Photographers document specific moments in time for their clients, but they are also artists. Over time, their work develops a signature look and style. Clients use that visual information to start narrowing down choices about which photogs they want to photograph them.

This blog is the second in a series designed to help the rising senior class as they look to find a photographer to document their Senior Experience with Senior Portraits. In the first, we go into when to schedule Senior Portraits.

Today I break down my editing approach for the portraits I create with the Seniors and families who choose me.

My job is to be sure every image I deliver to my families is a fine art portrait. So I hand edit each photo to enhance the beauty of the photograph, to be sure it matches the artistic style I have developed, and to be sure my seniors look like themselves on their best day. For me, that means I don’t just slap a filter on the photo. For you, that means that if you happen to have a breakout on the day of your session, those pimples won’t be in your final portraits, but your skin will look natural, realistic… with texture, and not like plastic.

A LOT of what we do to make our clients look their best is done through use of styling, lighting, posing, and angles. I coach my seniors quite a bit though our shoots, and I work hard to get my technique right in-camera… but then I polish every photo in post processing, making subtle, but powerful adjustments to the final image. Iphone cameras are awesome, sometimes simple snapshots can be beautiful, but they don’t give the consistent quality that my clients can expect from my work. Take a look at this before and after:

I will NEVER change the essentials of what you look like. That is my promise. But my goal is for you to look at your portraits and be in awe of what you see, whether you hang them on your wall, or display them in a Deluxe Coffee Table Album… I want you to cherish the art we make together.