To edit or not to edit....(the photoshop dilemma)

So, you want a photograph...

Well, the more I think about it, the more I think people now a days are confused, in great part because media, photographers, TV, etc.

Used to be that a photograph was an accurate (enough) representation of a subject. So that would mean that a photograph in it's essence should be used straight out of the camera.

Since the old days, this wasn't always the case. Dodging, burning, masking, where all techniques used by old school photographers in the dark room, to enhance a photograph.

Why? because after all, photography is an art, so the artist plays with the medium, tweaking it, exploring it's possibilities.

This was usually accepted as a normal practice, because it didn't really change the image's essence. just enhanced it. Nowadays, with the use of all the tools at hand, we daily go beyond the old dodging and burning. We stretch, clone, liquify, mask, filter, smooth, add grain, reduce grain, over impose images, cut and paste.

I'm not going to judge if this is ethical. It's the way it is and most photographers do it, at different levels.

So what's right and what's not?

I think is more about honesty. If a photographer does it, discloses it and is honest about it, wouldn't that be just like an 'upgrade' of the old tools?

maybe.

Let's just get to the issue I want to discuss. As a boudoir photographer, I get a lot of questions and requests. Some clients expect lots of editing. Some don't want much. So I though the best way to explain what I do as my regular work flow is to show it, since we're talking about images.

Let's get to it!

On this image of a back, my normal work flow would be remove marks in the skin. that's it. Some clients like the porcelain look of filters, usually they ask me to 'smooth' the skin, like in the far right back.

 Legs often concern my clients. Digital cameras show way much detail, that produces skin with lots of texture. My normal work flow would be the middle image. For many clients, this would be a somehow honest depiction of the subject. For many, it's just not acceptable. So I offer the more extreme editing on the far right image.

 Then we get into many issues at the same time: Skin texture and a couple of extra curves that my client wasn't too proud off. Again, my client wanted to look at her best. My job? to please her. Some liquify and surface filter/layers where applied to achieve the image on the right.

 On this image, not only the skin and curves required some editing. I also had to add parts of fabric that were not in the original image. Without that, the image just didn't look right.

Faces are the most important part of the image. I think these images talk by themselves. It's worth noting that this kind of editing on the face is not part of my normal editing. This was a request by a client. Looks great, doesn't it?

So, at the end it's a matter of taste. To me, it's just a matter of time. The editing on the images at the right usually takes 2-3 times of the normal editing. Is it worth it? absolutely!

I hope this helps give a better idea of what you as a client can expect, and what option you have if you would like some extra photoshop love.

Best,

Adrian