top of page
What is......
(Answers to questions I often receive.)
WHAT IS PHOTO EDITING? Photo editing is the process of manipulating an image for a myriad purposes. Examples are adding or removing elements, altering major or minor elements, adjusting colors, or managing other image characteristics (vibrance, shadows, highlights, and others). Generally, we will not edit a picture so far from its original to being unable to legally call it a photograph. My general practice involves dealing with shadows, highlights, bit of vibrancy here or there, or in some cases even layering many photos into one as when dealing with bodies of water or stars.
WHAT IS YOUR PHOTO EDITING STYLE? Photo editing style varies on a few conditions for me: purpose, lighting, quality, personal preferences. The purpose of an image dictates a lot of what I will do to it. Generally, for example, I prefer landscape images with darker edges. Yet, if an image is to be framed in a light-colored frame, and/or to be placed in a well-lit place, I will edit it lighter if needed. Lighting certainly is an aspect. If the scene is already dark, I may clear a few shadows, but I will not fight the current and try to make it what it is not, unless specifically asked to do so. If it is a very light image, it will likely remain so. Quality is important. Occasionally, either wrong settings, poor lighting, or any combination of factors may reduce the quality of an image. For example, instead of being perfectly focused, it is just a tiny bit off, therefore enhancing the image towards a softer, or less sharp, end would be beneficial. Personal preferences may overrule any of the above. If someone tells me the flower should be red instead of yellow, I will do my best to make it red. If they want the dark room to seem light, I will do my best to do so. If someone wants a darker image in their light and bright living room, I may advise otherwise, but it is their choice, so I will comply. On the other hand, occasionally, there are images that I know will not look great with certain edits, so I may not do that. So, in other words, it depends.
WHICH SOFTWARE DO YOU UTILIZE? I generally utilize the Adobe suite. I may occasionally require and utilize other platforms, but Adobe offers organizational tools that I prefer, especially when dealing with tens of thousands of images.
WHAT ARE EXAMPLES OF CUSTOMIZATION? Some examples may be as simple as choosing the color of the matting around an image, whether to add borders to a simple photo, or adding a short message. On framed works, it could involve choosing specific frame styles (from those available), changing the hanging frame color for the canvas scrolls, choosing type of paper from those available (special requests are welcome, and we will try to accommodate). Generally, if someone has a specific layout or color scheme for their space and would like to match it, we could discuss it and make the desired piece of art match the client's wishes as closely as possible.
DID YOU ADD THAT RAINBOW TO THE DEER? I have indeed received this question often. Under both the Landscape Photography and Travel Photography pages, you may see a deer happily grazing with a beautiful rainbow to its left. It was a soon-to-be-stormy morning in Shenandoah National Park. Yes. The rainbow was there. No. I did not add it after the fact. And yes, it was an amazing day for photography, even though it was stormy!
HOW DO YOU TAKE THOSE WATERFALL PHOTOS? Well, first, carefully. Rocks are slippery and my knees and back hurt from a lifetime in the military. But to the technical question, it requires a camera with manual settings (some phones have this feature) and a solid and sturdy surface (or tripod). There are three fundamentals of photography, and in summary, they are ISO, aperture, and speed. For this, I am concerned mostly with speed. Slow down the speed of the shutter - how fast the camera will blink - which will allow more light to come in. Those are the basics, and the other concepts come in as you realize that now the image looks very white! (next step is closing the aperture) You can learn more in YouTube; there are many existing photographers that love to teach this already. I will likely make a video and post it later.
WHAT ARE YOUR WEDDING PACKAGES? With many photographers, you will encounter the Standard / Premium / Exclusive tier system for wedding or event photography. Our Family and Team members do NOT believe in this tier system. We would and could never call your event, your moment, "standard." It does not matter what it is - a high school graduation, baptism, wedding, farewell, or even a burial. We will treat every event as an exclusive occasion, because it is your premium event, and it is our honor to cover it, document it, and provide you art that reflects its importance to you and your loved ones to the best of our capabilities!
bottom of page