Family Photo Editing: Before and After

What makes a photo really sing? First, you need good light. Next, you want to follow good compositional rules. Next, you obviously need to know how to use a camera. But the next step - which is sometimes overlooked - is the editing process. A good edit can elevate a so-so photo to a keeper and a good photo to a great one. But what are the standard edits on a family photo? The answer may vary from photographer to photographer. I’m not someone who does a lot of Photoshop-style transformations and liquefactions, swapping out fake skies and adding layers that weren’t actually there. I’m more naturalistic in my editing approach, choosing to enhance what is already there. Here are the basic edits I do for all my family and brand photography:

Edit to Enhance Light and Shadow

Sometimes the subjects are a little too dark or the background is a little too bright. Sometimes the light in the whole photo just feels a little flat. Editing can fix that! By adjusting the highlights (the lightest parts of the image) and the shadows (the darkest parts of the image) individually, you can draw the viewer’s eye where you want it to go. When your subject is properly lit and your background is also properly lit, the image is more pleasing to look at.

Edit to Enhance Color

Sometimes the color is muddy or uninspired, or worse the skin tones don’t look how human skin tones are supposed to look. Again, editing can fix that! By adjusting the temperature and the tint, you can fix most major color issues in a photo. Going one step further, you can make adjustments to individual color channels - changing the hue, saturation, and luminance of those specific colors. This can create depth, mood, and more color harmony.

Edit to Let the Subject Shine

Sometimes there is a bunch of visual noise in the photo that doesn’t help the viewer hone in on the subject. Of course editing can fix that too! Sometimes it’s a matter of some cropping. Sometimes it’s a matter of straightening lines in the image. Sometimes it’s removing distracting elements from the photo. Sometimes it’s all of the above. Creating an an image that feels balanced and free of the unnecessary will pull the viewer’s eye where you want it to go.

And since everyone loves a good before and after, below is a small selection of photos from a recent family session. The first image is the edited version and the straight out of camera version follows it. If you’ve ever been curious about trying your hand at photo editing, grab one of my freebies at the bottom of this page and check out my education page to see what offerings might be helpful to you.