It’s More Than Just Taking the Photo!
This morning while on the phone with one of my best friends, we got on the topic of photography, something common for us to talk about. Nothing new, just catching up on life and what we are doing. She rambled off something about taking a picture and “I don’t know how you do it”. Well, I sat there and it really got me thinking. How do I do it? It’s more than just taking the photo. There’s planning leading up to the session. Actually taking the photos, and then editing. As we continued to talk and her amazement grew, I figured I would share, as many people do not actually know what goes into this process.
Where It Starts
Lets begin where it starts. You contact me with an idea for your photo session and we brainstorm ways to have your vision come to life. This entails us brainstorming together but also doing research on my own. Getting inspiration and researching props, outfits, and the perfect location (if you don’t already have one in mind). Along with doing these things, we need to pick a date. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, it’s not quite that simple. Depending on the session, we need to consider a few things. We have to consider weather, time of day and if there are events at our chosen location. Another thing to keep in mind, is if certain parks or nature centers charge additional fees to photographers (not super common, but I have come across it lately!). Now that we planned your session, its time for session day!
The Day We’ve Been Waiting For!
The day we have been waiting for has arrived! (Sounds like I am talking about a wedding, but normal everyday photo sessions are just as special!) Time to just snap some photos and send you on your way. JUST KIDDING. Let’s break it down.
Arriving at the location is your typical driving there to meet, nothing crazy. The tricky part, not always but sometimes, is looking for the location within the location that is really going to pull the entire vision together. For example, buildings, trees, and other nature dwellings can block the sun as it moves. DISCLAIMER: We might move around a lot! But that is only to get the PERFECT shot. Moving right along, once we secure the location(s), its time to strike a pose! Quite literally, I will be positioning you in different poses but will also be capturing your natural movements for the most amazing candid shots. Trust me, its all worth it.
The Final Touches
Its the next day, the next several days. I am staring at the abundance of photos that I have taken of your session. Culling (fancy term for sorting through the photos and picking out duplicates, my favorites, etc. ), the photos, takes HOURS. Sounds a little excessive? It probably is but going through each and every photo, comparing them to similar ones, and choosing the best, takes time. Takes energy. Takes several different culling sessions to make sure I am giving the best photos from that day to you. This is just the very first step in the entire editing process.
It is finally time to go in for the final touches and hand-edit every single photo. Yep, you heard me right. I do not put a generic filter on the photos and call it a day (however, that would save LOADS of time). Hand-editing every photo allows me to touch up skin, filter the lighting, and photoshop that hair-tie we all leave on our wrists. By doing every photo individually, every photo is given the detailed attention it needs and gives me the opportunity to deliver a gallery I would want myself, and that I know I gave me all into.
As you can imagine, this is not the conversation we had. Something similar but add some drama, a bit of spice and a couple cups of coffee and THAT is how our conversation went. Sometimes we get so caught up in our everyday lives and routines that we don’t look at it from the outside. Well, this morning I got a taste of that and it was just as intriguing as the first time I discovered photography. It really brings it full circle!
