It’s time for another Before and After post! I got this idea from one of my new Facebook friends (hi Shana!) who said he wasn’t chummy with color correction in the editing process. (By the way, if you haven’t connected with me on my FB business page yet, please visit and click on “Like”! FB is a fab way to communicate, share ideas, ask questions, etc.)
His comment got me thinking…
For all photographers, not only ones who just started out, there are times you need to edit an image because you are correcting something — such as, tweaking the white balance, cropping something out, adjusting the contrast or highlight, or dodging and burning areas of an image.
Then there are times the image looks perfectly fine all by itself, without any editing at all. So why fix something that isn’t broken, right? Perhaps the image is technically fine, but does it convey a feeling, or a mood, that you want? These are things I ask myself when I am editing a client gallery.
In my opinion, taking the shot is half the art. The other half is how I oomph it afterwards!
Here are a few examples from recent images…
Creating a Scene
I was attracted to this area because of the storm clouds and twiggy vines. Though my subject is smiling, I envisioned this shot (when I took it) to have cold, steel-like colors. I wanted it look eerie, like a set of a horror film!
Highlighting Features
There is nothing wrong with the original, straight-out-of-the-camera image. But here’s where mood is important to lavish on a photo!
This little girl’s gorgeous red curls, flawless skin, and bluish-gray eyes were lackluster in the original image. So, WAPOW!! After some oomphing, she looks exactly like how I see her.
Set the Mood
Below is a great example of an image that could have been left alone and would have been great. (Well, “great” if you like shots of bottles – ha ha. I took this when I was walking around town with my little girl.)
I took this shot because of the colors of the labels and light glowing in the fridge and bouncing off the glass bottles. My oomphing makes the image richer and makes me find those bottles more tantalizing! Gimme gimme…
Subtlety is Sweet
Post processing does not have to mean major changes or over-processing. The image below is another example of a perfectly fine photo straight-out-of-the-camera.
The oomphed photo only has subtle differences. Do you think it makes a difference?
This is a good question to ask yourself when you are editing your images. If you don’t see much difference or see a purpose in the processing, then you shouldn’t do it.
Heavier Processing
Sometimes I want a bit more processing. In this image below, it was late in the day and we were in the shade, so the colors were a little dull, but technically okay.
I processed the shot to have a moodier tone, which complements Mia’s expression.
To see some prior Before and After posts, click here:
Before and After Part 4 (August 2010)
Before and After Part 3 (June 2009)