My Approach to Editing: Creating a Consistent Photography Style

People often assume a consistent style comes from a preset. Mine comes from a short list of decisions I make the same way every time, long before any slider is touched.

Consistency starts in camera

I set a custom white balance at the start of every session and leave it alone. I expose for the skin, not the scene, and I accept losing the highlights in a bright window if it keeps the face right. Files that start out alike are easy to finish alike.

The three adjustments I always make

Every image gets the same three passes, in the same order. First the white point and black point, so the tonal range sits where I want it. Then the skin, which I warm slightly and keep a little darker than most retouchers would. Then the shadows, which I lift just enough that they never go fully black.

A style is not what you add to an image. It is what you consistently refuse to add.

What I leave alone

I do not smooth skin beyond removing temporary blemishes. Pores, lines and freckles stay. I do not replace skies, add grain to digital files, or use clarity on faces. When a picture needs any of those things to work, the problem is usually the picture.

Grading a whole series

I never finish one frame at a time. I grade the whole selection side by side on a neutral grey background, then go back and correct anything that jumps out of the sequence. A single image can be dramatic. A series has to hold together like a sentence.

How long it takes

A typical portrait session ends with around forty finished images, and editing takes about a day and a half. Most of that time is spent choosing, not adjusting. If the selection is right, the edit is quick.