Plan For What You Want – Do you like lighter airy pictures, or deep moody ones? Is there a color theme you are attracted...
-Let’s talk about something important in photography that often goes unsaid – editing. Any “pro” photographer worth their salt definitely edits their photos. A “good” professional spends a lot of time honing their editing skills. Now, I wonder how many “amateurs” out there do the same? Before we dive deeper, let’s clarify what we mean by “professional” and “amateur.” Personally, I’ve been editing digital photos since way back in 1996 (back when Photoshop 3.0 was the thing!). However, I don’t consider myself a pro editor. I spend my days capturing photos of vehicles, making a living as a self-employed photographer at car dealers’ lots. If I were a Photoshop expert, I could probably name my salary because professional editors make a good living. Currently, I snap nearly 60,000 photos every year. And guess what? Every single photo gets its own round of editing – no exceptions. It’s not because my camera’s sensor isn’t “good.” In fact, the sensor is awesome! My time isn’t spent fixing the colors (unlike other digital cameras I’ve used over the past 24 years). Instead, I’m tweaking shadows, highlights, cropping, and straightening. Making those minor tweaks to get the color balance just right. Here’s the ratio: for every 1 minute I spend shooting, I dedicate 1.5 to 2 minutes to editing. Every single photo my customers see has been through this process. Why is it so crucial? Because editing makes all the difference.
