When it comes to taking your photos, I can’t be completely sure of what you’re thinking but I can definitely tell you what I’m thinking during your session, and it’s not at all what you might think!

During your session

During your session I’m not worried about anything but three things:

• Exposure

• Posing

• Getting it near perfect in camera

Mostly, I’m worried about getting the exposure right in the camera which makes editing go quicker which therefore lets me deliver the images to you faster! Short turn around time is my main goal.

Posing is the next. I’m not really looking at your body shape or outfit or much of that. What I am really concerned about is that because digital photography is two-dimensional, I have to make sure that lighting, composition, framing, and all of that makes you look like a million bucks. Posing can change the way the photo looks as a whole and thankfully. I have lots of experience with knowing what works, what doesn’t, and what is comfortable for you as well.

It’s really about having all of the elements that makes your portrait stand out in the sea of selfies and amateur photography is making sure these three elements are important.

We all feel insecure when looked at through a lens and while we might think the camera can see all of them front and center, it really isn’t what we’re thinking about as photographers.

Behind the camera it’s about all the other things! Plus, trust makes those insecurities disappear and when you find a photographer you trust, you know your photos are gonna be fab!

Editing/Retouching

Digital photography has allowed us to do photography in a much faster, cleaner, and less bulky way but it also comes with it’s downsides - like editing lol. I neither like nor dislike editing, it just is what it is and while you might be nervous I’m editing your images at 200% looking at all your pores, I’m here to debunk this idea!

You pores are safe and perfectly porish. I’m definitely not editing your photos that closely. I try and get the images as close to perfect right out of the gate. I also don’t edit or retouch like I used to in 2010, ha ha ha.

I don’t soften the skin. I don’t remove anything - unless it’s requested by the client.

What do I do while retouching?

• Color and exposure correction

• Straightening the photos - I’m horrible at getting my crops straight in camera so this is always something I have to fix. I’ve gotten better after 12 years - somewhat ha ha ha.

• Taking out temporary blemishes like mosquito bites, blemishes, on children it would be scratches and cuts or ouchies.

• Removing people from backgrounds - which I do zoom in to make sure it looks flawless.

I’m also adding presets so that the photos look amazing and pop, then adding a little magic here and there to make sure the photo is print ready. Then I save it and convert it to jpeg and send it off to the gallery.

That’s it!

Definitely not looking at your body any closer than that if it hasn’t been specifically requested. You can read more about my editing process in this blog post

After I deliver the photos

After I deliver the photos I’m anxiously waiting for you to reply that you either loved them or hated them! Yes, even after 12 years I still wait and hope that the photos were what you wished for!

Making sure you have the best photos of your life (until our next session ;)) is the best feeling in the world. Being able to deliver on the promise that professional portraits are essential and irreplaceable is the most satisfying feeling ever.

Photography is essential and worth its weight in gold… but that’s a separate post altogether!

So, what did you think photographers are thinking during your session? What were you most worried about? Comment below!