Andy & Mollies Palos Verdes Engagement Session
Karin and Kevin’s Wedding at The Oviatt Penthouse
Credits
Location: The Oviatt Penthouse
Catering: Truly Yours
Cake: Kings Hawaiian
Wedding Planner: Karen Sartor
Makeup: SNF Makeup Artistry
Hair: The Glitz n Glam
Dj : D’Jay Company
Photographed by Sara Jordan
Portrait Session
Palos Verdes Wedding Photographer
Cute Newborn Photos
Nailed it!
I’m editing through this wedding from the Taglyan Complex and I got to this photo and just couldn’t help but stop and share it. It reminds me when I first started shooting weddings 10 years ago, I’d work with this one photographer and he and I used to joke about shots like this.. We’d always say “Bulls eye Baby.”
Ashley & Travis Engagement Photos
Lyn & Allen’s Steam Punk Wedding
My Editing Process for Weddings
Many people think photography is such a great job. I get paid to take photos? Taking photos isn’t even a 10th of my job as a photographer. Most of my time is sitting in front of a computer editing. I know several photographers that shoot and print but I’m not one of those. I think the editing process is as important as taking pictures.
After shooting an event I go home download and backup all my files. Then I load all those photos into a laptop so I can go through and check focus. Which means I blow up and check thousands of images, to make sure the focus is exactly on the focal point. (When I was in school one of my instructors was nicknamed the focus Nazi. He scared me for life.)
After the focus check I do a quick run through looking for images that aren’t up to my standards, then I batch process for the initial color saturation, rename the files, back up and re-upload.
At this point, I’ve put a couple days of work into the event. Once the files are all re-uploaded color and I go through correct each file. Then I organize the files and upload them on to the online gallery. At this point, I will email my clients and let them know that the gallery is up and they can start picking out their final images and share the gallery with family and friends.
Once they have made their final selections I will double check their final images, confirm their address and mail them out a disc.
While my process is very long I really think it’s the best way to ensure that my clients receive quality images. I know most photographers limit their editing and some only spend 4hrs max. Can’t imagine their clients being happy with the final result but….
Color Correcting & Calibrating
Life for photographers used to be so easy we would simply shoot film, drop it off at a lab, pick up prints and deliver them to you the client.
Now the editing process is very long and tedious but has been done correctly to give you the client quality prints.
After I get done shooting a wedding I immediately download and back up
All my files. Then I load everything on to both my desktop computer and laptop. Typically I spend a day editing down photos looking for closed eyes, checking focus getting rid of doubles. (I overshoot all my weddings). After this is done I organize the shots into categories bride getting ready, groom getting ready, first look, formals, ceremony, and reception. Then I color calibrate my professional NEC monitors so I can see all the colors correctly when I color correct. The reason I color calibrate is because I shoot my entire wedding in a raw format. Raw format is a larger file format that captures a lot more information than the standard JPEG format. Color correcting is a long process it typically takes days. The reason is when I color calibrate I have to adjust the contrast, color casts, shadows, highlights and the mid tones all independently to ensure great prints.
After I color correct the files I back up and load them all onto an online gallery where you the client can pick out your final selections and share the photos with family and friends.
Tips: Look for consistency in a photographers work. Have you ever seen a photographers work that seemed washed out or too dark? The reason being is usually because they’re not calibrating their equipment correctly. Believe it or not, this one thing that I’ve never had a bride ask me but it’s one if the most important steps to loving your wedding photos.
In addition to calibrating your monitor, you also need the lighting controlled in your workspace. If the lighting is constantly changing in the room you’re working in your going to get inconsistent results.