point looking exactly the same as another 10
photographers because then the only thing
that separates you is price.
“Many photographers use the same website
templates, the same editing presets and the
same poses – and what they create looks good,
but it’s not too different from one another. So
the only way our clients can compare these
photographers who all look the same is cost.
“On the other hand, if you can create a
brand, a style or a taste that is different to the
rest of the market, and people like it, then price
isn’t such an issue. If clients want what you have,
then they’ll be more likely to engage with you,
even if you are expensive.
"I think that’s when business gets easier
because people want something that you do
that they haven’t seen in other brands. Even if
they can’t directly pinpoint what it is that they
like, there needs to be a certain something that
lets you differentiate yourself in the market.”POST-PRODUCTION
Dan uses Photo Mechanic to ingest his photos
because it is very fast and it also runs a report to
let him know if any of his images were corrupt.
It’s a method to ensure nothing is missed.
“I backup all the files of the whole wedding
three times and then I go to work editing.
“I do two culls, adding photos to the
selection, rather than weeding out the ones
I don’t want. There’s a difference betweenselecting in photos you want and throwing
out photos you don’t want – and it’s generally
quicker too.
“On the first selection, I use Photo Mechanic
in full screen mode so I can see if the photos
are sharp. I know I’m probably selecting more
photos than I’ll need, but that’s okay. Once
I’ve made the selection, I copy all the files and
transfer them into a folder called Cull 1.
“Next, I open up the photos in Cull 1, but
I change Photo Mechanic so I am looking at
a grid of nine photos. I already know all these
photos are sharp, so I’m selecting the images for
context. For instance, if I have eight shots of the
bride putting on her lipstick, I’ll just select the
one or two stand-outs. Again, I’m selecting the
photos in, rather than selecting out.INTO LIGHTROOM
“At the end of this process, I transfer the
selected images into another folder called Cull
2 and these are the images that are transferred
into Lightroom for adjustment.
“In Lightroom, I begin by selecting the
photos that I’ll turn into B&W first and give them
a 3 star rating. B&W photos are often ones that
are taken of the speeches in poor light, or shot
at too high an ISO, or if I have a series of very
similar shots. It’s around one third of all the
images in the selection.
“Once all the B&Ws are rated at 3 stars, I
select everything that isn’t rated – and these areFEATURE