Does retouching a photo really matter?  This is a question as a photographer, I've heard often.  The answer really comes down to your personal opinion and budget.  Most good photographers will do at least some minor retouching to your photos.  Personally, unless you ask me not to... I ALWAYS try to remove any blemishes, sharpen your eyes, pop the colors and vibrancy of yourphotos, warm up the shot, etc.  Beyond those basic retouching things, I'll also consider if there's any artistic things I can do to make the photo more interesting (I don't do this for every picture).  Sometimes that means I have to clone out distracting items in the photo or turn the photo into a black and white or sepia toned shot.  There are a lot of things that can be done to a photo.  I feel the key to making it look good though is to not overdo it.  Many newer photographers get excited and try to do too much.  I believe too much photoshop can ruin a good picture and not doing at least SOME post processing can leave the photo dull and boring.  The key is to find that sweet spot.

How does retouching affect you the consumer?  Aside from the obvious picture quality, it affects your pocket book.  If you're ok with just getting pictures right out of the camera with no retouching, many photographers would be willing to give you a lower rate... BUT, if you want professional looking, high quality shots with a bit of the photographers creative touch applied, then you're also paying for his/her time.  I know for myself personally, it's not at all uncommon for me to spend 1-2 hours with a couple during a photo shoot, but then spend another 30-40 hours (or more) retouching their photos afterwards.  It's the whole tip of the iceberg thing... When you see the photographer, you're only seeing a portion of the time that they'll be working on your shoot.  The biggest chunk of a photographer's time is spent sorting through the photos, cherry picking the best, retouching each one, uploading them to websites, e-mailing back and forth, burning disks, printing labels, ordering prints, etc.  Not to mention driving to and from each location.

So... with all that said.... does retouching a photo really matter?  It's all in the eye of the beholder.  I don't usually show "before" pictures as I only like people to see finished products, but below is an example of a "before and after" photo to show a little of what I offer.  If you like my style, I'd love to work for you.  I promise at the end of the day, you will get my best effort.

- Shane :)

Shane Monahan is a Sioux City Photographer that specializes on weddings and senior portraits.  We live in Iowa, but will travel to any destination!  Also, ask us about our new Photo Booth rental now available.  Thanks!