How many pictures do you usually take in a session?

A basic one-hour photo shoot can result anywhere from 150-300 images while a typical 8-hour wedding can have over 1300 images.

If you take so many pictures, why don’t you deliver all of these images to the client?

The simple answer is not all pictures are worthy of keeping. For example, someone may have their eyes closed, their hair can be in their face, and etc. Many times, I take multiple shots of the same pose and determine which version is more pleasing.

How long does it take for you to deliver proofs?

In order to deliver proofs, images must go through a first-round editing process. This can anywhere from one to two hours depending on the number of images. The client can expect to receive their proofs about 3-5 days after the day of the session.  

First round of editing, what does that mean?

Once I have completed a photo shoot, I download all the images; then go through all the pictures and determine which of them will be delivered to the client. I usually go through the photos twice before I decide on final images. I edit every photo I send to a client. The images are edited or corrected for saturation, temperature, lighting, and are cropped as needed. I may add filters to create a cohesive flow for the entire event.

Why don’t you give RAW images to clients?

A photographer’s work is copyrighted and therefore all images are subject to a copyright law. The editing of these images is based on my artistic interpretation and rendering RAW images to a client would not allow me that artistic delivery.

What does artistically edited images mean?

Once the proofs are delivered and the client chooses their favorite pictures, the retouching begins. I look at removing blemishes and red blotches, brightening eyes, dark circles, teeth, smoothing skin and minimizing wrinkles, removing unwanted stray hair, highlighting hair, enhancing lashes and eyebrows. I may even slightly “tuck in” necks, arms, and backs. I also look at the composition of the picture. Is there anything that is distracting? This may mean that I may remove minimal wrinkles from clothing or an object that takes away from the focus (you). In addition, I look at the light source and sky. I may enhance the colors and light (sun) or change the sky altogether. I add additional filters and use a variety of brushes to give the image a finished look. Retouching is at the discretion of the photographer, not everything in the image is retouched. My retouching style tends to be more natural, however, a more airbrushed look can be discussed. Artistically edited pictures are your favorite images and are for fine art printing; these are the images you want to display on your walls, share in an album, and post on social media.

How long does it take to artistically edit images?

For a one-hour photo shoot this type of retouching can take anywhere from several hours up to a full day’s work to edit. This is to ensure that the images look natural and have not been retouched.

Do you charge extra for the retouching?

No, this is included in your session price, however, some photographers do charge extra for retouching. Keep that in mind when hiring a photographer.