How do you Pros PP your wedding pics?

[ben4633]

I am kinda new to portait photography, i usually do nature, landscape, and wildlife. I was just curious how you guys that shoot alot of weddings do your PP. Do you try to keep it natural looking or do you sometimes go for the processed look, or a little of both? Do you guys have any "go to" PP formulas you regularly use? Are they all color or some black and white and some sepia? What do you guys find that is the most popular look? Just curious, which angle I should take in PP. Thanks in advace for your feedback.

[Chris]

Take a look at this thread and then go to his blog or website:

http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=574071

[SuzyView]

I moved this to Talk, as you don't have an image to share.

Couples hire me to take their pictures because of the style I produce. Best to look to see what you like to do and then learn to do it. People hire not just for price, but the whole product usually.

[cdifoto]

The way you process ultimately becomes part of who you are and why someone chooses you to be their photographer. Because of that, you should work on your own style instead of emulating others.

[picturecrazy]

I process in a very neutral, natural fashion.

Effects are cool.... for now. But processing effects that are cool now could look really stupid in 20 years.

The only effects I ever use are cross process (a processing technique that has been around forever and still has great appeal), black and white and sepia. I'll use a texture once every blue moon... but ONLY IF IT ACTUALLY ADDS SOMETHING OF VALUE TO THE PHOTO. Texturing just because you CAN, doesn't mean you SHOULD. The rest (98% of them) are very natural.

[bnlearle]

I've got all of my PPing techniques here -> Fiji Wedding Photography (http://bobbyearle.blogspot.com/search/label/Before%20and%20After%20Wednesdays).

Hope it helps!

Bobby

[tim]

Like Lloyd I do very little PP. I like natural looking images.

[mattograph]

digitalprotalk.com

you will find it very helpful -- and ziser keeps things very simple.

[PMCphotography]

I personally like my images to look very fresh and natural. It's part of my brand, really. I don't like slick, highly processed & obviously photoshopped images, and I market myself that way. If i meet a client who has her heart set on high fashion-type photography, I let them know that that's not really what I do and give them numbers for other photographers who might be more their style.

Make sure you find what style you like and try and stick to it. As it was already said, clients hire you not only for your ability to take a picture but your style.

[shaggymatt]

I began shooting back in the film days, and even then I preferred more of straight processing. I too am a fan of natural images. I HATE overly processed images.

I actually have a wedding coming up next month, and the bride had surgery on her arm as a child, and wants the 5" scar removed in her formal images. If that is what the customer wants, fine, but personally I think that is part of her character and would prefer it to stay...

[sweetypie925]

Thx Bobby, your site is amazing.

[tim]

I think Bobby wants another trip to Fiji ;)

[bnlearle]

How'd you know?! :p I'm just upset I didn't get to see you last time - so I'm looking for any excuse :D

[tim]

How'd you know?! :p I'm just upset I didn't get to see you last time - so I'm looking for any excuse :D

I did end up in Fiji around the same time as you, and I can understand your disappointment :p

[caught14]

For weddings I prefer a clean and natural image. Usually about a third of them end up as B&W or a B&W with a brown tone to it. Keeping it simple not only makes PP easier for you, but it also ensures that your image will having more lasting potential. I prefer a timeless look, rather than whatever the latest trends are.

However I will say that for high school seniors portraits, I will take some of the images and get more creative with custom toning options or light textures.

[Peacefield]

I fly a little against convention (it's been a life long hobby of mine).

As others have said, your approach to PP is ultimately central to your style and therefore your identity. My photos are best characterized by descripters like, soft, romantic, and intimate. The vast majority of my images receive little or no processing. The dozen or two most important images - bridal portraits, the artsy couple shots, other high-emotion moments - will get extra attention. On these, I tend to do vingetting, some light soft focus, some B&W (though I try to take a fairly sophisticated approach to all of those).

I'm definitely not crisp or high fasion, and probably even a little dated, but these are the looks that touch me. It's important to shoot and produce what you like. If you don't, it's not art, it's just a business. And couples that hire me do so because they want this specific look.

[PMCphotography]

i do sort of the same style Peacefield. I don't overly photoshop my images, and the going trend here it seems is slick, overly posed, high fashion stuff. I make no apologies for the style i do, and if a client meeting with me wants a high fashion photographer, then i'm probably not the photographer for them. And that's ok. I have contacts that i can refer them to.