Digital Post-Processing, Part 2

One of the first blog posts I made was about the importance of digital post-processing, in other words working on a digital image with Photoshop or other equivalent program to improve the overall image quality.  I want to show you another example of why it's important for your wedding images to undergo digital post-processing and why you should be wary of any photographer that is willing to give you images straight out of the camera.  (Hint: This is usually done by photographers who give you a disk of images within a few days of your wedding for about $500.)

One issue that wedding photographers regularly encounter is the green cast produced when a photo is taken outside in the shade under a tree.  First, you should know that the best light for portraits is in the shade for a few reasons: no "hot spots" created by direct sunlight, no eye squinting, and even lighting.  Plus, it gives photographers the option of using a flash to add a catchlight in the subject's eyes.  Direct sunlight is usually the worst light for portraits.

The first image below was taken in a grassy area in the shade of a large tree in July.  Can you see the green cast?  This comes from sunlight reflected off of grass and leaves that picks up the green color.  When you look at someone in this situation with your eyes, your brain adjusts for it, and you don't see the green cast.  However, cameras do not adjust for it, and when you look at an image taken in this situation, the green cast is very apparent.

Before Digital Post-Processing

Here is the same image after digital post-processing with the green cast removed.  What a difference!

After Digital Post-Processing

We think it's important for all of your images to be individually inspected and improved with digital post-processing.  Some photographers take a short-cut and don't do it because of the time commitment, but we can't imagine giving our clients images without this important step.