What happens when editing goes too far? It's in every photographer magazine I see and it bothers me. I am a true believer that you are who you are and it is very hard for me to understand those that what to be someone they are not. I mean, after all, they did marry you and not someone else. Everyone sees you as you are, wouldn't it be strange to show your photos and something about you is dramatically changed?
Sometimes a graphic license is misused and it is getting out of control. I see more and more filters and programs out there that are manipulating images so much that it doesn't even end up looking like the person that it's supposed to be. Making a fine line between cool and creepy. Suddenly they have fuller lips, a nose lift, no face lines and an unnatural chin. I personally cannot stand it and have hard time adjusting mentally to anything that changes them into someone different. I occasionally get a bride asking for some of these changes and I may try a small selected few but mostly I say no. Let's be honest, it's not easy to do all these enhancements and it takes a considerable amount of time. In any case, what happened to real life? What happened to being who you are and preparing for your day with diet, exercise, tanning, make-up? What is too far and what is OK? These are all questions I ask on a weekly basis. I was discussing recently with a fellow photographer friend that said most brides end up not even looking anything like themselves the day of their wedding. Where have our traditions gone and is it really a real day or is it in fact just a fantasy day?
Some touch-ups are a given and I do basic editing such as acne, lighten dark circles and decrease some wrinkles, stretch marks, shine or age spots. But I keep it real. If you are unhappy with the natural idea, please don't have me take your photos unless you plan on enhancing them yourself. I've considered in the future to only do them on request on a limited basis at an extra charge per photo. Some forget that I take an average of over 1,000 images per wedding, it can take months to do such enhancements so I would never offer every image.
I recently saw in the media about Kate Winslet, she was upset about a cover photo that was printed and the graphic artists made her into a shape she is not in real life and wanted her photo to be reprinted as the original on the cover. Finally someone stood up to this new fabricated way! I agree with her on this, although I don't think they reprinted it.
The mural of the story is, just because we can doesn't mean we should.
MY CURRENT PROJECT: Bill & Sarah Engagement Photos
SONG STUCK IN MY HEAD: Halo by Beyoncé (out to my husband)
CRAVING: to dance. and to turn the tables.
NEEDED A MOMENT: Family Court? I mean REALLY.!? So, we are cool enough for you to think you can try to get your wedding photos done for free by your ex-husband's wife but you can't approach us about your child's braces who's father has had braces twice in his life? REALLY? Wow. The sad reality is this effects JD the most, we're adults.. well some of us are.
BEST MOMENT: An awesome day with my husband 4Wling
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