Yosemite Valley in B&W with DA* 16-50

Being a professional photographer is not only shooting and retouching photos but also constantly improving your business – growing your personal brand popularity and getting new clients. Every photographer has its own style which is the main reason why people entrust their most important moments of life to save for years in digital and paper images.

As an experienced photographer you know how much time and efforts it takes to make the perfect pictures. It’s only you who can shoot but there is a solution to reduce time spent on photos post processing and retouching.

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Josh, thank you very much for your valuable inputs and insights.

My brother in law is a professional shooter for wedding and he hands his work to his company and the rest goes to retouchers as well. I know that is likely the most logical way to make money in scale. As an amateur and enthusiast, I find it not as fulfilling because I find the process in editing photos the most rewarding piece in the process. Taking picture is key but the editing part to mold the final picture into the essence of the photo takes the beating out of an ordinary photo to a great photo and I will be empty without it. Maybe when I finally shoot photos for a living, it will be a very different story.

But I doubt if majority photographers will not have a problems in letting someone retouch their own photos. It is unless someone you know in retouching is better, I will feel uncomfortable if I let someone else retouch my own pictures without knowing the retoucher work. Nobody thinks alike and it is not a partial match in style in the retouching process, I would rather do it myself if I can afford to. What if I like the picture darker and softer than that of the retoucher. Any minute difference will create a different mood and essence on what the picture is shot for. In my view, a good picture always have a tone of color, a view with brightness soothed to the tone and hue, luminosity and saturation on all channels meticulously adjusted for the spirit of the picture. I know I may be exaggerating here but that is roughly what I am thinking.

I will never say no to anything as I am forcing myself to think out-of-the-box on ideas and recommendations. Thank you again for your insights and valuable pointers. It i well taken.

Cheers,

Hin

There is no right and wrong in editing to fine tune a picture. I can sometime go overboard in the retouching department

b&w version

Happiness

by Hin Man, on Flickr

I know many of you or a retoucher may like the original one instead

original

Happiness In Blue

by Hin Man, on Flickr

I edited both pictures but the b&w is my refinement and vision in flipping the action from left to right for comfort of viewers. It is more natural for me to view things from let to right. I can't fathom any retoucher will see the way that I see my pictures. But I do think professional retoucher will know more how to best a picture to another level. I am open to find a retoucher for trial.

Cheers,

Hin

Fremont Tree Hole

by Hin Man, on Flickr

I kept this picture as the off-focus rendering make it like an abstract. Shot was made inside a Fremont Tree hole where an explorer visiting the state park area lived once. Not much retouching except that I chose not to throw away this off-focus picture in pitch black cave-like tree hole inside a red tree in Henry Cowell Redwood State Park.

Cheers,

Hin