What the heck does RAW even mean?
You might have heard a photographer mention “RAW files” and wondered what that even meant. RAW files are a special format of photo (similar to jpeg) straight from my camera and completely unedited. They hold all the techy information from the moment, but they’re flat, unfinished, and honestly... a little boring on their own. They also require special professional software just to open them (so they won’t even pop up on your phone or computer like a normal photo). The magic really happens in the editing! That’s where the color, light, and overall vibe you see in my work comes to life! The photos you receive in your gallery are the fully polished, ready to print and share final images. This post is here to show you a little bit about why editing is important!
These photos were taken in the mountains of Boise, Idaho in the beginning of January. If you have ever been in the Treasure Valley, during the winter time, you know we get an insane inversion every year! During this shoot, it actually wasn't so bad! Let's go through a handful of before and afters and chat about the differences! Honestly, this is spooky to share. It kind of feels like letting you dig through my junk drawer but here you go!
Photo #1
Straight out of camera, this photo is cute but also… a little bleh. You’ll notice it’s slightly dark and the shadows feel a bit heavy. I did that on purpose! Underexposing (and shooting in RAW) helps me preserve detail in the sky. If you look closely at the unedited version, you can faintly see the clouds that would’ve been completely blown out otherwise.
The original image is also much cooler than the moment actually felt. It was warm and joyful, but the camera reads things differently than our eyes do.
In the final edit, I brightened the image, brought back the warmth we were missing, and adjusted the colors so their skin tones look natural and the bouquet really pops. I also isolated the sky to bring back the blue peeking through the clouds and enhance the cloud detail! Finally, I cropped in closer to really showcase the emotion in this unscripted, candid moment.
Photo #2
Here we are at photo #2! Again, straight out of the camera is dark and a little shadowy. It's also very cool toned... but look at that sky! So pretty! Obviously, this photo I turned into a black and white. Don't worry, the couple received plenty of color photos of this pose too. With Black and White photos, the first thing I always do is isolate the background/sky and darken it a little bit. Doing this helps bring the subjects to life! Another important step is brightening the shadows on the subject face. We want to see the details there! The smiles and the eye contact is important to the story!
Photo #3
We've made it to #3! I don't want to bore you by repeating myself. I shot dark on purpose, blah, blah, blah. It's too cool, blah, blah, blah. For the finished photo, I brightened the image, and added back the warmth! Look how glowy that sunset is. I adjusted the colors to really enhance the beauty around them. I cropped in a little bit and now we can talk about what I REALLY want to talk about. If your photographer isn't throwing themselves into bushes to get the shot, get a new one... I'm half kidding. I was all up in this sage brush! Literally sitting in the middle of the plant. It was up my shirt, down my pants, in my sock and very itchy but look at that framing. I LOVE IT. Get in the bush.
Photo #4
Disclaimer! This couple received a close up and a full-body-from-a-distance shot with all the kisses and they were both beautiful! Here's my hot take. I LOVE OFF CENTER PHOTOS. Sometimes they're on accident... like this one... but instead of immediately sending this photo to the trash, I decided to be a little creative. The first thing I noticed was the beautiful details from the veil, the hand on her waist and the shine of her ring in the shadows of his hat. The framing is off so immediately changed orientation. I love a super zoomed in crop to show off details. Step 1, darken the background and sky. Step 2? I brightened the whites a little bit. This time, I chose not to bring up shadows around the couples face because that isn't the focus of the photo. I liked the rugged detail from the hat. Step 3? I isolated that ring and made it SHINE. It didn't need much help honestly but man. Such a small detail that really showcases the emotion!
Photo #5
Location change! Here's a great example of why you don't just want the photos straight from my SD card. This moment was captured literally while we were moving from one spot to the next. See that pesky guy with the camera? Yeah. That's my husband, the videographer. Obviously, he's got to go. I also used my magic to zap out the houses and power lines in the background. Now obviously, this edit looks a little different. Don't worry, the couple received a normal edit as well but sometimes it's fun to throw in a fun edit! I chose to make the shadows a little darker to really showcase the light from the sunset shining on the couple's faces. Add a little grain and BAM! Finished photo.
The End.
Did you learn something? I hope so!
If you are a fan of warmth and little details, I am the photographer for you!