Here are a couple of samples that explain the differences of the three stages of your images:
Stage 1: Straight out of the camera (also known as a negative and is not available for purchase)
Stage 2: Slighly tweeked. This may entail increasing or decreasing the exposure a bit and slightly added contrast and color. This is the stage that is included onto a cd in your wedding collection and viewed in your proofing gallery.
Stage 3: Basically the standard tweaking from Stage 2, plus artistically added enhancements. These are the images that you see on the websites, portfolios, albums blog, and are only provided for prints, albums and other products at no extra cost.
Every image is different and doesn’t always require the same editing as others, but, fully editing every image can be quite extensive, such as burning out unnecessary or distracting stuff (as you seen I’ve done behind the bride so that the hotel floor and corner wall are no longer a distraction), cloning out and/or erasing more unwanted items or blemishes, color/adjusting white balance, softening, increasing or decreasing contrast, possibly opening closed eyes, blurring things out to draw more focus to the subject, adding artistic effects such as vignettes, texture, unique coloring, etc. The list can actually be quite endless.
While earning an incredible extra amount of money would be great in Stage 3 processing each and every photo, timely – it isn’t too possible, as it would take working 24 hours non stop, as well as taking attention away from clients.
If a client wants a stage 3 edited photo file or a few files on their cd (15 being the limit), then there will be a $15 charge per image. Otherwise, the cost is already included in your print prices.
*And please note: This information only pertains to couples that are booking their weddings this year. If your wedding was booked with me during 2009, none of this new information will pertain to you, as you are all set with the dated information from last year*
