Before and After matters…

While it may be argued that having the best equipment with you at all times is required in a photoshoot, it can be argued that it certainly is not. Why would two completely options be valid? They just are. Let me explain…

Times have changed for many things these days and photography certainly is not immune to the digital age. Every day people become less patient and less picky. They want their photos and they want them now. Do they want to wait for you to drag your tripod around at an outside photoshoot? Nope! It seems silly but some people still do this. What is the point when nearly every shot can be handheld these days with the image stabilization systems built into nearly every camera of pro level?

The old school mindset of getting the best picture possible while on the shoot, is fading. Slowly to be sure. Photographers like to show their toys and to try to get perfect results from their camera. However, a perfect shot is not always possible, with even the best equipment.

This where new school thought really comes in handy. What is the new school of thought? It is really simple. Save time on the shoot in favor of making the client feel like they were given great service. Spend the extra time in post processing to give the the very best results. Fact is, you should know how to really use programs like Photoshop and Lightroom. Knowledge of knowing how to work both of these can easily allow you to give clients better photos. Unconvinced? Let me show you the before and after photos of one of my models.

The above photo is my model without any make up. The picture was taken in a dimly lit room. This is a photo that an old school photographer would throw out. However, I am not an old school photographer and thus kept this photo for post processing. Let me explain why I did so.

Her face has nice lighting. The reason for the low-light picture was for the natural glow coming into the room from outside. Also her smile, was one of the best ones of the bunch, I shot. The only real drawbacks to this photo are red-eyes and no make up. But all of this can and was fixed in just Lightroom. Let me show you!

As you can see, not only was I able to fix the red-eye, but I was also able to make it look like she is wearing make up. The after picture is as good as any straight from the camera picture that can be had. Sure, I spent some time in post-processing, however, I did not have to waste my models time trying to get just the right picture. I did not make her have to put make up on. Because of this, she was very satisfied with high-end after picture, without all the usual fuss and consumption of time.

What am I really trying to get at here? Before you spend all your money and have to spend hours getting the right picture out of the camera, consider how much time and effort you want to spend. You may find you might prefer a shorter photo session with near equal results.

Fyi- For those wanting the technical data. The above picture was taken with a Nikon P510. It is not a professional camera by any means and not what I currently use. Photo was used for example purposes only.

I hope this article you found helpful in your search for a photographer. Have a great day!

Axe