“We love the warm subtle tones that Fiona has weaved into the photos”
‘Photoshop’ - its become such a big word in 21st parlance. It has become synonymous with changing things, editing the truth and creating an illusion, but it’s also a photographer’s friend; the digital-generation’s version of the dark room…..and, if I’m honest, a bit of a beast. It can do so much in the world of digital photography and graphic design and, undoubtedly can create much more polished version of any image, but that doesn’t need to mean unrecognisable.
I’m always talking about how my style of photography is ‘natural’ and ‘unposed’, but I will still edit every shoot in Photoshop and I thought maybe it’s time I shed light on what that actually means both generally, and specifically to my style of photography.
Its very rare that I’ll show clients an image on the back of my camera. The main reason for this is because it will never do the final image justice and I don’t want you to be disappointed. My kit is pretty special – it records a lot detail in each digital file - but this isn’t always obvious on the tiny screen at the back. In the old days of film, it took a darkroom to bring an image to life. These days, it’s a computer screen. The editing process brings out all those details that are hiding in the pixels.
There is so much potential hiding in a image that isn’t obvious on the back of the camera.
Nature’s colours are all captured in the original file, they just need a little expertise to show them off at their best
My Editing Process
Once we’ve said goodbye at the end of a shoot, my work has only just started. When I get home, I’ll download and backup everything from the time we’ve spent together. Only when it’s double backed up can I relax, knowing that it’s safe (the fear of all the memory cards corrupting is way bigger in my head than it should be!). After that, I have to select the very best images from the day and bring them to life. I edit each one of these individually to ensure that they all reach their full potential.
Atmospheric lighting can completely change the emotional connection to an image
By this I mean that I consider the time of year and the light at the time of the shoot and emphasis those elements. I make sure that your family is the main focus of every image and that any annoying distractions have disappeared – the remnants of biscuit on someone’s chin; the snotty nose on a toddler or dried skin on a newborn baby; the bin that none of us spotted in the background and, more often that I should admit, my camera bag that I forgot to move out of the way…I think I’ve learned that lesson now!
The light on this evening was stunning. A bit of editing brought out it’s full potential
Small changes can make a big difference.
Keeping it Natural
What I would never dream of doing is removing life’s natural lines and scars. They are all part of our characters and story. However, if there is something that someone is particularly self conscious of then let me know. It might well be that I can change my angle to avoid it or reduce the impact. It’s not at all uncommon for new mums to develop additional facial lumps and bumps after giving birth…our bodies are incredibly clever but can be a little bit cruel sometimes too. If this has happened to you and you’d like me to remove something, then of course I will. Just let me know.
Editing brings out the very best of each image
Remaining True to You
What I don’t and won’t do is airbrush history or remove half a stone. I will bring out the best of you, but I won’t make you look 20 years younger or use one of those hideous skin softening filters that make you look like you’ve never even pulled a facial expression in your life, let alone laughed or cried or worried. I want you to recognise yourselves in your images, not just now but in 20, 30, 40 years’ time (when you will look back and marvel at how young you were and wonder why you worried so much).
The Beauty of Black & White
I will also choose a select group of images to edit as black and white. It might sound counter-intuitive but removing the colour from a picture can bring so much more to it in some instances. It emphasises texture, tone and emotion and can give a timeless quality to a picture. It’s not just a case of pressing the ‘convert to black and white’ button though. I will take time to rebalance it to make sure that the tone is correct and balance is correct.
Converting an image to black and white can create a totally different look
Even on the same shoot, two photographers would come up with two totally different final galleries, both in the images they take and in the editing process they complete afterwards, just as would be the case for two artists. Have a look at my gallery, and if you like my editing style and would like so see how I could create some images for your family, then get in touch for an informal chat.