Image Post-Processing – What Does It Mean to Me as a Photographer?
The photography process can be broadly divided into three stages: planning, the photo session and post-processing. Each of these has its own significance. I have previously written about post-processing from slightly different perspectives, but now I want to explain in more detail what I do during this stage. It is, after all, a part of the process where things can still easily go wrong. Many photographers will remember how, at the very beginning of their careers, they processed their images quite heavily as they discovered the world of image editing. Sliders were pushed from one extreme to the other, and the results reflected that. Once that initial excitement wears off, you realise that less is often genuinely more. These days, I belong to the school of thought that creates image effects during the photo session rather than afterwards. With me, you get handcrafted work.
Skin textures and photography. How does skin appear in photographs?
Many factors affect how skin texture is rendered in photographs. Is the image taken in natural light? In a studio? Is the light “hard” or “soft”? How does the photographer edit the images afterwards? What kind of texture are we talking about? These are all relatively easy to answer technically, but I want to talk a little more generally about skin.
An Experience of Being Photographed
A few years ago, I booked a kind of boudoir shoot for myself. The session was short and the photographer was a professional. I planned the outfits and did my own hair and make-up. Visually, it sat somewhere between boudoir and pin-up. I arrived, changed clothes, and waited for my turn.
The photographer was professional and respectful. The set was ready, and they guided me through the shoot. I did everything they wanted, and none of their requests were rude, unpleasant, or offensive. Everything moved along smoothly. I received encouraging feedback, and in the end we thanked each other. All good — except that I felt uncomfortable.