One of the things that set one photographer apart from another photographer (besides skill) is style. Taking a good, technically executed photo definitely takes skill, but many times the vision for the photo truly comes alive in post-processing through editing. 

One of the things I have focused on this year is to more closely define my style as a photographer. How do my images represent my brand? How do I want people to feel when they look at them? I have settled in on warm, vibrant, rich, bold, jewel-tone colors showcasing breathtaking beautiful light, around an emotional connection either with one another or to the camera. To achieve this, I discovered that not only is my edit important, but also how I take the photo in-camera. For me, to achieve my desired result, I have to attain a wide range of colors in RAW. Thus, I have to shoot for a very wide dynamic range. Dynamic range means that I preserve detail in all aspects of the photo, especially shadows and highlights. If either highlights or shadows are blown (too dark or too bright) then all detail is lost in those areas, which does not lend well to a more contrasty vibrant edit.

Interestingly, there are numerous ways to “expose” an image. I believe I went into this in a little detail when I wrote a post on metering modes. The most popular, and the one I primarily use as well, is the spot metering option. Spot metering takes an exposure measurement off of one particular spot in the image and then gives you a reading. If your spot is on your subject on a very bright day, you may discover that in order to expose your subject correctly that your sky will be completely blown out … bright white with no detail left. This is technically correct, and one of many ways to expose an image. This method usually results in a “bright, light, and airy” style. For me, to achieve greater depth, I have to adjust my exposure so that my highlights are not blown. Then, in post-processing, I can pull back the details in the brighter spots in my image and bring in magnificent colors in the sky.

Depending on the overall brightness of the overall image, simply reducing camera settings to ensure that there are no spots blown out may not be enough to get adequate light on a subject. At that point, I bring in my flash units.  I have a couple of options I like to use in my images. The first is an on-camera flash with a modifier. The second is an off-camera flash with my 45″ octagon-shaped umbrella. With flash, I can expose for the detail in the sky and expose for my subject at the same time.