This is the final image after editing with Adobe Photoshop. The original image is below. Also, I have included some enlarged detail images for reference.
We are currently in an economic depression. Many people are being laid off and losing their jobs and their income. It is very difficult for most people to continue to pay the bills and the mortgage when this happens. Having a part time hobby with which you can make a part time or even full time income if necessary, can be the difference between making ends meet or filing for bankruptcy.
You can make a good income with wedding photography. It can be a very lucrative part time of full time option. In the United State alone, wedding photography is approximately a $5 Billion per year industry. That's a sizable market. And with some know how and a decent digital camera, you can be a part of this industry. I have designed a course that includes everything you need, including business forms, technical discussions, sample ads and business cards, and even tips on using Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple's Aperture. You can see more information and order at my blog or website.
Using Adobe Photoshop will be essential to making a good income with photography as many of the photos you take will require some kind of manipulation, even if it is just a small brightness or contrast adjustment. However, if you can master some of the trickier tools, you will be able to create some stunning photos. You will also be able to contract to other studios for work. Mastering Photoshop is still something that not everyone can do. But id you enjoy creating images on the computer, then you can could be in great demand by others looking for help.
On my blog, you will see images of a cabin in the snow country of Arizona. The client wanted an image that they could frame and put on the wall. They were very proud of their cabin, but to make a really good image required some extensive Photoshop work. The main tool I used was the Clone tool. I think that the Clone tool and the Pen tool are the two most powerful tools in Photoshop. If you master these tools, you will be able to create some really great images.
As you will see, by astute use of the Clone tool, the overhead power lines were eliminated, so we have a nice clear view of the beautiful blue sky. Next, we smoothes out the snow covered road, and deleted the car by Cloning the snow over the car. Next, the sidewalk was smoothed out and the footprints were removed. Then, some Cloning of the snow on the roof to make the roof line look better. Finally, judicious use of the curves and a selection on the cabin itself, brought the warmth and texture of the wood walls to life. These kinds of techniques will enable you to earn money, even in a down economy. Just be sure to practice as often as you can.
One of the first questions I am asked when shooting with a digital camera (after the "which camera do you use, question), is, what format should I shoot? Tiff, High Res. JPEG, RAW etc. And the answer is very simple. RAW! There is NO other option. And you need to make sure that you are using the highest resolution (mega pixels) available on your camera.
You should only be using a digital SLR (DSLR) camera, with the most powerful (expensive) flash you can afford, available for your system. When you shoot a wedding, you will need to use flash for basically every shot you take. Indoors and out, even in bright sunlight. The flash will light dark subjects inside and when you are outside, it will fill in the shadows of your subject, and make the resulting photos look their best.
A very important point to remember when you photograph the bride, is to make sure that there is lots of detail in the brides dress. With digital cameras, the sensor cannot record as wide a range of light to dark as with traditional film cameras, and whites in particular, can be very challenging to record with detail. This is where you need to be able to balance the flash with the available light to get acceptable results. Otherwise, you may have some angry people calling you after the event. And you cannot arrange a do-over for a wedding, it is a one shot deal. So, make sure you do lots of practice before your first real, paying event. A good way to practice is to have you wife/girlfriend/kids dress up in white clothes and take lots of shots and note the settings you need to get detail in the dress, and good even skin tones on the brides face.
Photos of kids at the wedding can help make you a lot of extra money. Whenever possible, set up the kids in the bridal party by themselves. These kinds of photos will sell to the parents, the bride and groom and many other family members, especially the grandparents. Part of your job is to not just take good photos, but to take photos that will sell and keep you in a job and allow you to buy more equipment as you need it. You should always take individual shots of each kid and have the parents help to get them comfortable so you can get some good shots. Always try to choose an interesting background where possible. In order to focus attention on the kids (refer to the photo on my blog, listed at the end of this article) and not the background, I have made a selection around the kids in Adobe Photoshop, and darkened the background a little, so the kids will stand out and be the center of attention in the photo.
