Post processing can completely change the look of an event. Most of my clients hire me for my editing style, which is of course, based on my composition style.
Composition is actually what really got me into photography. I would look at an image a friend or family member had shot and think, "Well no, that's just wrong. He should have done it like THIS." I would look at the shot and just flat out think the image had to be shot a particular way, and no other. If the shot hadn't been composed correctly, then it was just crap. It seriously annoyed me. I also hated the fact that all of the wedding pictures I'd really ever seen were so cold and disconnected. Not just between the viewer and the people in the image, but between the individuals IN the image. A marriage is a sacred event. One of the true rituals left in modern society. It should be taken seriously, respected, and truly celebrated. A couple should be able to look back on their wedding and think, "We really were in love, weren't we?" :) I hated that looking at random wedding pictures did not evoke that feeling in me. I wanted to change the way it was done. Photographs should evoke emotion. Happiness, sadness, love… that is what I believe the true purpose of a photograph is.
Granted, I'm not the best composer, I screw up plenty of shots, and I certainly didn't invent true romanticism in wedding portraits (or familial love between parents and children), and there are PLENTY of photographers FAR better than me, but, this is what lead me on this path. Irritation. LOL
So, I started out focusing solely on composition, and once I began to gain some confidence, began to branch out into experimenting with editing. I've really only been editing my images to this level for about a year, but it truly advanced me to a completely different level. It's not everyone's cup of tea, and plenty of people hate any image that doesn't look SOOC (straight out of camera). This is one of the reasons I give all of my clients their untouched images- every image I shot, good or bad, out of focus and trash-worthy, because you never know what someone is going to like, or find a use for, and I think all of my clients have the right to see everything I shot. And it also allows them more freedom in how they want their wedding albums to look. And prove that no, I wasn’t the drunk woman dancing on top of her parents table. Since I instead, memorialized the event with an array of blackmail worthy photos. Just in case you ever need them…
I've been getting into quite the retro-mod-indie-vintage look lately in terms of processing. When I edit, I usually do a clean, lightly touched up version first, then maybe I'll make a funky mod-rock version, then retro, and then settle into black and white or an antique version. Each client can really tailor their wedding album to their own personal taste, and what style suits the portraits as a collection.
Here is one take on Kristen & Dave's wedding and the Presido Chapel in San Francisco. You'll get a full post later on. And to K & D, your suspense will soon be relieved! :)
PS: Yes it is 4am again and yes I was up all night working again, and yes, it was after shooting a full wedding a couple hours away and yes I have more shoots tomorrow.
EAST COAST BRIDES! Don't forget to enter the contest! The sooner you get your entries in, the more time I have review and marvel over them! Details are all RIGHT HERE. Only 3 days left to get your entries in!
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