Ever since I was a kid...
...I was fascinated by "before and after." First it was make-up and hair makeovers. Who isn't inspired by DIY reels? And of course I am absolutely addicted to any photography or photoshop transformation. I'm sure you have heard someone say... "if only I had your fancy camera." "Fancy" cameras are only "fancy" because they give photographers the tools necessary to capture light in relation to our subject. Modern camera technology is absolutely mind blowing! There are SO MANY different features and settings that when chosen accordingly, will produce different results...and then pair that with any lens (with its own benefits and capabilities), top that with creative lighting conditions, and the possibilities become infinite! Ok...I kinda feel like Carl Sagan looking up at the stars..."billions and billions...." Ahem...back to cameras. I really could geek out about the technicals of photography.,.,it really is the perfect balance of science and art! But the camera is only part of the equation.
I shoot in RAW, so the camera creates a huge file that must be manipulated in order to get the most out of the image. This creative process is so exciting to me because this is where a picture comes alive! I hope whoever designed Lightroom, Photoshop, and other editing products are living their best life! These programs are extremely complexed and there are new updates often that make the editing process even more of a dream. When I chose a photo from the library to be edited, I click the word "develop" on the screen. What a cool way to call it! Makes me feel like I am connected with the first pinoneers of photography so many years ago.
Check out the examples below of some before and afters created in post.
Before
One of my favorite photos from their shoot! This was taken with natural light, with the sun behind and to the left of the couple. When there is this amount of backlight, it helped to silhouette the subject.
After
Right off the bat you notice the warmth and the sun rays. I wanted this photo to feel warm and whimsical so added more drama in photoshop. Another important note is the slanted wall is now straight. Making sure everything is framed correctly is a must!
Before
My super cute toddler was cracking me up during this impromptu shoot! I had just gotten a wide angle lens and was excited to try it out! He knew what he was doing when he posed like this for me! He was trying to make me laugh, getting as close to the lens as possible for his close up!
After
This picture just needed a little exposure touch up and richening of colors. I absolutely love shooting with my Sony a7III because it can create a beautiful clean file in low light conditions. And then paired with Lightroom, I was able to edit accordingly to give this playful warm finish. Another thing to note, most lenses add a distortion to the image because of it's curvature. (When people feel the camera adds 5lbs...this is one of the reasons.) A feature in Lightroom, in one click, recognizes which lens is used and reduces this distortion so the image feels closer to real life. HOW COOL IS THAT?!
