Interpreting an Image

 This week, I'm focusing on studio portraiture because that is the subject I get questioned about most by other emerging photographers.  

Working with your model, lighting the scene, and composing is only half the battle. I find the task of editing and post-processing just as important to the creative process.  Generally, the photo I select says a lot about me in terms of my style and preferences.  My image pick is never the same as what the model would have chosen.  Most people like smiley, happy, or even sexy photos of themselves.  I like the ones that show depth and vulnerability.  In this instance Janina (pictured below) and I actually agreed on the same photo.  She is a sharp cookie.

After the selection phase, comes the fun part...post-processing.  The post-processing phase allows me to stretch my creativity and reinterpret a scene to suit my own artistic tastes.  I invested a lot of time setting up my Adobe Lightroom presets to give me a wide range of color/contrast options.  If I fail to find a preset I like, I take the image to Photoshop for further color options.  Again, I spent a lot of time setting up "actions"  in Photoshop that allow me to create almost consistent color/contrast palettes of my choosing.  However, to be clear,  most of my color work is done in Lightroom, and I mainly use Photoshop when there is retouching and fine-tuning to be done.  These actions and presets allow me to save a lot of time creating a look and feel for my images.  There are a millions ways to interpret a photo, and I often have a hard time deciding which I like best.  The deciding factor often rests with how well it fits with the rest of my portrait portolio.

I  tend to interpret an image 5-10 different ways before I make a decision on the final look.  Here are some examples.

Original File

Some desaturation, contrast and clarity work

 Black and White

Black and White with some Sepia toning

 Some cross processing and desaturation work, and grain added to give it a  fine art look.  I can't explain why, but this is my favorite today.  I'll probably change my mind tomorrow when I realize it doesn't fit the rest of my portolio.

 Blue toning

 More cross processing, toning and contrast work

 Bronzing action

So there you go, examples of the vast ways one can interpret an image.  For any savvy photographer, image processing is a well-guarded secret because it's one of the ways that allows a photographer's work to stand apart from the rest of the pack.  Think Jill Greenberg, who is famous for her "shiny look" ...or even David LaChappelle, who creates heavily processed, visually striking fashion/celebrity images. Most high-paid commercial photographers never do their own post-processing and retouching.  Lucky bastards.  But then again I'm too much of a control freak to allow someone to do a job I actually enjoy.   I am however willing to change my mind if I ever get the opportunity to be paid $100,000 for a commercial print ad.

By the way, there are many short cuts to be had in the post-processing phase.  Just plug into your search engine "free lightroom presets" or "free photoshop actions."  There's tons of good free stuff to be found on the internet to help expand your creativity. 

Now go experiment!