What does retouching mean?
Editing so the final photos match what you needed them for. It isn’t one thing, and it’s not the same for an event as for a portrait.
Why does editing matter more than people think?
People assume taking the photo is the easy part. Think it through in a hard situation: low light, a lot of movement, or the one moment that only happens once, like an award being handed over.
There’s a lot of planning that goes into getting that photo, and a lot of editing that goes into making the final delivery fit the job.
What do you do with low-light photos?
Modern tools can clean up noise automatically. Even with the best gear there’s a little extra noise in a dark room, and cleaning it up means I can shoot more freely in low light.
How much do you change at an event?
Less than you might expect. I used to do more, especially at weddings, getting rid of small distractions here and there, and I’ll still do that sometimes. But I’d rather document what actually happened.
I think of myself as a documentary photographer first and an editorial one second. For commercial work I’ll work editorially, but even then I’d rather capture the light of something than make something false.
What about portraits?
I do a touch-up. I don’t do heavy airbrushing, because it takes the personality out of a face.
I shoot many portraits on a medium format Hasselblad, and it shows every little thing, like a magnifying glass. So I soften things a little. Our imperfections are part of what makes us who we are.
Where to go next
What corporate portraits cost, how to prepare for them and what to wear cover the rest of what to expect.
What should I send you?
The date, the venue or office, and what the photos are for.
