{My editing style}

As most photographers are, I'm often asked how much editing I do on photos. It's actually been a gradual process and there really isn't a real answer, as each image is unique. When I first started in 2009, with my simple XSI, I thought a real photograph is created inside the camera, which is true, to an extent. The more studying I did, the more I realized that my favorite photographers were *gasp* editing their images! It honestly blew me away and forced me to research which editing program to get.

I personally use actions from Florabella and Totally Rad but choose to change my opacity and percentages to my liking. Florabella has a beautiful Classic Workflow Action Set that rocks my world and changed how I produced my images.

This is the reason I don't let clients "chimp" during the session, because their images will be different when they finally see the finished product. I always shoot with editing in mind, considering exactly how I want the finished photo to look like. That's why it's sooooo important to know how your editing style is going to be, because if you shoot too dark of a shot, you better be shooting in RAW or else your image will never be completely recoverable!

I'm still a purist at heart and only use editing as a way to get a "punch" in my photos, maybe add a little sunlight, erase a bride's blemishes, but I usually don't use "liquify" or extreme skin smoother, because I believe everyone is beautiful in their own way. Who am I to say there is such thing as too much back cleavage?

Do you use actions? If so, did you create them yourself or did you buy them?

{A touching letter}

A photographer posted this on her blog, not wanting to share how expensive she is but to show that capturing memories is vital to our everyday life. Memories last for a lifetime, manicures do not. Freezing the moments of your child's youth, the excitement of an engagement, the massive steps of a wedding...all deserve someone who truly cares about capturing those special times.

http://fototails.wordpress.com/2012/01/02/a-letter-on-my-doorstep-portraits-are-more-than-paper/

(Here is the excerpt from the whole blog)

"July 2nd, 2011

Jeanine -

Today I am writing for a couple of reasons. I have some quiet time at the moment and need to get a couple of things off my mind. I will leave this for my husband to deliver to you when he is ready.

You photographed my wedding, you photographed my first pregnancy and my first baby. I contacted you awhile back to photograph my 2nd child and family. After getting prices and realizing I would want all of the pictures as we love your work – I decided against spending $500+ – which is what I normally spend for portraits and prints with you.. Please know it is not because I don’t value your amazing eye, or how much we love the experience.

That week that I decided to NOT do a session with you, this is how I spent some money.

On Sunday I called and cancelled our session. Monday I went out and got my hair cut ($39+tip), and colored ($65), Thursday I had my nails done ($24), my family went out to dinner at a somewhat expensive restaurant for no particular reason costing us $79 + tip. This was just 4 days since canceling our session, already totaling over $200 for un necessary things. My nails only lasted about 2 weeks, my hair is gone, and seven weeks passed when I got the phone call from our doctor. It was not something I expected and the cancer has spread very quickly. I will be leaving my husband, my 6 year old girl and my now 2 year old – not by choice. It is very hard for me to talk about it which is why I need to write you.

I watch your Facebook page and your posts about the value of a photo and if I could give back all of those things that I purchased this few weeks after I cancelled my session with you, knowing what I know now, and have that session, well… I would do it in a heartbeat.

Now my time is done and there are no more chances for me. The next time someone cancels a session – my wish is that you forward this letter to them. Time is fragile, it is gone before you know you had it. If you charged $200 for one print it wouldn’t be enough for what it is actually worth. I cringe to think that my priorities were a manicure over a memory to pass onto my babies and husband.

My love and thanks for what you have given us from past photos. I am so sorry that I did not see it as more than paper until now."

Karen L.