Clients often ask me how much time and effort goes into editing their wedding photos and the answer is... many, many more hours than you would even believe! Due to this, lots of wedding photographers choose to outsource their editing to a 3rd party (which I can totally understand). But, for me, the "edit" of the image is nearly just as important as the picture-taking itself. And it's because of this that I personally touch every single one of my client's images during the editing process.
I believe that a bad edit can ruin a great photo, making it look too trendy or sometimes, even fake. A good edit helps an image to feel timeless and provides a little extra polish (because, well, your wedding photos should feel pro!).
I edit images in both Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop. Being that I used to shoot film, I like to give my digital images a partial "film look" - attempting to duplicate the richness and color tone of film, without sacrificing the convenience of digital. I also use creative license when it comes to black & white images - I only convert a photo to b&w when I feel it benefits the image artistically.
Below you'll see some examples of "before" and "after" images. While an image straight out of camera (sooc) as a RAW file may not appear perfect at first, I'm actually aiming for a balanced exposure from which I can work with in editing programs to enhance contrast, adjust color balance, manipulate light, remove blemishes, etc. Some clients ask to receive the RAW (unedited) images, but I hope you'll see below why the final, edited versions are truly the best.
This is one of my very favorite images ever. I love the backdrop of the woods, the romantic light and the stealing of a kiss. However, I needed to brighten my subjects a bit, make the overall color tone slightly warmer, and increase the presence of the sunlight coming through the trees - giving the image a more etherial feel.
Such a gorgeous bouquet - I adjusted the color tone from a cool blue to a warmer yellow (more like the natural sunlight) and increased the contrast to make the image feel richer.
I adore this moment of the bride getting ready and being able to catch her reflection in the mirror. But, the room itself was dark and also made entirely of wood panels, which cast a yellow-ish glow on the subject. I felt that the image would be more powerful in black & white, removing all the distractions of color.
This lovely couple had their First Look at high noon on a very bright day. The RAW image is a bit overexposed, so I brought down the exposure, added a "film look" filter and some luminance (for polish). I enjoy the bit of drama now present in the final image.
Such a pretty group of bridesmaids! In reality this room was filled with a beautiful soft light, but I had to purposely under exposure this image because the girls were also lit from the windows in the background. I knew I would be able to adjust it afterwards brighten everything up.
A completely candid (and perfect) moment, immediately following the ceremony. Unfortunately, the Groom has some make-up on his suit, which I promptly removed. I then adjusted the white balance and increased the contrast to help make the moment "pop".
Another wonderfully intimate moment. On the dance floor, we usually have to use a lot of flash... here we've provided enough light to capture the action, but I wanted it to feel more timeless. Making the image black & white created a very classic feel and eliminated all of the background distractions.
I swoon for simple bridal shots like this! I knew it was a great image when I took it, but the final file still needed a little help. The light that day was perfectly soft, but sometimes the camera isn't as smart as I'd like it to be :) I added the "film look" filter, adjusted the overall brightness, and toned the skin. I think it makes for a much more romantic image!
This was a very precious moment that needed to be lit by a flash. In the RAW file the flash is too harsh on the subjects, which also lights up the distractions in the background. I brought the overall exposure down, increased the amount of black tones in the image and removed the exit sign lights, giving the image a more intimate mood.
This sunset over the lake was epic (well, the way the Bride and Groom experienced it!). As you can see, I changed the color tone to showcase the blues of the twilight hour and the lake.