July 10, 2012

Before & After – Correcting Images

Ok, ok. I know what you are going to say….

EEEEEEEEKKKK! What is THIS picture?!?

Well, honestly, this is what came straight out of my camera – totally naked. I want to show you just what goes into the editing and post-processing of your images. I haven’t done a post like this in over a year so I figured I was due for an update.

This not-so-great image is underexposed, contains distractions, is a little too blue and grey for my taste, and lacks any kind of pop. This need serious help…

Correcting all of these things probably took me 10 minutes or so. And that is just for 1 image. And, no, not all cases are this extreme but it can certainly happen on several images within a gallery. This is why it takes time for me to perfect your final product. The edited version reflects my style and has a warm and happy feel to it. What could have easily made it into the “trash” group for being underexposed, is now one of my favorite images from the session. This is all a continuation of my art…

And a side-by-side…

I hope you enjoyed this little behind-the-scenes peek at my naked image. Ugh! Sometimes it’s hard for me to even look at. But, hey, we all can’t be perfect! :)

Tags: Before and After,Charlotte NC Dog Photography,Charlotte NC Photographer,Charlotte Pet Photographer,Dog Photography,Dog Portraits,Pet Photography,Pet Photos,Pet Portraits,Post-Processing,Sarah McGraw

show hide 6 comments

Dana Paul - Hello – I love your pictures and I really love how you edited this shot. Do you use any actions? I would love to see what you did to edit this photo!

admin - Thanks, Dana! I actually don’t use any actions. On almost all of my images (including this one), I correct white balance, exposure, fill, blacks, and contrast in Adobe Camera Raw (I’m old school without Lightroom). Then I bring the image into Photoshop and use Curves adjustments to add contrast. On this particular picture, I had to do many local Curves adjustments using masks. Then I just sharpen it up! I’ll try to do a step-by-step post in the future! :)

Charlotte Reeves - Great post Sarah – I think your editing style and method must be very similar to mine! Only exception is, I use Lightroom. We make all the same decisions though, I would have edited that shot almost exactly the same! Great shot, by the way!

Natasha - I personally love seeing before and after images and you don’t have anything to worry about because it’s “naked”. I believe the editing defines your style which makes you unique. I love how you post processed this image – you really brought it to life! Do you do selective sharpening like on the eyes only or general whole image sharpening? As a hobbyist photographer, I struggle with that constantly.

admin - Natasha – thank you! Yes, I do sharpen the eyes and then the entire image. I’m going to put a post together that goes into more detail so be on the lookout! :)

Conrade - Wow, This is so cool! I would love for you to do a step by step post or tutorial sometimes! That would be awesome!