Digi Negs (Digital Negatives). Post Processing. PhotoShop. Dark Room. Proofs (proof images). SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera). Edited Images. Retouched Images.

Okay. Hands up if you’ve heard of one – ore more – of these terms in your search for a photographer.  And chances are you’ve got a pretty good idea what some, or all, of these terms mean.

When I was learning my craft, I used film. Digital cameras weren’t even remotely on the horizon. (Okay, science fiction doesn’t count). EVERYTHING about this was manual. Manual focus. Manual aperture and shutter settings.  When I’d set up the camera correctly, the light would enter through the lens and hit the film, creating the ‘negative’ of the image I’d captured. And before I could check it, it had to be developed and processed.  (As an aside, GuideToFilmPhotography.com has a great synopsis of the complex art of processing and developing film, as does wiki.)

With the advent of reasonably priced digital SLR (dSLR) cameras, and in particular the recent releases by all the major manufacturers, excellent quality, affordable, dSLR cameras have never been easier to obtain.  It’s not surprising that most people assume I do what they do.  Point.  Shoot.  Upload.  Print or Share.  It’s simple, right?

Um – no.

There are just SO many more steps to the process.  It begins before the camera is even picked up!  And seeing as this post is about the digital dark room, I’ll leave the other stuff for another time.  But I think it’s worth pointing out a few key elements.

Firstly, professional dSLR cameras capture data in proprietary formats.  They can also capture jpg files, but I personally don’t choose that option.  (Yet another topic for another post).  You may have heard photographers use the term “RAW”.  As in: “I shoot RAW, not jpg.”  So, when my shutter opens and lets the light in, the camera is recording ones and zeros.  That’s it.  It’s a massive digital file, containing the RAW data for every pixel (a few times over) on the sensor, and then a whole bunch of extra stuff.  They’re true digial negatives, in the way that they – like their analogue counterparts – require processing and developing before a computer can even recognise and display the resulting  image.

Just like film negatives, digital negatives (or digi-negs) require converting.  Colour correcting.  Adjustments to hue and saturation, brightness and contrast, dodging and burning, and sharpness.  Individually.  The resulting image is referred to as a ‘proof’ image.

Potential clients may sometimes ask if I include the digital negatives in any of my packages, or if they are available for purchase.  And the short answer to that question is “no”.  What I DO make available, are the proof images.  Why?

Firstly, you couldn’t view the files if I gave you the RAW data (unless you’re a graphic designer, photographer, or PhotoShop hero).  Secondly, and more importantly, I’m far too anal retentive to let anyone see the SOOC (Straight Out Of Camera) images.  It’s got a lot to do with nebulous concepts such as ‘artistic integrity’ and the like.  But more accurately, my processing style relies heavily on PhotoShop.  I’m a proud PhotoShop user.

In my mind’s eye, I see every image I capture, as its end result; the finished image.  Fully processed.  Fully retouched.  Print ready.  The digi-neg is only the starting point.  And while the majority of my work requires only minor modifications and tweaks, the true art comes layer on layer.

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The images above are a perfect example.  The version on the left is exactly what came out of the camera before proofing.  (I rarely even let my husband see SOOC images, so I’m feeling rather anxious – truth be told – to be showing it to the world.)  It’s not a bad image, by any stretch.  The Bride’s dress is beautifully exposed.  The amazing details in the lacework and rouching are all preserved.  But it does nothing to convey the moment.  When the Bride, finally dressed, stopped and took a moment to appraise herself…  The bridesmaids had left her dressing room to finish touching themselves up, and the Bride was able to relax her arms, and just breathe.

In silence.

Almost even before that split second, I knew EXACTLY how the image was going to appear in an album.  As I depressed the shutter on my camera my mind simultaneously added the 16 separate layers, to that original capture, to create the finished art work (which should be obviously the image on the right).

Yes, my mind works in strange and mysterious ways.  Even I don’t understand it.  I just try to go with the flow.

Granted, there is a whole lot more ‘processing’ on this image than the typical ‘proof’ image.  But, true to my original explanation, I’ve not done anything to manipulate the actual pixels.  So I wouldn’t consider this ‘print ready’ by any stretch.  I still have a bit of work to do before I enlarged this as a print, or included this image in an album.  But it’s well on its way.

Another example follows.  Left to right, we have the image SOOC (cringing again!), followed by the processed image.  The Bride and Groom had their location portraits taken BEFORE their ceremony.  At 7:30am.  On the first of May!  It was about 6C in the foothills of Adelaide, and they were such sports – snuggling while we waited for the sun to rise over the hill in the background.

I think I’d be hard pressed to find someone who couldn’t see the difference between the SOOC image (on the left) and the proof (on the right), which is delivered to clients.  As an exercise, see if you can find the differences between the proof and the print-ready image (hint: look at the bare patches in the lawn, the stool behind the main tree, the ugly tree stump with the yellow paint, the unfortunately placed white sign to the Bride’s left… oh wait!  They’ve been removed from the print-ready image!)

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The proofs I deliver to clients are that.  They’re proof images.  From which clients select images to be enlarged and printed, or included in their albums.  Of course, once those selections are made, the true artist in me comes alive.