It is called post processing. Weddings happen fast. No bride want a photographer to spend a lot of time getting the color, lighting, and composition perfect on every shot. It would take way too much time. But with digital, it’s a lot like the old adage that close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. I would add wedding photography to the list. Time costs money and the problem is that with literally thousands of files, the processing can take days.
Here is where I am at a loss to how to explain to brides how the wedding could be less expensive with only a slight compromise. A lot of brides are enthralled with the number of files they get from the wedding. I honestly think that past 300 files, the bride is just asking for a ton of work for both herself (in making choices) and for the wedding photographer (in taking the time needed for post processing, a long and tedious task). I am not asking the bride to agree to only get 300 files, but be willing to get 300 better files and maybe 1300 average files so the photographer can put the most time into the files the bride will want the most. And if there are 20 or 30 more files the bride finds she wants, it is easier to add those to the total then do the same work on the other 1300. But how do you put this in a contract or explain it on your website or over the phone?
Here is a file I would give a bride.
Lindsey before the wedding standard processing
adjusted color, threw the back 2 bridesmaids out of focus and lightened the room
There are the things you can do if you have the time and with a limited number of files in the album, I can really be creative and make a file sing.
So, to restate, I would suggest that the bride accept 3 levels of file quality.
1. basic quality which should make a good 8×10 (or larger) and should be correctly exposed and sharpened.
2. 200-300 files taken to the next level with selective lighten and darken and pump up the contrast.
3. For special purposes like prints or albums, the file will be converted to black and white (or sepia), parts of the file will be thrown out of focus, parts of the file will be retouched out or new things will be retouched in, and anything else that can make the file look great will be done.
If I could put more effort into #2 and #3, would both the bride and the photographer be better off?
Given the time to retouch and the number of shots taken in a wedding, I recommend both but only for the files used in the wedding book. It;s the only way to make the photography affordable.
