Embedded JPEG
-This option incurs no additional fee.
This is the most basic option, and requires the least amount of time on my part.
When modern DSLR and Mirrorless cameras take a picture, they save an embedded JPEG file that it displays on that back LCD, because RAW files are typically stored in a 16-bit format and non-HDR displays are restricted to an 8-bit dynamic range.
The image displayed above is the default exported JPEG from the RAW file of this photograph. Depending on the lighting conditions when the picture was taken, this will often result is the shadows being a bit too dark (especially if the picture was taken in direct sunlight like this one) because the camera will attempt to accommodate the entire dynamic range of the scene, and preserving the detail in bright highlights will push the shadows darker.
Processing Options
Different levels of processing require different amounts of time, and that is reflected in my rates. A flat fee is added based on the number of photos that you’d like edited via one of the methods detailed below.
Please note, that I edited the example pictures in a deliberately similar style, but that the style used is only one possibility of many. You may like one of the ones in the middle more than the most time-intensive one on the right, and that’s okay! My goal is only to show you a rough approximation of the difference in quality based on my time investment. You may not prefer the red + cyan color grade, and that’s perfectly valid. Personal taste is ultimately the most important factor when it comes to ensuring that you are satisfied with your photos.
Basic Corrections
-This option incurs an additional fee of $10 per 50 images edited.
In this example, basic edits have been done to compensate for some of the drawbacks of the high-contrast conditions in this photograph.
Most notably, the shadows have been brightened so that detail in the leather jacket is brought out instead of being crushed. In addition, you’ll notice that the white balance as been adjusted so that the skin doesn’t appear quite so yellow, and that the saturation has been increased slightly to bring out the blue in the sky.
The goal of basic corrections is to bring out the qualities of the scene that are lost due to the hardware limitations of the camera. areas that are too dark are brightened, areas that are too bright are darkened, and colors that are muted are reintroduced.
Stylized Processing
-This option incurs an additional fee of $20 per 50 images edited.
This level of processing goes a step beyond the basic edits and ventures in to the realm of artistic taste.
Different parts of the photo are selectively brightened and darkened (in this example, I have been slightly brightened and the background has been slightly darkened) to separate the subject from the background.
Areas that are in-focus may be slightly sharpened to bring out details in the subject, and based of the inherent colors present in the image, certain hues may be intensified or muted to guide the eye to important parts of the photograph.
A rudimentary color grade may also be applied if the image would benefit from it.
Advanced Processing
-Each image edited in this way incurs an additional fee of $25
This level of editing is the most time-intensive, but also my favorite to do.
The previous processing workflows are done using software that is capable of what’s called “batch-processing”, allowing multiple photos to be processed at once. This capability helps ensure that the same style of edit is applied to all of the photos and saves a significant amount of time compared to achieving the same one photo at a time.
In this workflow, I switch to completely different software that is optimized to provide the most powerful tools, at the expense of batch-processing capability.
Colors are subtly painted in by hand and fine detail is selectevely sharpened by painting on an opacity mask. Assets can be added to enhance a directional light source (or in some cases, synthesize a non-existent one entirely) and blur layers with masks can be used to enhance the depth of field.
This type of edit is like a playground for me, but I can easily spend several hours on one image so I have to reflect that time commitment in my rates, or risk my every waking moment being consumed by editing photos.