When I first went to photo school, I learned the old fashioned way, in the dark room. These days, my computer and software like Photoshop and Lightroom are my digital darkroom. While there’s nothing like watching a print appear in the developing tray, I appreciate not having to spend my days in a little room without windows. I quite enjoy my corner office with a view! :)
Each image you see presented from your session starts as an unprocessed image, or how it looks straight out of the camera. It then gets color corrected and lightly enhanced to become the image you’ll see at your viewing and ordering session. At this stage, it’s called a proof. Then, once you order the image as a print, canvas or signature framed print, or in an album, it gets further polished to become a retouched image.
What exactly this looks like depends on the image itself. Each one gets something a little different. It could mean removing distracting elements and blemishes, lightening dark circles under the eyes, brightening eyes and teeth, smoothing the skin, or slimming down certain body parts (‘though none of these are ever taken to the extreme- we’re going for a natural, yet polished, look so that you still look like yourself).
What we end up with a beautiful, flawless piece of art that’s ready to be enjoyed in your home and make you smile everyday, remembering how great a time you had! Take a peek at the examples below for a little taste of what this process looks like:
