Every photographer has their own style when it comes to editing their final images, and I have developed two distinct looks I created using the tools in Adobe Lightroom: bright and light and muted modern. They are not filters. A lot of people use that vernacular shorthand mistake....I create each look by hand at each location on route we walked during your session, varying the contrast, shadows, whites, blacks, white balance, and color grading for each spot depending on the lighting conditions that day. Most photographers have one edited style that defines their brand. I have two, and you get to choose yours.
My light and bright style is colorful and happy, and true to what your eye sees, just a little more yummy. It is best used on bright and sunny days, as the muted modern style can tend to look odd on bright days (depending on the surroundings). Most of my spring and summer clients end up choosing this style:
My muted modern style is darker, richer, has more contrast, and really brings out brown tones. It is perfect for an editorial look and for that out-of-a-glossy-magazine look or a fall vibe. It seems to be all the rage right now with photographers. I love using most of all it in a forested setting because the green melts away and make the subject (you!) the star. It seems to work best on cloudy days. My Oct-March clients choose it overwhelmingly.
Want to go REALLY dark and moody, and ignore the light and bright option all together? Just let me know and I can have your style preview album have a dark and even darker choice!
How does choosing work? Within 48 hours of your session, I send a preview album of a few photos edited both ways (side by side) and have clients choose the look they love most for their final album. It is HARD to choose! Some look better one way, and some look better the other. I ask that clients look on both their phones and computer monitors in a dark room, look carefully at their skin tones, and that they go with their gut!
Below are some images side by side in each style: the right is classic, the left is modern. It's hard to choose, right?! Which do you prefer? Comment below. I am always curious what people think.