Question for corporate photographers

How much (if any) post do you do on your corporate portraits? Do you smooth skin etc?

It depends completely on the client. Have to talk to whoever is the art director and graphic designer.

For the most part, no. Not for the mass-produced assembly-line style headshots, where I set up for a few hours to rapidly knock out quick shots of a hundred employees.

I'll sometimes give 'em a quick swipe in Lightroom with the Skin Softening brush at low opacity. I'll also use the spot healing tool to clean up any obviously-temporary blemishes (zits, etc). But I generally don't give them the "full treatment."

On occasion, the subject will express very specific needs, which I try my best to accommodate. For instance, I had one subject whose kitty had scratched her cheek that morning, so I touched that up. And, another subject who was extremely sunburned, so I turned her skin back to her normal olive color instead of bright red.

For the higher-end portraits - executives and the like - yeah, those will get the full treatment. I spend more time with the subject, spend more time with the post-processing, and charge a higher rate accordingly.

Thomas Campbell wrote in post #17097939
It depends completely on the client. Have to talk to whoever is the art director and graphic designer.

This is a good point. If the client wants to buy retouching for a hundred entry-level employees, I'm happy to do it.

Thanks guys

Like has been said it depends. Most of the work I do the clients insist on credibility and to much of that kind of thing fights the message. Having said that I usually do some but it is mostly very subtle unless the client requests something more. It's all billable and should be billed.

That was my worry. I figured too much skin smoothing would just make them look vain, especially when a client meets them and they look 20 years older! A potential minefield...

My former employer had headshots done for all managers and executives a while back. Since it was such a large group, they didn't go with the usual photographer as he wouldn't give them the bulk discount they were asking for. The new, cheaper, photographer did horrendous work. Ran everything through the same preset and everyone looked way over processed. Unfortunately at her price point, and "for consistency" they kept using her.

Different clients have different needs and consider different output "good enough".

Fernando wrote in post #17102347
My former employer had headshots done for all managers and executives a while back. Since it was such a large group, they didn't go with the usual photographer as he wouldn't give them the bulk discount they were asking for. The new, cheaper, photographer did horrendous work. Ran everything through the same preset and everyone looked way over processed. Unfortunately at her price point, and "for consistency" they kept using her.

Different clients have different needs and consider different output "good enough".

No accounting for taste I guess!?!

For my clients I always do a little post so they look like them on their best day. Literally a few small touches.