You often hear about photographers shooting in RAW format. In RAW, the image produced contains data that has not been compressed, encrypted or processed in any way.
Editing is unique to every photographer as much as the way they shoot. It reflects their personal style.
So... I decided to conduct a small experiment. I sent one of my RAW unedited photos to 4 fellow photographers and asked them to edit it as they saw fit, and tell me about their own process.
Here is what happened!
The original, unedited, RAW photo
TAMMY of Tammy Bouchard Photography
"I liken my editing style to the process of creating a finished painting from a simple pencil sketch. Raw images are used as starting points (the sketch), to which i add my own artistic impression to create a unique piece. I love to enhance light, colour and contrast to create an image that matches the vision in my mind. In my post-processing, I try to evoke the mood and emotions of the photo session while enhancing the environmental factors of the surroundings. I have a love for developing photographs from film, a love going back 20 years, so I like to give that same film-like matte finish to the digital photos I process today."
DOMINIQUE of 3 STEMS
" When editing in Lightroom, I always try to find what makes the photo stand out and the emotion behind it, wanting as a goal to let the photo shine to the absolute best. With this lovely shot by Myriam, I knew right away I was going to keep it in full color, enhancing the warmth/glow of this image. Focusing on the innocence, curiosity of both the little boys and the foal )their size and colourful outfits), I added a faded look that always makes nature scenes more appealing and gives dark areas a softer look. This style is in trend at the moment. "
DOMINIQUE of Dominique Lamontagne Photography
"My editing style is still a work in progress. I’ll eventually find something I love and stick to it. For now, I’m loving how every week, I find that I get closer and closer to what I want exactly a photo to look like. I trust that I’ll get there. :) For now, my editing style is a mix of high contrast shades and colours, lots of clarity, deep rich colours, to the slight touches of pastels with a splash of matte to complete the look. "
KELLY of The Bear and the Butterfly
"My roots are in the darkroom of ages past and I think it can be seen in my black and white editing style. I've tended to shy away from colour in the past, unless I felt like it was a part of the story. As of late, I've been exploring colour more than usual, but there's a bit of magic in this image (an invisible unicorn horn that only the boys can see perhaps?) that called for a conversion. I just kind of feel my way through each image and try to use editing to help me tell the story that either took place, or that I feel when I see it."
My version - MYRIAM of Farah Photography
"When I edit a photograph, I put the emphasis on the characters presented and their stories. I always keep one word in mind: moody. I love to create images that are intriguing, making the viewer truly wonder about the scene presented. I most often use black and white, as it helps me focus on the emotion captured while removing distractions. In this case, I automatically chose colour because I really liked how the complimented each other. I look for contrast of shadows and highlights."
I hope you enjoyed this editing experiment. A big thank you to Tammy, both Dominiques, and Kelly for their participation. :) If you have any questions, don't be shy to post them in the comments!
Have a great time telling your stories!
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