what you are investing in when you hire a professional. It is not uncommon for me to spend anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours on a single image, depending on how much work it needs. But you'd never know that by seeing the end result. See, the funny thing about editing is it's a lot like applying makeup. If you're doing it right, it looks completely natural.
So here are a few examples of what professional editing is capable of fixing and enhancing!
LIGHTING
We all do our best to get the shots perfect in camera, but that isn't always possible. In this particular situation, we had a strong sun behind my subject which cast a shadow on their faces. Had we turned them around, they would have been squinting into the sun and would have been overexposed. With a few minor edits in Photoshop, I was able to lift the exposure on their faces and add a sunkissed glow taking this already beautiful picture to the next level.
This is a pretty dramatic one, as this was one of my first newborn sessions so I hadn't mastered posing and lighting yet. However, I'd like you to focus on this baby's skin. Most newborns arrive to me with blotchy skin. It's completely normal and unavoidable, but of course we all want that creamy, flawless skin in our pictures. Photoshop can take care of any blemishes, discolorations or imperfections and leaves the baby's skin creamy and smooth. (PS - This works on grownups too!!)
HEAD SWAPPING
Often, when photographing large groups or families with multiple children it is virtually impossible to get an image where everyone looks their best. So a little photographer secret is head swapping. If the conditions are consistent between images, we can swap one head for another to ensure that everyone is smiling and their eyes are open.
The image below had a lot of other edits, but what I will show you is the head swap of baby Lulu. Although she looks adorable in both, I preferred the one where she was looking at the camera. Unfortunately, her sisters didn't look their best in that picture, so I grabbed Lulu's head and swapped it out! A minor change, but it takes the picture from great to perfect.
TAMING THE ELEMENTS
Beaches are a beautiful place to take pictures, but you end up with flyaway hairs, shadows, and unwanted debris (or even people) in your background. Here is a quick example of how I perfected this beautiful family shot by smoothing out a lot of flyaway hairs and other uncontrollable elements.
THE FINISHING TOUCHES
Often I look at a picture and think that it can't possibly get any better. In this case, we nailed the lighting, Alice's skin was flawless and her makeup only enhanced her perfect features. However, as always I was reminded that every picture can use a little boost! By sharpening and darkening her gorgeous dark hair, brows and lashes, smoothing her skin just a bit, and raising the shadows I was able to create a flawless and professional finish for her headshot.
EFFECTS
Through the power of Photoshop, we can do some really fun things to enhance your pictures. These enhancements can be as subtle as a soft sun flare, all the way up to bridal parties being chased by dinosaurs. For the everyday photo, we aim for subtle enhancements that look totally natural and really add something special to an already adorable image. For this example, I added some adorable bubbles to really finish off this bathtime session of my son.
LIQUIFY
And lastly, liquify. What's liquify? Well, it's your best friend. Liquifying is one of the many Photoshop tools that magazines use to make their models look perfect. You can pull in your waistline, lift your hair...it's actually scary how much this tool can do. Now, am I going to use liquify to make you look like a Victoria's Secret model? No, I feel that I have a moral obligation to "edit ethically" and to keep you looking like yourself! And to be honest, I don't NEED to use liquify very often. A big part of what I do is to teach you to pose in ways that will flatter your body. But if need be, what I WILL use liquify for is to help smooth out a "spare tire", pull up a loose underarm, or pull in a waistline that needs a little help. You will look like the best possible version of you, and nobody (including you) will even know it's been done. It will just look like a super flattering photo.
Why don't I have my own example to show? Well, I do! But I would never reveal that secret to the world. And to be honest, it's done so naturally that my clients don't even know when it's been done. All that they know is they love the way they look!
So there's a little "behind the scenes" peak into one huge aspect of photography. When I first started this business, my husband was shocked at the hours and hours of editing that go into each session. However, the editing is really what takes a great picture to the next level.
Are you surprised at these "before and after" examples? Comment below and let me know your thoughts!
What a brilliant, interesting and illuminating (!) look into the world of professional photography!
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