Here we have three images from a portrait session I shot yesterday in Valdosta with the lovely Heather. (click on the picture for a bigger version)
The first image shows what came straight out of the camera. Nothing has been altered what-so- ever.

The second image represents what I refer to as a “Processed” image. The difference is drastic. Here I’ve adjusted the overall color by making the image “warmer” and the colors more vibrant. Brightness, tone level, and contrast have also been adjusted. This is typical of the adjustments made when preparing your proof images.

The changes in the third, “Retouched” image, are more subtle at this size but here’s what I’ve done. I’ve burned (darkened) and dodged (lighten) selective parts of the image to help visually separate the model from the background. I’ve also removed blemishes and fly-away strands of hair and even out the skin tones a bit. Retouching takes much longer and and requires alot of patience. Each image also gets its own unique “recipe” of treatment. That’s way retouching is reserved for only those images you select for your album selections and other special orders.

Hope that helps explains what goes on behind the scenes here and that you now better idea of the work and effort that goes into make you images look the best they can!