Editing Style & Photo Adjustment Services

Thank you for visiting this blog to gather a bit more information regarding how I edit.  I hope the material provided here, including before and after images, will help you envision what to expect for any session/s you have booked or are considering booking with McLelland Photography.  

While the focus here is on newborn photography editing, a lot of the material in this blog can also be applied to the other sessions we offer too such as maternity, older baby, & family photos as well.

When our newborns arrive in the studio, their skin is never perfect.  It is so normal for us to see acne, skin blotches, flakes, and/or dry skin too.  This is why you have or are considering hiring a professional photographer to make sure these items are not the main focus in your final gallery.

My editing is part of my process, it is my product, and finally it is my style.  It is a part of why my clients hire me.  At McLelland Photography, we do NOT provide unedited images or RAW files.  If you continue to read this blog, check out the before and after images.  Hopefully, this will give you a visual explanation.  A finished edited product is something I am proud to put my name on.  If you were cooking a chicken for your family in the slow cooker for dinner, you would not pull it out half way through & serve it.  Or would you?

Now back to editing, it is a very time-consuming task.  The time it takes to edit images can vary depending on factors such as the number of images and the complexity of the edits. It can take anywhere from 1.5 to 7 hours to fully edit a gallery that my client selects.  And my program of choice to use for editing is Photoshop.  I use it for every image.

In addition, I ensure that my office environment where I edit is completely optimized and setup for success.  I only edit on my fully calibrated computer monitors.   It is a very important step to guarantee that the colours and tones in the images are as accurate as possible.  A fully calibrated system is a necessity and I make sure I check my monitors and calibrate them on a weekly basis.  If you are viewing our photos on something other than a calibrated system such as a cell phone, you are not seeing the true picture.

Now getting to the topic at hand, what do I edit when it comes to your photos?  Well, some of the editing involves a range of enhancements such as removing acne and balancing skin tones.  But the entire process is time-consuming as it requires precision and diligence to ensure a natural look. 

Without getting too technical, here is a list to give you an idea what I typically edit in any given photo. And some of these edits or adjustments are done even prior to receiving your proofing gallery. So, you are already viewing some of them with the proofs you receive:

• White balance adjustment
• Exposure adjustment
• Skin acne/blemish removal
• Dry skin/flake removal
• Balancing skin tone
• Diminishing shiny areas
• Removing highlights
• Whitening the eyes
• Removal of minor stray hair/fly aways
• Saturation adjustment
• Contrast adjustment
• Rounding out swaddle/wrap for fully wrapped newborns

The before and after images in this blog will show you what you can expect from my style of editing.  These images are my typical edits that are included in every package. If, however, you are looking for something in addition to what I have posted in the list above, then read on as we offer additional editing services for an additional fee.

On rare occasions, I am asked to perform additional types of editing that are not included but most often can be added for an additional fee to any session.  I always ask my clients first to let me know what image they would like these additional editing requests to be applied to, to ensure it can be done in the first place.  From there, I can provide you with a cost for each item you are inquiring about, and you can decide how you would like to proceed.  Some examples of editing requests that would be subject to an additional fee include (this list is always changing, and new items may be added at any point in time):

• When I have already put the finishing touches on your final gallery, and you are considering further edits or additions, it is important to be aware that these items will incur additional charges. I understand that your needs might change, or you might have new ideas after seeing the final version of your gallery. This policy ensures that the time and effort invested in further customizations are adequately compensated. However, to maintain fairness and transparency, any additional requests for modifications beyond the final gallery will be considered as new projects and will be billed accordingly. Such examples include, but are not limited to the following: further exposure adjustment (lightening/darkening), further saturation adjustment (more intense/less intense colour), increasing/decreasing skin adjustments (exfoliation/healing of skin imperfections), shadow lighting/darkening, further skin tone adjustment or skin tone lightening/darkening etc.
• Removal of major stray hair/fly aways or hairline adjustment
• Remove hair sticking up or out of place
• Teeth whitening
• Skin smoothing, wrinkle removal, or under eye dark circles removal
• Eye glasses glare removal
• Head/face swap
• Removal of small objects such as watches/jewelry
• Advanced skin tone balancing such as suntan marks or tattoo removal
• Grey hair removal
• Nail polish correction
• Makeup correction
• Wrinkle removal on clothing
• Lint/hair (pet/human) removal from clothing
• Backdrop or background extension
• Colour changes

And from time to time, we are asked to perform body shaping or body contouring in the editing process.  “Can you make me look 25 pounds lighter?”  I am so deeply sorry, but unfortunately this is something we do NOT do or provide.  And I will end it at that.

As I continue to serve all our clients whether past or present, it is important to understand that as time progresses, my editing style may also undergo transformations. I strive to keep my work fresh, innovative, and up to date with current trends, which may result in variations from the editing styles you have experienced with me in the past. In addition, there are advances in technology and equipment over time that change too such as cameras, lighting, computers, programs etc. Such changes are important to enhancing the quality of my work and delivering superior results to all our clients. However, this also may mean that the specific look or feel of the editing you may have received in the past as a past client of ours can differ over time too.

I hope that gives you some more information about my editing style and what we do here at McLelland Photography.  It is so important to give you an idea of what you can expect to ensure we are all on the same page.  Please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.

McLelland Photography is certified in newborn photography and newborn safety by the (APNPI) Accredited Professional Newborn Photographers International.