Yes, we’re talking about retouching. Sometimes a subject could use a little retouching. Maybe a late-appearing pimple needs to be hidden, or some hair is out of place. We do that, if necessary, in the normal course of finishing portraits.
“Before and after” also includes other things, like creating an environment that didn’t exist when we shot the photos, or sometimes, yes, fixing our own mistakes.
Here are some samples of “Before & After”.
Note that this post contains partial nudity.
Rebecca
This first set is from a shoot with Rebecca. The location shoot was in central New York in an old barn. We had to go with the light that was available, and for the most part the light was soft, even and the location made for a very nice shoot.
In this particular shot, however, even though Rebecca has a very nice expression on her face and is in a nice pose, the technical quality of the lighting leaves something to be desired.
We use a variety of tools to bring the photograph back in line with our standards. The exposure was a bit off and the foliage surrounding the location cast a green color just about everywhere. We also wanted to add some “glam” to Rebecca’s appearance.
Also Rebecca
This second Rebecca’s photo shoot was a lingerie theme, and we wanted to give it a touch of sparkle. This before and after includes using a studio backdrop and imaging compositing in order to create an environment. The “Before” is Rebecca in front of a green background, which we can then replace with some other images.
In the process of creating this image, we also smoothed out some fine wrinkles, and removed some stray hairs that were in front of her eye. We adjusted the lighting to give it a warmer, overall sexy glam look, with a little tease.
Hillary
Hillary came to us with a friend for a creative doubles shoot, but after the doubles portion, each of them did some photos on their own. She had never done a glamour shoot before. We kept it simple, added some color and a bit of texture in the background.
There was nothing out of the ordinary added – just a little color boost and some very minor skin retouching. We stay true to the subject’s form. We don’t use techniques to make anyone look thinner, or change their face into someone they’re not, and we don’t do anything the people in our portraits don’t ask us to do.
Ally
Ally’s concept was simple. She wanted to wear some simple, shiny jewelry to accentuate her slim figure. Without knowing exactly what kind of jewelry she would bring, we prepared the studio shoot with the green screen to allow any background to be used, to complement her beauty and her choice of bangles.
Simplicity makes for eye-catching images.
Contact us to discuss a portrait session, or go right to our booking page and set up an appointment!
