When a bride contacts me for availability and/or pricing, I always ask if she can come in to meet me at my studio. Of course the main reason is to get to know each other and see if we will be a good fit. But also that’s because there are so many little things that I want my bride to know before they book me. I want my bride to know exactly what they should expect. Of course, I always try to surprise my couples with something unexpected, but only if it’s pleasant.
One of the most confusing and possibly the most important thing is how much post-processing will be done on the photos that a couple gets on their DVD. PROOFS are included in every package, and RETOUCHED PRINTS are also available for albums and enlarged prints. Here’s the detailed explanation of different level of finishes.
RAW – It’s straight out of camera. Because I learned photography with a film camera, I still try to capture a perfect image in the camera instead of fixing on the computer. However, it’s often easier and faster to fix on the computer and when I’m in a fast-paced shooting environment such as weddings, I often choose a perfect moment over a perfect photo. For example, if the room is very dark, an image can be red-ish. Even though I could get it right in the camera, I usually chose not to because it’s just much easier with computer. In most cases, RAW images are very closed to PROOFS, which I will explain the next.
PROOFS – This is what you get when you book me. All of images I give you are basic-retouched, meaning exposure and white-balance is correct and pictures look complete. Depends on what you prefer, I sometime convert some of images into B&W as a part of proofs. All of the high-resolution proofs are burned into DVD and also available to view online via your online proofing gallery. EMAIL ME to see a sample online proofing gallery.
RETOUCHED PRINTS – When you order your photo for an enlargement or an album, the image will be re-touched. At this stage, how you look, how the sky looks, and how trees look change. Even if you happen to have a blemish or two on your wedding day, it will never end up on your wedding album. I will blow-up your face on my computer and touch-up blemish by blemish, wrinkle by wrinkle. If the sky looks dull, I will make it bluer. I won’t draw leaves on a winter branch, but I can make the colors of the late-fall leaves more vivid.
Since one photo is better than a thousand words, here are some examples.
by Heejin Ryu
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