You’re editing the wrong photos!

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This is one issue that keeps good photographers from becoming great wedding photographers. It's debated by many but usually only between amateurs vs pros.

How much editing should you put into your photos?

This debate also came up in my recent conversation with former wedding photographer-turned-Uber-driver (More about him last week in Issue #30).

One of the things he didn't regret being about being a former wedding photographer was the amount of time he spent editing each photo of his wedding. For him every photo was meticulously touched up to perfection.

I don't agree with this mindset or this practice.

Early in my career, I attended the big Wedding and Portrait Photographers International (WPPI) event in Las Vegas. I was a new wedding pro and everything about the business of weddings was new. I talked with everyone, and I probably sounded even greener than I really was, but I was learning, and that was the best part.

During one conversation with a veteran, I asked how long it took him to deliver the photos to the couple. "It's got to be within two weeks," he said with authority. "But how is that possible?" I said incredulously. "I have hundreds of photos. I can't edit them that fast."

I'll never forget that conversation because it not only changed my thinking but it changed my business.

"Your bride doesn't know the difference between a well-edited photo and perfectly edited photo," was his prompt response.

If flies were buzzing in the convention center, my gapping mouth would have caught at least two of them when I heard that.

How could this be? This highly regarded professional wedding photographer does NOT edit every image to perfection before delivering them to his couple. I was floored.

You have to understand that this was early in the digital days. Things were not highly automated like they are now. The images that came out straight from the camera were good, but they were not great. You HAD TO work on them if they were to be ready for prime time.

Are you now telling me "good" is good enough?

Yup, that's what he was saying…and you know what? He was right.

Getting your photos to your couple faster is BETTER than getting them perfect. Remember The Glow?

Before you scream and call me a Photo Blasphemer, let me ask you a question. Will your version of "perfect" be the same version of perfect to your couple? Probably not.

So, if your perfect is not really perfect, then when should you strive for perfection?

Oh, pick me, pick me! I have an answer for that one!

Before I reveal my answer, let me hop on a chair like Hamilton and make this proclamation - Your style is YOUR style. What you deliver is a direct reflection of your unique approach to photography. “Stand up for it. If you stand for nothing, Burr, what will you fall for?” (OK, that last line was actually from Hamilton, but it works.)

Your secret black-and-white recipe may be super groovy and admired by hundreds, but some folks won't love it. Some may even (dare I say) hate it. And that's just fine because photography is a form of artistic expression, and everyone likes what they like and hates what they hate.

So what should be perfect…Every. Single. Time?

Your group photos should be perfect. Your "Formals," as I call them, should be perfect, Every. Single. Time.

The rest of the day is subjective. Sorry, but it's true.

Your bride and groom hired you for your style, your unique and stylized approach to photographing a wedding day. The edgy black and whites, the buttery soft complexion on the bridal photos - those things are cool.

The group shots aren't exactly cool, but they are essential, and they are admired by every member of the family that is a part of that shot and even more that weren't in the shot.

Ever seen one of those ancestry commercials? Your group photos are a part of history. They are the official photo of record of what family members were in attendance at your wedding. They're what I like to call the "team photos," and they may not be as sexy as the "game photos," but to many, they are just as important (psst, check out more about how to shoot these in Issue #17).

And that's why the group shots have to be perfect.

OK, fine, but I thought we were talking about editing. Don't worry, we still are because while it's not essential to perfectly edit every photo throughout the day, ALL the formals need to be edited perfectly. Your photo style should also shift toward the middle. Not too light, not too dark, everything should be just right.

Now, the big one.

Other than your bride and maybe the groom, people won't appreciate the nuances of the game photos, but you want to know what everyone hates universally - eyes closed in a photo.

Can you hear them admiring your photo? "Oh, what a great moment! That is such a perfect…wait, are my eyes closed in that one?"

Boom, moment blown. Photo fail. Sorry, thank you for playing but that one will certainly NOT make it in the album.

I might sound a bit harsh about this, but I'm not, I promise. I've heard it and NEVER want to hear it again.

When you shoot your group photos, take 3-5 of each group. Yes, they're the same shot, but with ten or more people in a photo, the likelihood of someone blinking is rather high. When you shoot a few, you'll have at least one photo of everyone's eyes, even Mr Blinky McBlinky in the back row.

When you edit those photos, if your favorite shot has a blinker, just take their eyes from another and edit it using your favorite photo editing software (don't AI this one).

Now, your group photos, the official team photos for that wedding, have everyone looking good, properly posed, perfectly exposed, and all eyes open. Who won't like these photos? (Besides that one person who never likes seeing themselves, but they don't count)

Chris, this is pretty obvious, isn't it? As a professional, isn't this something everyone does?

I'll never forget the day a fellow wedding photographer and I had lunch to chat about our businesses and trade war stories.

He pulled out a new wedding album he was about to deliver to his client. He was so proud of it. The book was beautiful. His work was inspiring, and…wait, there, in that group photo of the wedding party - one of the bridesmaids had her eyes closed!

Before I could even put my filter on, I blurted out, "Her eyes are closed!" He replied, "Yeah, that happens sometimes."

That should NEVER happen at a time when digital editing is so easy and available!

Since then, I have never assumed something like making sure all the eyes in group photos are open is something every photographer does.

Since then, I have made my workflow a selling point for the couples I meet - "Your group photos will be perfect because I know they might not be the favorite part of the day, but they are one of the most important parts of the day and they should be perfect."

That line woos the moms Every. Single. Time.

When I shifted my workflow toward delivering faster and making sure only the BEST moments were perfect, my business grew.

I was able to deliver my weddings in one week (take that veteran wedding pro), make my brides really happy, and dedicate more time to perfecting all of the selections for their wedding books or special orders.

And the faster I got at editing, the better I got at editing, which raised the bar even higher in my work with no more time invested. That never would've happened if I was still trying to make 750 perfect photos for each wedding.

PS,

This scenario is a great example of what I call the "inner game of wedding photography."

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If you're interested in becoming a wedding photographer but don't know where to start, I can help.

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