Will post-processing actions look gimicky in 5 years, and super dated in say 20?

[maira_sharron]

<p>@Tom -- thanks for that link -- I loved the article. Yes, I know photos of jumping is very popular and have contributed to a Flickr Group dedicated to that myself :-) ( ). I do have a hard time with it for a wedding though. A couple years ago I was on the beach with the bridal party -- and in taking the shot of the girls on the beach, I felt the peer pressure - it seems that everyone had a jump shot and I felt like I had to have one too...and said, "okay, on the count of three, I want all of you to JUMP!" The maid of honor turned to the bridesmaid and said, "Who DOES that?" hahaha. The shot turned out fine, happy happy joy joy all the way around, but never used it for the album. I opted, instead, for just general happy. I vowed that never again would I ask anyone in a bridal party to jump - in fact - was pretty proud of myself for not "conforming" -- that is until this last weekend when I had a large group of friends with the bride and groom (about 30 people?). They wanted to do something fun. And there I am saying "okay...on the count of three I want everyone to JUMP!" I have to admit, that they loved it and it made everyone almost giddy. So, I may waive my "no jump policy" for groups of 25 or more :-)</p>

[picturesque]

<p>While Phillippe Halsman made jumping in photographs popular, I didn't notice the practice was popular for wedding photos until around the time of the Toyota commercials, where people would jump while having that Toyota "Oh what a a feeling" moment--apparently starting in 1984. In fact, the first time I noticed such a wedding photo was in a Fuji ad, maybe several years after the commercials started running, and these were the guys, not the girls.</p>

<p>I treat the jumping shot the same way I treat other things trendy. I do it if it makes sense for the particular couple/wedding party and/or they ask for it. I don't wrestle with my artistic integrity over it. There aren't that many things one can direct a group of people to do when they ask for something 'fun', in a short time, that is easy to do, that would work for everybody, and that would show people's faces and good expressions.</p>

[phule]

<p>I, for one, can't wait for "happy couple inside champagne glass" to make its resurgence. Extra points if done in velvet.</p>

<p> </p>

[paula_rifaat]

<p>I agree with the general idea that the heavy post processing will look dated and that so will the bride's dress, hairstyle and more. But is that so bad? After all, the wedding did take place in one time and place and everything from the wedding will be resonant of that time.<br /> I personally prefer timeless photos and unobtrusive editing (B&W mostly) for weddings. However, for portraits (even engagement) classic sometimes does not necessarily reflect the personality and style of that person and some post processing can help to highlight the fashionista in the girl, the hip aspects in the cool guy. Yes, that fashionista/hip phase can change, but the post processed photo will still be true to who they were in the particular time the photo was taken. <br /> The question would be for me, is post process editing help to reflect who the subject of the photo feels/looks/wants to look in that moment or not? If it is reflective of who they are, then I think it is valid, but if it's just because they or the photographer have seen it done by everyone, then it is just a fad that will mean nothing years later but a lapse in judgement.<br>

By the way, partial coloring looks extremely dated to me, as do certain portable backdrops. But I am sure that many disagree with me and like it right now.</p>

[blakley]

Sorry for what may seem like a crass question, but ...

 

Aren't you selling the pictures to the couple TODAY, not in 5 years, or 20, or 100?

 

My sense is that you'll be more commercially successful if you give couples what they want now, rather than what they'll be wanting in 20 years.

 

There are styles in photography. They're called styles because people like them and they change. The best thing to do, obviously, would be to produce pictures which look great today and will still look great in 20 years. But if you're not confident you can do that, I'd say go with what looks great today, and let tomorrow take care of itself.