How Photo Editing Plays Into the Value of Professional Photography

In a world with ever developing technology, including smart phones with improved photo and video capabilities, digital cameras that are less expensive, and countless apps that provide quick application of filters; sometimes the value of paying a professional photographer for portrait, product, real-estate, or other photography services can seem unnecessary. While I do agree that it is nice that all of these advancements in technology make it simple and easy for anyone to capture good photos and memories; there are still photography services worth paying for. Good photo editing can play a big part in that decision.

Even if it’s just a color correction edit, this can make a huge difference in the final image. As you can see from the two images below, I took a basic stock photo of a dog that is unedited and simply did some basic color correction and already the image is much more engaging.

Obviously when you talk about professional portrait photography, you are not only doing color correction but also retouching. This can include retouching backgrounds, clothing, hair, and skin. The goal is to create an image that draws the viewer to the subject. So, if you had something distracting in the background, some stray hairs, or some fuzz or other distracting element on the clothing you would want to have those fixed or removed without distorting the image in a noticeable way. This is easier said than done, as there are whole websites devoted to Photoshop disasters!

Good photo editing and color correction is one of the huge values to professional photography; as a good photographer will know how to effectively edit their photos to create the best possible image.

See more examples of color and retouching edits below.