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Fix It In Photoshop?

Author picture

Robin Sloan

PHOTOGRAPHER
RIVERBEND STUDIO

Can you just Photoshop that?

Let’s talk about all the stuff you wonder… but won’t ask.

Too much cleavage, sweaty brows, height differences, a huge pimple on your forehead.. Yeah, it’s the real life stuff that isn’t talked about, so let’s talk about it.

Let’s start with what can be retouched and what is difficult to do in post-production.

If you have something happening with your skin, hair, appearance that you don’t like…  it’s important to let your photographer know. After all, we are literally taking photos of the way you look!

Every photographer cringes at “oh you can fix that in Photoshop!”

Retouching out a pimple in one photo is easy but in a hundred photos?!  For most photographers, that is work that is not included in engagement session fees.

So if you have something going on with your appearance that you are worried about, I would say to reschedule or wait to have your photo shoot.  It’s just easier than trying to deal with it after the fact.

I often have couples say they are worried about looking sweaty, and let’s say it, showing sweat through their shirts.  Pitting out is pretty normal in a photo shoot. Nerves, heat, a lot of energy. If you have a very hot day for your shoot, it’s not a bad idea to bring a backup shirt and powder for touch-ups on *both* your faces.

Photoshopping images is extremely time-consuming and most times much more difficult than people assume.  It is so much easier to pick up the random piece of trash on the street than retouch it out of dozens of photos.

So rather than, “Fix it in Photoshop” we should be thinking how to “Fix it in real life”

Don’t stay quiet and hope it can “be retouched later”, please speak up – often we can come up with a much better solution.

Talk to your photographer about all of your concerns before or during the shoot. This is one of the few times when you need to discuss all these things concerning your appearance.

It’s one of the keys to a great shoot and loving all your photos!

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Featured Question

Q: Is there really a wedding mark up?

Do you feel like the industry charges more “because it’s a wedding” and they know it’s an emotional purchase?

Do companies think that they can charge more for weddings since the bride and groom may be willing to spend more on their dream wedding?

Hey wedding pros – is this higher price tag justified? Why? Do you charge more for your service if it is a wedding?

This is a taboo topic, whispered but not discussed… until now.

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2 comments

    Robin Sloan, The Uncorked ProjectRobin Sloan, The Uncorked Project

    I have been asked this so many times... does the wedding industry inflate prices when they hear it's a wedding?

    Here is my honest answer (as a former wedding photographer)... NO. Did I charge more for a wedding than a 50th birthday party or a family portrait session? Yes, absolutely. I charged A LOT more for a wedding.

    Was I taking advantage of the emotional sell? Absolutely not.

    The main reasons I charged more for a wedding were: the unseen amount of work involved in the 12+ months leading up to the wedding, the skill level needed on the day, the INTENSE pressure to create perfect "portfolio level work" no matter what the reality of the situation- but mostly it is to compensate for the time AFTER the wedding in post production.

    Little known fact about wedding photography - the real job is sitting at a computer editing photos. Photographers spend many hours behind the computer carefully selecting and editing photos. They make adjustments, crop, and adjust colors to ensure each image it's best. Don't forget the time it takes for batching, renaming, importing, exporting and uploading the photos and preparing them for delivery.

    Do you think this justifies why photographers charge more for weddings than for other types of shoots?

    Cody Pettengill

    Couldn’t agree more! And on the videography side its an absolute ton of data + editing discipline.

    Its a double sided coin- weddings are extremely high pressure but also high reward when we nail it.

    Our products (photo video) in particular are the only thing that genuinely will last forever . Having fun and ALSO nailing the product is worth the price of entry and frankly more.

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