photography- before & after!

I have been wanting to write a post like this for awhile now, and I finally got around to doing it :)  I wanted to write it on my photo blog but I'm trying to keep that just for showing finished shoots... so here it is!

I just wanted to let everyone see a little bit of what goes into editing pictures.  Every photographer that I know does a little bit of adjusting to even the most beautiful picture before showcasing their finished product.  This is part of the reason why professional photographers are going to be a little more expensive (or sometimes a LOT more expensive) than your average photo studio or beginner lifestyle photographer.  Now remember, this is only part of what you pay for when you hire a professional photographer.  There are many other things that you have to take into consideration (experience, equipment, etc) but I won't go into that today.  And please remember I am not claiming to have a great knowledge in these areas, I have SO much to learn, but I just want share a little something with you.

What a difference some editing makes.  This photo is SOOC shot in RAW format on my Canon 5D Mark II with my 50mm f/1.4 lens.  A beautiful picture of a beautiful girl, but a little dark & a little gray.

In Adobe Bridge I first adjust the white balance to take out the dull, gray coloring.  I then bump up the brightness level until it is at a point that I am happy with.  I also added some contrast to give it more dimension.  Not a ton of changes, but enough to make a difference.

Then I open the photo in Photoshop CS4.  There really isn't a lot that needs to be done.  If you look at her cheeks I took out the small amount of shine.  I also added just the slightest amount of sharpening to make her gorgeous blue eyes sparkle.  Lastly I added a little bit of an overall boost to make everything pop. I love extremely bright, colorful pictures.  That is my preference, and yours may be different.  That's ok!  That's why there are so many different photographers with so many different styles- you can always find someone does what you like!
  And there you have it!

Before & After

 
And that is a little bit of the process I go through in editing pictures.  Some need more help than this, some less, but it is definitely an important process in getting the desired outcome that we all know & love in photos!