AfallaStudios | Best Headshot and Creative Direction Services in Dallas, Texas

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Getting it done right the first time "in camera".

We've seen it time and time again. A photographer post their work online and all you see are tons of post-processed images with tons of filtering. And there are other photographers who can shoot a photo and get perfect exposure with minor adjustments in white balance, levels, etc. We like to shoot it right the first time and then make minor adjustments if needed. We also like to add a little more saturation to make colors 'pop' off the page along with lighting up the shadows to balances the image out. ​

No amount of processing can add detail that isn't there to begin with. If you greatly overexpose your picture, you cannot rescue the highlight detail lost. The same with significantly underexposing your picture. Additionally, attempting to fix some perspective problems will make the picture look unnatural and sometimes even cartoon-like.

Getting it right in the camera is still a matter of pragmatism. It's a question of whether you want to spend several hours in front of a computer retouching the picture, or spend a couple of minutes getting your camera settings right. And sitting in front of a computer post-processing all 300-500 photos isn't fun.

​Left (Before) Right (After). An example of how little post-production we had to do for this photo. Exposure and white balance were spot on. All we had to do was make the colors "pop" more and add a few effects.

Some things might be better done in post processing because you have more control, such as multiple exposures. However, this class of post processing has more to do with special effects rather than proper exposure.

I'm also of the opinion that you should never use "I'll fix it in post" to do a mediocre job taking your picture the first time. An extra minute or two at the time of exposure is well worth saving hours in front of a computer. As my former bosses in the graphic design industry would say, "Don't just do it to get the job done. Do it right the first time."


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ATTENTION! PLEASE DO NOT CROP OR ALTER ANY PHOTOS IN ANY WAY PER FEDERAL COPYRIGHT LAWS.