13/08/2025
I go through the same process every time and it's always the same outcome.... I need to trust my work 🙏 I want to explain why these messages mean so much to me....
So many people think that a professional photographer's work is easy. We just turn up with a camera which does the work for us and then just whack on a preset and it's done right?
Some people are surprised by the cost and that’s okay. Photography is an investment, and part of my role is to help people understand what goes into it. Every photographer works differently, but I choose to put time, care, and creativity into every step so you receive images that truly reflect your moments.
Once I have left your shoot, shoulders aching from the weight of my equipment and legs sore from rearranging my body into all kinds of crazy positions to get "the shot", I then rush home to back up your images, twice! To keep them protected at all costs.
Then I begin the editing process, culling through hundreds of images to ensure you receive the most magical images. This can take a few hours. Yes there are AI culling systems which could do this in a matter of minutes, but why would I put that power into the hands of a machine - my art is my art because I decide which images tell your story and hold the true essence of the day.
Next up is the editing process - I sit with this to decide how the images need to "feel" given the energy captured on the day. I experiment and play around with different styles until I have maxed out my procrastination levels and I am ready to commit. This isn’t just about adjusting white balance, it’s subtle colour work, deepening shadows in places the eye naturally falls, lifting tones where I want warmth to shine through. It’s matching skin tones, refining highlights, and using my mouse as I would a paintbrush, creating an image that feels whole and alive.
I make sure all the images are consistent, knowing that even the slightest movement in shooting can dramatically change lighting and tone. I crop thoughtfully, crafting each frame so that it tells its part of the story.
I remove distractions and not just things like litter or odd objects, but anything that interrupts the energy of the shot. It could be a bright object that pulls the eye away from your expression, a stray thread on a meditation shawl, or even a shadow that unsettles the softness of the moment. My job is to make sure nothing takes away from the feeling we were holding in that space.
From there, it’s the creative playground! Light masking to draw your gaze, softening or adding texture, levelling & balancing every element until it hums. Even the grain is intentional. I remove any camera grain so I can add my own, because the right grain changes everything.
Once I export your images, I dip in and out of your gallery all day before sending. Making tiny adjustments with fresh eyes until they’re exactly how I want them. Then comes the scariest part...pressing send.
In that moment, I feel SO vulnerable. Will you see what I see? Will the images take you right back to that moment? Will they make you feel the emotion all over again?
And then I get your message, always the same mix of joy and gratitude and I know it’s all been worth it.
Because I haven’t just taken photos.
I’ve created art.
I’ve captured you & your magic.
This is my personal creative blueprint, not just perfectionism, but the way I honour the stories I’m trusted with.
It’s not the fastest or cheapest way, but it’s the truest way I know. And I wouldn’t change it for anything.
