I think we all know that nowadays in the digital photography world, that most photographers use some sort of software to post process their images. Be it to crop, correct lighting, add special effects, or improve blemishes, there is often much work to do after the photo is taken.
There are a few schools of thinking on this. I know there are some photographers out there who think that any post editing is wrong, or that it falls more into the Graphic Design category, rather than photography. And I do agree, that certain types of editing probably do. For example, if a person is using Photoshop, etc. to completely fix problems that should have been corrected in shooting, then perhaps, that person needs a bit more experience with their gear. But I don't think there is necessarily a right or a wrong way to do things.
I think that in today's photography market, many people are looking for a little something extra. This of course, doesn't go for everyone. But I have found with my clients, they tend to love photos that are a little bit more edited and creative looking than the "out of the camera" shot.
Are there lines when it comes to this? Sure. But honestly, I believe that's for each photographer to decide. There's room for all different types of style and editing styles out there. People have varied tastes, and that's awesome! How boring would it be if every photographer did the same exact shooting style and the very same post processing style? Ew!!! Variety is good! :)
As for our philosophy, we do what I would consider to be a light to medium amount of editing for our shoots. Depending on people's personalities, we may do something crazy in post processing like use a pink cross-process for a magazine style look. And we may add or remove things from the background, change photo tones, etc. It just depends on the people and the shoot. With families, we usually lean towards more traditional with minimal editing.
I tend to not enjoy looking at photos of people who have been made to look like porcelain dolls. Not because those photos aren't gorgeous, because they certainly are. (You guys have probably seen this in a lot of children's portraits where their skin looks almost surreal or doll-like.) Some people like that. And I admit, those photos are eye-catching. But it's not my style. If people have freckles, I want that to be an integral part of their portrait. That's part of what makes them uniquely.. them! I'll do things like smooth the skin a bit and remove blemishes. I'll even whiten teeth a wee bit. But I won't change someone's body, make a balding person have a full head of hair, and I won't correct to the point of perfection. Cause that's just not authentic. And we like authentic. We like personalities, real people, and we love our clients just as they are :)
So there is Sweet T's take on editing. Have a glorious holiday season!
0 comments:
Post a Comment