One of the biggest mistakes I made in the beginning as a photography photographer was using the dreaded phrase, “I’ll fix it in the post.” In today’s article and the accompanying video, I share five reasons why I never say this to my clients and why you shouldn’t.
1. Most problems can be fixed in the camera
The most obvious reason why we should avoid fixing things in the post is that most of the time these are simple fixes that can be done in session. As an inexperienced photographer, I find myself telling clients, “I can fix that hair after I post” or, “Sure, I can take off the necklace if you like the picture.” this photo” or, “I’ll fix wrinkles on my shirt,” and other similar sentiments. I think I do this in part because I really want the client to be happy and don’t fully trust that I can fix certain issues at the session.
In fact, it takes less time to tell someone their hair isn’t okay and fix the problem on the spot than it is to fill a void in their hair or erase countless strands of hair after the fact. Similarly, it’s much simpler to ask a customer to remove an unflattering earring or necklace than to tell them “don’t worry, I’ll take it off later”. And, if you’re confident in your method and ability to take great photos, taking a few more pictures with the necklace removed or another parted hair is a much faster and better solution than that. with letting it do post-processing.
In fact, the best headshot photographers capture photos that look great in-camera with no editing, and it’s the retoucher’s job to provide the finishing touches, do not have to work hard by correcting mistakes that could have been avoided.
2. Time is money
Every one of those “small” edits that we make and decide to “fix in post” end up adding a huge amount of time, especially if you’re editing your own photos. And, if you’re fairly new to the headshot game, chances are you’ve edited it all yourself. For example, things like removing jewelry, cleaning out clumps of hair, reducing facial shadows, or correcting someone’s distorted smile, seem easy enough to do when talking about them at the shoot, but I can tell you from experience that the minute you sit down to edit those images, you will truly regret not having fixed it during the session.
Think this way. Every minute you sit in front of your computer editing photos is a minute you don’t work to grow your business by doing things like booking new customers, updating your website and social media accounts, reply to emails or send invoices. That is also the time when you can no longer be with your family.
Remember that all the minor fixes that are avoided during the shoot will add up to a lot of your time after the fact.
3. Your mouth is writing a check that your butt can’t withdraw
When you tell a client that you can fix something in an article, you have to understand that the average person sees Photoshop as some kind of magic bullet that can easily fix any flaw on the image. face, body and clothes. Those of us who have been photographers know that this is not the case at all. In my experience, even things that seem simple to fix can sometimes be difficult to do, so if you promise to fix something in a post, you run the risk of a very unhappy customer. result.
Another thing to consider is when you tell a client “I’ll do my best to fix this after posting”, what they really hear is, “This will be perfect in time.” point I finish it!” Because of this, it’s of the utmost importance to clearly communicate with your client and also lower their expectations when it comes to what can (and will) be done during the editing process. The extreme ambiguity of the phrase “correct errors in the article” almost guarantees that you and your client will have very different expectations going forward. And this brings me to my next point.
4. Now you have opened the door to endless editing
As soon as you tell your client that you just need to fix something in a post, you give them the idea that anything – no matter how small or large – they see in the photo , are editable, and modification is only part of your process, that is, included in your standard fee.
Endless revision is not part of the workflow of a successful headshot photographer, because some things take longer to fix than others. Once you’re open to “fixing it in the post”, without specific instructions on what to fix, this can lead to multiple edits and ultimately your own fault as the photographer. photographer because you didn’t clearly communicate and set realistic expectations for what could be “photo-edited” without making the subject look like they’ve had the Instagram filter added.
Instead of the opening phrase “fix it in the post”, I tell my client that communication Retouching is included and this equates to cleaning stray hairs, removing blemishes (such as unmoving eyes or chin), as well as other minor fixes like removing dust and fine lines on the upper body. clothes. However, it doesn’t include eyeball movements, fixing bent laces, changing the background color, compressing the head to look thinner (yes, I’ve asked this before), changing the shape of the nose, or anything else. anything other than typical cleanup. As a photographer, those extra services cost me time and money, and if a client asks for any of these, I’m happy to accommodate them, as long as they understand that there is a problem. An additional editing fee is involved. A clear and fair editing fee immediately lets your clients know that endless edits are not part of what they paid you as the photographer.
5. There is a better way
The solution to your remedial problem starts with you becoming a better photographer. The better you understand things like lighting, posture, makeup, hairdo, clothing, and a host of other issues, the easier it will be to fix things in the session and do it with confidence, and easily. But you can’t do what you don’t know and the best way to learn is to get as many people in front of the camera as you can. Each unique face you photograph creates a cumulative learning experience, and the more people you capture, the easier it is to see and fix potential problems in real time.
My next recommendation is to take advantage of the many great tutorials available here on Fstoppers, like Peter Hurley’s Photography Guideor Movie scene with Dylan Patrick, for example. These tutorials and others featured here are invaluable learning tools and I find myself having to watch them over and over again because I learn something new each time.
Finally, I recommend joining an online photography group where you can post photos and get critiques and guidance on lighting, poses, equipment, etc. The people who know me best are all know that I’ve learned everything I know about head shots in Peter Hurley’s Headshot Crew, so that’s always at the top of my list when it comes to online communities (and for the record, I’m not endorsed by the Headshot Foundation in any way). I also learned a lot about light from Felix Kunze and especially recommend his tutorials as well Lindsay Adler’s Great educational resource. The best part is that all of these photographers offer a ton of free content on their YouTube channels, so I recommend starting there.
