Fine Art vs Batch Edits

Here I’ll attempt to put into context the difference between Fine Art and Batch edits and outline how the images are chosen, edited and why.

There are 3 things that come into play to my editing:

• Technical quality of image

• Catchlights must be in clients eye(s) unless closed

• What creative processing is possible to achieve Fine Art

Catchlight 

noun: A gleam of reflected light in a subject’s eye

Fine Art

noun: 1. Creative art, especially visual art whose products are to be appreciated primarily or solely for their imaginative, aesthetic, or intellectual content.

2. An activity requiring great skill or accomplishment.

Technical quality of an image consists of proper exposure, sharpness, composition and pose. The image cannot be too dark, too light, blurry or void of catchlight in eye(s). Composition must be acceptable; not distracting, too much in the shot, or have the inability to crop appropriately. The pose of a client must be complimentary, flattering and comfortable; not awkward or stiff.

Any image that does not meet these requirements will be permanently deleted. With the remaining images, I study each very closely and allow my creative mind to flow and blossom. This is where the magic happens and the images are carefully curated into Fine Art pieces.

“To my eye, each individual image is unique and deserves its own special Fine Art edit!” ~ Charly

Simply put, a Batch edit could take less than 5 minutes to finish and all the images often look the same because a preset is used. A Fine Art edit could take days to choose the image and master the look envisioned for it. There are even times when I start the editing process over before considering a final image perfect! Also consider my advanced editing option (listed in the a la carte menu) available for conceptual or unique images, like the image below. I changed the color scheme within the image and corrected the bottom part of the refrigerator to tie the outfit and the scene together.

Due to everything stated above, it takes about 2 weeks to process the final number of images in your Touch Session. I want to take the time that each of your images deserves to bring out the Fine Art in you! The best of the best are then placed in a password protected private gallery for you to decide which one(s) you’ve fallen in love with, choose your favorite pose to adorn the print/canvas that comes with your Phantasyshoot™, and peruse our wide range of products from discrete photobooks to large beautiful prints.

Common Questions

So what’s the big deal with catchlights?

Great Question! I find eyes without catchlights to be dull and lifeless at times. That’s not to say if catch light isn’t present the image is bad, however to elevate an image to Fine Art Standards catchlights should be present unless the subject’s eyes are closed.

Why can’t I choose which images I want edited?

There’s a couple of good reasons the images are curated by myself. When in Photography classes at college, I saw time after time our subject’s choosing images that were the most unflattering to have printed. Also as I stated, not every image meets the quality requirements to work my magic on and produce a Fine Art piece. The last thing I want to see is a subpar or unflattering image up on a client’s wall or in a photobook. I take extreme pride in my work and cannot settle for anything less than a masterful Fine Art print.

What about the images you haven’t edited into Fine Art beyond what my Touch Session shows; 10 – 30?

In the A La Carte section, you can purchase 1 or 5 Fine Art images to be edited for an additional cost. I will choose the next best image(s) to edit and put up in your gallery when finished within 7 days.

Please allow my work to speak for itself. If you love it, then I hope you better understand my methods and you’ll consider me for your photographer in a Boudoir, Pin-Up, or Lifestyle Phantasyshoot™.