Here are 3 different degrees of editing I do for all my newborn photography. I get asked for little to no post processing to the full works and am happy to edit to my clients desires. Theres no right or wrong as far as editing goes. Some clients like all the flakes, spots, redness and bumps that often go with newborn skin and ask for them to stay while others prefer a more polished, airbrushed look. Or some would like a little bit of in between. I discuss editing preferences during the session so I make sure I can deliver a gallery full of images that YOU prefer. A little more info on each edit process can be found under each photo below
These images are more or less straight from the camera with only minor tweaks done to correct exposure and density within Lightroom. My camera loves to pick up the magenta colours so this is usually toned down, resulting in an image quite close to this one. I give the option during a session to have all gallery images “as is” like this one for those that prefer a complete natural and authentic style of newborn photography.
Edited images are usually tweaked further in photoshop with some added colour tones to minimise babys red skin tones which is so common in newborns. Almost all babies have some additional flakes, spots or scratches which clients may request to have removed if they wish from their face. Small flaky skin on hands, feet and body are generally left alone. For babies with severe hormonal acne, I do what I can to minimise the appearance of the acne but babies with this type of skin may benefit from a more polished look to further even and smooth out the skin.
Polished images are edited images with the removal of all noticeable flakes and spots plus airbrushing and smoothing of babies skin. Eyelids, lips and cheeks are subtly enhanced and removal of any body flakes can also be edited out. These images do take a lot more time to edit and are therefore limited to a certain amount of images that can be edited in this way set by each package. (Short and sweet = 5, Simple = 10, Classic = 20). You still receive the full gallery of images edited to your liking as per the above “edited” image.
My goal is to capture as close to perfect as can be, in the camera during the session. I have spent close to 13 or so years perfecting my photography skills so when it comes to editing galleries, I do not need to spend a large amount of time processing them in post. This saves me a considerable amount of time editing each gallery, which further benefits my clients as I am able to deliver images very quickly. Studio session turnaround can take from 1 to 3 days on average while outdoor location sessions and babies with exceptionally spotty skin may take a few days longer. During my busy times, this timeframe may be extended by a short while but on average, I am able to deliver high quality edited images within 1 to 7 days.
