Editing Boudoir Photos - A Necessary Evil?

Using Photoshop on nude and boudoir photos - Is it necessary?

Almost every photo you see nowadays will have some type of editing applied to it. No, seriously. You may or may not notice it, but the most popular camera today (your smartphone, I know, crazy right?) allows you to apply many types of “filters” to your photos. Beauty face softening, HDR, face swapping, and ones that apply a glamour makeup look to your photos are just a few examples. 

Are these filters necessary to make a great photo? Not really. 
However, they can make a photograph more appealing and interesting to look at. 

So, when does photo editing go to far? Is it the selfie of your friend on Facebook who’s face is softened so much that the only feature you recognize are her eyes?  Or is it the photos in magazines of glamorous supermodels, singers, and entertainers that look absolutely flawless? 

I want to believe these people truly look like this, however, I know that some sort of photo editing software or filter was used to make them look more appealing. 

All of the photos that you see on my website are edited. I will say this again. All of the photos that you see on my website are edited! 
It could be anything from simply brightening an image, removing a few pimples, enlarging breasts, slimming a waist, or removing a distracting electrical outlet on the wall. ​

I use Photoshop as a enhancer. It is a tool designed to make something that already looks good, look better. Just because I have the ability to over-edit a photo to the point it looks fake, does not mean I should.  

The photo I am using in this post is the most viewed boudoir photo on my site. I have also licensed it to a tanning salon for use at their business. That being said, people really like this photo!

In this blog post, I am doing what most boudoir photographers are afraid to do on their websites..... Actually post the unedited image with the final edited product.... AND I AM DOING THIS WITH MY MOST POPULAR IMAGE!!!

As you can see, the edits on this nude boudoir photo are very minimal. 
-A crop was placed to remove less-interesting items, while keeping the ones that your eyes are instantly drawn to. 
-The skin was lightly smoothed and blemishes were removed. 
-The ankle, thigh, and stomach were slightly slimmed. Her back and the heel of her foot were also given a little shape. 
-The backdrop was cleaned up, darkened and highlighted in certain areas to bring more attention to the body.
-The photo was then converted to black and white and given a blue tint.
Thats all!!!

Using a photo editing program like Photoshop or filters on your smartphone can make photos look better. Just use them in moderation. ​

I believe that Photoshop should be used to enhance a photo, not BE the photo. ​