Style of Photos

One of the most common things I hear on big photography platforms dedicated to photographers is that each photographer is supposed to have a dedicated style. And to that I say, pa-tooey.

I am a firm believe that there is no one size fits all for photography. I cannot edit each session the exact same way. Why? Because each family is different. Each person in the photograph has their own unique skin tones, style, and wardrobe. To mute certain colors and exaggerate others isn't fair to that family.

Take these two images for example. Both are family photos taken in the clients' homes. On the left is Christy and Dack's maternity session where they dressed as the Addams family. Their clothing is very dark, with the exception of Dack/Gomez's smoking jacket. The background is dark bookshelves with a variety of books. On the right is Sabbath and Tony's lifestyle session in their home. Their clothing is muted and their home decor is very neutral. I don't just slap on the same preset for every session, because it doesn't work for every session.

So, my style does change depending on the session. I do try and keep skin tones accurate, and I like color when the background allows for it. In Chance's senior session at the train depot, the area where we shot was a bit lackluster in color, but the texture of the grass and the sky was the showstopper. I only brought out a bit more of the sky during editing. In-studio sessions with studio lighting has so many less variables than an outdoor session. In-studio I have complete control over the lighting including the white balance and even the shadows. Declan's senior photos were taken at golden hour. See how his skin has more of a golden-y glow than the middle photo shot in studio? That's because the sun was hitting him.

In this photo of Declan, I had to tone down the reds in his skin. The color from his clothing and the background wall were color casting on his skin. Again, if I would have just tossed on the same preset to each of his photos, they wouldn't look good. Would the muted tones of Sabbath and Tony's in-home session have looked good on this photo of Declan? I don't think so. The background was so vibrant, and Declan definitely has a colorful and fun personality. I feel like I would have given him a disservice had I edited his photos in that way.

You may be puzzled about how I execute changing my style for each session. When I'm planning my sessions for my clients, I always ask them what type of a backdrop they're looking for in their photos. Do they want something nature inspired or something urban? I provide them with location options based on their preferences. Once they've chosen their location, I will send up some follow-up information about colors that would complement the location well and things to avoid in their wardrobe. I also encourage my clients to search Pinterest and provide me some inspiration photos of what they're looking for. I once had a client send me photos, they liked of a sunset session taken in the summer. They booked an indoor session in winter. The lighting and ambiance of the sessions were not the same. The clothing choices and even the skin tones were different in each session, so of course I could not replicate the outdoor summer sunset session indoors in winter.

So why would anyone book with me? That's a really fair question. I think it's important to understand that my style is adaptable based on what I believe to look best. If I feel like the colors are off, I will send my clients a preview to do a color check before I edit their entire gallery.

I sent Francesa's mom, Jen, several edits to ensure that Francesa's dress and skin tones were accurate before I edited her entire gallery. They chose the dress based on the color and how well it complimented her, so they'd have been pretty upset if I'd have manipulated the color during editing.

When you book a session with me, you're getting more than just the photos I deliver in your gallery. You're also getting an experience. Part of what makes me so unique as a photographer is my ability to connect with my families. As a mom of four boys. I have some tricks up my sleeve to get some great candid shots of kids.