For those interested, here's a little bit of the process. After each wedding the memory cards are all downloaded into individual folders on a huge hard drive and backed up to DVD. This usually takes a full day because all of the images are shot in the RAW file format. Most of you probably haven't heard of that term before. It is the largest, purest file format that a professional SLR camera can take. Each file is about 12MB and has 12 million mega pixels. A lot of photographers shoot in the JPG format and the size and quality of the image can vary greatly. Many shoot in a medium JPG file format to save disc space and time, but they sacrifice quality. If you wanted to enlarge one of the images to any substantial size, you would see a lot of grain. I shoot in a large file format for all of my images because I think it is worth it to spend the extra time to do things the best way possible. When I edit the RAW images in the computer, it is almost like I'm adjusting the controls of the camera when I make adjustments to the images. It is the purest way to get the best image possible. The color is better and the files are not corrupted with extra filler that gets added with the JPG format. It is your wedding day after all, and I think every bride should have the best!
Then all of the photos are combined into one large folder, sorted into the proper order and renamed. Then the editing process begins! This is a lengthy process because we usually shoot between 2000-2500 images at each wedding. I have to start narrowing down the numbers to choose just the very best images. Each image must be color corrected because they are not the proper color straight out of the camera. The photos are cropped, horizon lines are straightened, dust and lint are removed, and then images are individually worked on in photoshop to remove a variety of things including people in the backgrounds and other distracting items. Skin is smoothed, softened and shine is removed. Shine is a major issue, especially in humid North Carolina. Foreheads are shiny- even in December! My goal is for each image to be 'print worthy' before the couple even sees their photos. I make sure to give each wedding the attention it deserves to make sure all of the images are perfected to meet the level of quality that my clients expect.
This is an artistic process, so some weddings take longer than others depending on the size of the package and the amount of photoshop time required.
Next the images are saved into the JPG format, categorized and uploaded to Pictage for online viewing and ordering. I try my best to get the images online for each couple approximately 90 days from the date of the wedding. The bride and groom are the owners of the site, so they see all of the images first and then they release the site for their friends and family to view. We collect the guests' email addresses at the wedding reception and I enter them in the website for the couple. Next the 4x6 proofs are uploaded to my photo lab, printed, shipped to me, packaged and available to be picked up by the bride and groom to enjoy! My goal is to complete one wedding per week, but this is sometimes not possible because I have to complete engagement sessions, bridal portraits, make orders, complete album orders, meet magazine deadlines, just to name a few of the demands placed on me each week.
I hold my work to a very high standard, so I appreciate everyone's patience with this process. I promise the wait is worth it!
P.S. Please pass this information along to parents too! A lot of them don't meet with me in the beginning stages of the process, and I get a lot of phone calls the week after the wedding asking why the photos aren't online.
2009 Weddings
Meredith and Patrick ~ Completed
Laura and Jason ~ Completed
Beth Ann and Ray ~ Completed
Julia and Andrew ~ Completed
Jenny and James ~ Completed
Katie and Albie ~ Completed
Jodi and Lee ~ Completed
Melissa and Chuck ~ Completed
Misty and Matt ~ Completed
Julie and Jeff ~ Currently working on this wedding
Michelle and Alex
Annie and Brian
Jennifer and Cullen
Kelly and Rob
Leah and Brad
Morgan and Joel
Sarah and Sam
Hollis and Wyatt
Ian and Alyssa
Kathy and Mike
Jennifer and William
Bill Bartmann- said: I'm so glad I found this site...Keep up the good work (09.11.09 @ 04:59 AM)
Bill Bartmann said: I don't know If I said it already but ...This blog rocks! I gotta say, that I read a lot of blogs on a daily basis and for the most part, people lack substance but, I just wanted to make a quick comment to say I'm glad I found your blog. Thanks, :) A definite great read.. -Bill-Bartmann (09.21.09 @ 11:58 PM)
Your Divas said: Lisa, We are soooo glad you put this on your blog so people can appreciate you nearly as much as we do! We did this amateur work on this little beach wedding, and just to crop and organize and do notes on the photos took us 16 hours for 102 photos! You are amazing! DDD (09.23.09 @ 05:14 AM)