Before & After {how your professional photographer spends their editing time}

Not all are aware of the hours and hours of work that go into processing files once they are taken. In the ‘old’ days this was via dark rooms and film. Now, if you don’t know your way around some sort of RAW editing program and paintshop you wouldn’t be able to call yourself a professional. This equals BULK time on the computer. Sore back. Sore wrist. Burning eyes. The first stage I go through is in Digital Photo Professional … all files are taken during your shoot in RAW format. I wouldnt understand why a professional photographer would shoot in any other format. A RAW format takes an exact copy of what the sensor sees. Without any alteration. Crisp clear and true. This is different of course to what the human eye sees. A sensor of course is artifical and can not replicate the vast differentiation in shadows and light etc etc etc…  but that’s another topic heh?

In DPP the images are culled, white balanced if necessary, sharpened if necessary {only if a major mishap happens and my focus is slightly out} & then converted to Jpeg. RAW provides you to fix mistakes far more successfully than Jpeg if required. You can do so without starting to lose bulk pixel information.

In Photoshop images are individually opened and adjustments are made to brightness and contrast AT THE MINIMUM. If your photographer hands you disc unedited after shooting in RAW file you are in biiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiig trouble. They will be blah. And have no pop whatsoever. This needs to be done.

Of course in this blog I am not going to go into the fine points of how to edit your photos to get the end result that I do. That would be like a magician giving away his tricks. But I will show you a basic  before and after process with one of my images in an attempt to show you just how much work goes into each image. And that you really should appreciate a photographer if they are putting 100% effort in {as they should be} x Of course editing and mucking with colours can’t take the place of good composition, creativity, forethought & technically correct use of your gear… just saying..

Okay so image 1

As is after RAW conversion to jpeg. You can see the flatness of colour and lack of 'pop'.

Image 2

Basic editing including contrast & brightness adjustment. Much better.... this would now be print ready... but I'm not happy... I want some gasp factor x

Image 3

Adding a wee bit more drama.... spot fixing skin tones, eye pop x 3, selective burning .... getting there .....just a little bit more....

Image 4 – Ta da!

Hi - masks, & curves ... that's what I was looking for!

So you can see… when you are looking for a photographer… you should be looking for someone that not only can compose a photo creatively, but also have the ability to bring out the best in each image with any editing necessary. Not to say that all images require such editing. But you got to admit…  hewuuuuuuuuuuge difference in the pre and post editing. Good image into jaw dropper. Packs a punch huh?