Photo editing is part of the creative photography process, some artists do it more than others. So let’s talk about it, the “P”word: photoshopped. AKA editing/retouched/post production etc….
My Photo Editing Approach
My editing style over the years has definitely evolved but the foundation for me has stayed the same
- get as much right in camera – The digital world of photography allows for so much control, creativity & art. For myself I always questioned at what point does photography become a type of digital media art? The amazing transformation & edits photoshop allows is WILD, but it’s not for me. It’s important for me that when looking at a before/after image of mine, that there isn’t much difference. Doesn’t mean for some projects I haven’t dabbled 😉
- no altering bodies – I don’t even like using the fun (but damaging) IG stories filters on myself, so altering my client’s already beautiful, more than worthy bodies is not my cup of tea.
- keep it simple – it took a couple years to develop my style of editing but once I did it made my post processing flow real simple & efficient. Because of that, I am able to offer Same Day Reveals for my clients. After a session I cull (pick out the keepers), apply my own preset in Lightroom select some for B&W and create a slide show for my boudoir clients who come back an hour after shooting to view their final images. After they select their favorites I go through & retouch these images. Essentially I am cleaning up their images; remove the temporary things on their body, remove stay hairs on face, make sure lines are correct, maybe brighten the eyes a bit & make everything as cohesive as possible. Simple & clean.
The permanent features stay
If you do wish to be retouched, my style is very minimal. I get everything as close in camera with minimal photo editing. Adjustments like highlights, shadows, contrast, exposure or cropping. And even then, it’s not a big difference 97.9999% of the time. I do NOT liquify bodies, it’s a hard pass for me. I will soften the skin, but skin has texture and I think it’s beautiful so let’s keep skin looking like skin and not total plastic ya? I do remove anything temporary, unless you tell me otherwise. So pimples, bruises, bug bites, scratches etc are gone. Most of my retouching is cleaning up stray hairs around your face. So, anything permanent to your body stays, unless you request otherwise. (More on why I accept this request in a moment.) But if you have rolls, hair, stretch marks, cellulite, freckles moles etc like 100% of humans, I leave them. These are not “problem areas” or “flaws” these are YOU and I do not want to assume you want them removed. However, I do accept the request to have them photoshopped and here’s why…. Self acceptance is a journey with many ups, downs and backups. Having a boudoir experience is an incredible step on your journey but it’s not realistic to try and tell you that it’s the one stop shop to total body love. There is so much instant gratification floating around on top of the pressure of the toxic side of the body positivity movement that we don’t really talk about the journey. It might seem hypocritical to agree to photoshop these features at your request after I talked about not needing to be retouched, but I am here for the journey and want to support you at your pace, not to force you faster along. I am so damn proud when you decide to take the boudoir step, and sometimes it’s baby steps after that. I am here for big & small steps, I am here for you.
No trendy presets here
Don’t get me wrong, when done right, some of the trendy presets are so beautiful & it’s one of the perks of digital processing, an artist can get so creative! But it’s something to consider when investing in photos you will have forever; will you like the current trendy edit in the years to come? For some, a boudoir experience is a once in a lifetime investment so these images should last a lifetime. I can’t tell you what you will like or not but I think it’s very important to keep in mind.
Lastly, you don’t have to be photoshopped
Nope, you don’t even need or have to be retouched. Of course, photo editing these days is “normal” or part of the photography process and now with all the presets + filters on social media there is an unhealthy (yes – I said unhealthy) expectation that you will be photoshopped to look nothing like how you look in real life. Unfortunately, I have experienced clients hoping I will make them look different & also clients who have been altered without their permission in the past by other photographers. And look, I get it, these face tune & body altering apps show just how easy it is to make you look a certain way, allowing you to present differently through a photo. It’s easy, but very dangerous, to love but I am not here for it. Just because it can be easily done, does’t mean it should. A good amount we could unpack with this but I am here to tell you that you don’t need to be photoshopped. I send out a questionnaire before your session asking if being retouched is even something you want. I don’t want to assume you want be photoshopped.
For photographers, photo editing/post processing/editing/retouching/photoshopping etc is part of our art & it’s very important to the final delivered product & represents our brand. Definitely why we don’t like it when filters get slapped on them, if that’s you – please stop. Seriously, stop.
It’s a developed skill just as much as learning our camera & each of us has our own unique approach, style & preferences. At Blue Flame I LOVE photography & creating images and a big part of my mission & passion is the experience + connection I form with my clients, it’s so much more than edited images.
