Post Process Lovin'

Honestly, we haven't had a paying gig in a couple of months. You know what though...I'm okay with that. We've booked several weddings, but no shoots. I have however taken 679 photos of Max since he was born in October. Those photos are in 56 dated folders. That's 56 times I have gone through the steps of my work flow, and each of those 56 times I have gotten just a little bit faster, and a bit more efficient. Do you know how much this will help us when wedding season starts?

My goal each time the shutter is snapped is to get the exposure right in camera the first time. There are several photographers who believe that you shouldn't worry about the settings, and just grab the moment. They are right, however that doesn't mean that you can't do both. Getting the shot right the first time will drastically reduce the amount of time spent in Lightroom or Photoshop, reduce the embarrassment when the bride asks to see the back of the camera, and will especially make things easier come reception time when it's time to throw up that slideshow for your uber special clients.

As I mentioned before, the photos that go up on this blog are "spiffied" up a bit. When I say "spiffied," what I really mean is that they get the special 7 Step HP Treatment. This is a mixture of Levels, Curves, Spot Healing, Dodging, Burning, Selective Sharpening, and Unsharp Mask. They are actually performed in that particular order as well. This 7 step process is usually reserved for up close photos of the face.

Here is an example. The photo on the left is straight out of camera, no adjustments. The photo on the right has undergone the 7 Step HP Treatment. Click the photo to make it bigger.


This doesn't mean that all the other shots get neglected. Those guys have a special 4 step process that they go through before they land in the hands of my clients. I'll say right now...I do not believe in actions. I think that you should discover your own unique post processing technique which exemplifies your style, while remaining subtle at the same time.