Before And After

[Kirislin]

Is it possible to find a quality photographer who will take photos as is?

I am sure if you told that photographer that you dont want to be altered he could still take photos of you.

[Ashanali]

after a PM I thought I would add that dolers are the only people who have seen the photo above pushed that far. I did it purely as an exercise to see how far I could push the boundary. (not even the model has seen that version.)

THIS is the edit that went on the website... she still has size but the lumps and bumps have been smoothed and it's more flattering

Is it possible to find a quality photographer who will take photos as is?

ML - yep, we only push the editing if it's requested, otherwise our usual response is, "We're photographers, not panel beaters."

Edited June 18, 2010 by Ashanali

[MolassesLass]

I was concerned about offending people (I've seen the "discussions" here about editing!) and it doesn't seem to be something advertised on photographers websites.

I'm helping a friend with her wedding plans and she really doesn't want anything changed in her photos; she wants the colour, light, lumps, bumps and everything to stay exactly as it was when the camera went click.

So an enquiry of, "Will you take photos with zero editing?" will be clear enough?

[redangel]

ML - yep, we only push the editing if it's requested, otherwise our usual response is, "We're photographers, not panel beaters."

[Ashanali]

I was concerned about offending people (I've seen the "discussions" here about editing!) and it doesn't seem to be something advertised on photographers websites.

I'm helping a friend with her wedding plans and she really doesn't want anything changed in her photos; she wants the colour, light, lumps, bumps and everything to stay exactly as it was when the camera went click.

So an enquiry of, "Will you take photos with zero editing?" will be clear enough?

nope.

You actually need to be specific. If you say, "zero editing" a decent photographer will say, "But we touch all the images" as essentially MOST decent photographers will correct exposure, contrast, colour etc to enhance the photo (in the days of film, this was all done by the person processing the photos in the lab... so there is no real change to how quality images are handled.)

You need to say, "I don't want any skin smoothing or liquifying". This means they will enhance the photo but they will leave the subject looking as they are.

or you need to find a low quality photographer who has no idea what they are doing and will provide you with raw files on a disc... they're out there everywhere (but they don't necessarily have fantastic work.)

ETA: colour and light is a tough one. Theoretically I could use AWB and end up with cool toned images, but Alex could shoot on 'cloudy' and end up with warm toned images. Both are real representations of the scene but they will look a lot different even if photographed under the same lighting conditions. What you would need to say is that you don't want colour washes or filters applied to the images, you want to see real colours etc.

Edited June 18, 2010 by Ashanali

[Ashanali]

I don't have an issue with editing the photos to that extent if it's for models or is requested but I honestly had no idea just how much could be done with photoshop; you can change someone's entire figure. No wonder there are such skewed perceptions about women's bodies out there if even women with gorgeous figures are altered so much before the image is printed.

Absolutely, which is why Girlfriend magazine now tag the images that have been photoshopped beyond the basics.

[blacklabrador]

otherwise our usual response is, "We're photographers, not panel beaters."

Actually I'm sure I heard Alex say something about not being able to polish a turd? :laugh:

[MolassesLass]

I'm aware it's probably a stupid thing to want but she's sensitive about her image for various reasons. I suggested she may prefer to put out disposable cameras and just have those images.

Anyway, so I haven't gone too far off topic, here's a before and after. I so far only know how to use background delete. In the freebie Corel, is there a paintbrush tool that won't paint over a certain colour (so I can apply the green around the whispy fur)?

[Ashanali]

I'm aware it's probably a stupid thing to want but she's sensitive about her image for various reasons. I suggested she may prefer to put out disposable cameras and just have those images.

Actually it's not stupid at all

[raz]

I honestly had no idea just how much could be done with photoshop; you can change someone's entire figure. No wonder there are such skewed perceptions about women's bodies out there if even women with gorgeous figures are altered so much before the image is printed.

I had no idea either - I mean I knew it was done but didnt realise photographers were basically plastic surgeons carving away at body parts. Dr Ashanali

I'll never look at a photo of a model the same way again. It's just incredible what people can do these days.

[wagsalot]

Just thought I would point out that the photographer has actually been in here and read this thread.

General rule of thumb - models get photoshopped to the extreme, brides are handled very delicately and only basics or really obvious stuff should be altered.

Rules we go by; moles, scars etc get faded but NEVER removed. If it's a part of someone and permanent, it stays. Skin is softened for close ups and fine lines are removed but generally lines are left, they add character and life to a person.

I don't have an issue with his photoshop... it's quite good.

Here's one I did a while ago just for fun... (she's a model, so she gets edited)

How do you know that? I thought that might happen - I hope he doesn't mind me posting! I only wanted to share because I found the blog post really interesting and so relevant to this topic.

Thanks for posting that pic - I too think its amazing what can be done with photoshop. Im in awe because I find photoshop so damn frustrating

[whiskedaway]

I completely agree about very obvious body altering. That said, my OH looked at the photos and said "One day when we get married, can you alter all the photos like he's done?" I replied "Would you want me to make myself thinner like that?" and he replied, "Oh I didn't notice he made them thinner". He just saw the changing of the colours and cropping. Men.

[raz]

I too think its amazing what can be done with photoshop. Im in awe because I find photoshop so damn frustrating

I'm so up todate with technology I thought Elements 2.0 was still current

[Malamum]

I couldn't help but notice how he likes to make the asses on the brides smaller and higher - just about every bride shot on his site has had some booty shrinkage.

my oh my, he sure does and the waists are thinner too.

Sorry but I think they are bullsh$t. I would be hoping that those brides asked for the "instant fat reduction" or I'd be peeved. On the chick in the desert setting, she looked fine before, his editing makes her look grossly thin. Also the chick in the long slim white gown. She had a nice figure before with nice hips and curves and then he made her practically anorexic!

I agree she shot and composition are nice but the editing in some of them is plain ridiculous.

This type of stuff is all a matter of opinion and mine is 180 degrees different to yours. I loved the edits and would like that done to my wedding photos.

I don't think anyone looked so drastically different they have a hope in hell of forgetting what they look like or feeling like it wasn't them.

Wedding photos are generally photos people like to have on display and look at over and over again. If I could have any lumps and bumps smoothed out then I'd be all for it.

[Ashanali]

Just thought I would point out that the photographer has actually been in here and read this thread.

:p How do you know that? I thought that might happen - I hope he doesn't mind me posting! I only wanted to share because I found the blog post really interesting and so relevant to this topic.

He's on another forum I'm on. Apparently he was wondering why he had so many hits from a dog forum (lots of photographers use google analytics to keep track of where their traffic is coming from. If you post a link to someone's website on a forum, the website link owner can track it back to where it has come from.). (and no he doesn't mind. )

[wagsalot]

Yeah, I do the same with our website - we get hits from all kinds of odd forums where people must mention us.

Must of been odd seeing hits from a dog forum