How do YOU take your Coffee?
A lot of people assume that since my images are edited a certain way that THAT is how I like them. Those people are right and wrong at the same time.
As the photographer, creative director ( at times ) and editor of my work it’s true that most shoots start with a concept and lighting design to deliver a final message. For a lot of shoots clients/subjects will determine for themselves the final amount of editing done to an image of them or their subject. As a photographer I will 99% do what my client wants to their skin, features, face and body while they sit and talk to me. Very rarely,1% of the time, I put a stop to it (gently). if I think I am becoming a part of them destroying their own self image by speeding past the lines of what they actually look like in real life. I tend to start talking to them about the reality of life as a photographer. If you don’t understand what I’m talking about yet here are some examples of things I can do and I’m often asked to do.
1st most requested retouch: remove wrinkles and bags from my face. I do this all the time and it’s fun to see people’s reactions because, as I explain to them, “you’ll have to trust me… it’s about to temporarily look like your’e in the 9th grade again BUT we are going to bring back some of the original image before we are done”. It’s a fun phase for them to watch and 9 times out of 10 they start talking like I have super powers or how I should work in a plastic surgeon’s office to show people what they could look like. Now, it is fun and at this point if I don’t have my client’s trust I have done something very wrong or they have an underlying issue with how they look and by “look” I mean aged…… which is the very first red flag to me. So then I explain to them how as a photographer I actually REALLY like wrinkles and aged faces because that adds depth and character to my photos. They can be a story all on their own in fact. If I meet someone new while out socially that is at an age they should have some lines on their face and they don’t (red flag) I typically won’t spend much time talking to them because if I don’t see some laugh lines or some creases by corners of your mouth from smiling…. well that just tells me either you don’t laugh much or you just aren’t going to be my kind of people. After an image is mostly edited I explain to my clients that it should look like them on a great day with just a little polish and my final question to them is always “Does this feel like you today?”. I did once have a lady that had to be about 80 ask me to leave the version with no wrinkles just because it made her think of younger days and she wanted to show her kids and grandchildren what she looked like. I could tell she had a firm grip on reality and had no intention of using the image for anything else….. so she received 2 versions.
2nd most requested retouch: “Can you shave off some pounds?” …and the funny part is they don’t think I can. If they tell me before we shoot though I use light and shadow to do this as much as I can. If they ask during the editing session and I haven’t heard any red flags I usually show them how it works. For some people it can be a motivator to get in the gym or diet but for others I am always asking myself if I’m doing any damage psychologically to my client. Everything in this phase should be treated with utmost caution and respect by every photographer. You can push some cheeks in a bit but I don’t think it should go too far…. not to where they want it. My personal rule is if I saw them 30 days later would it have been physically possible for them to slim down “x” amount? If the answer is “yes” I’m good but if it’s a “no” then I’ve gone too far. With today’s tools a skilled artist could take off 50 lbs in less than 5 minutes so let’s take Uncle Ben’s advice to Peter Parker to heart and use our skills responsibly for the health and well-being of our clients.
There are many other requests that are pretty standard and easy to do that don’t involve a client having a psych eval to get done. Examples? Change hair color, whiten teeth, change eye color, fix blood shot eyes. add lashes, pluck eyebrows, trim beard, remove a few grey hairs…. all very easy to do and all could have been done by the client before they arrived (only super power needed is time).
Look, at the end of my session I want my subjects to walk away feeling good, confident and in tune with how they look. I want to walk away with some of those same feelings and also know I did you no harm or feel like your friends are going to giggle behind your back because the image you’re about to share with them looks like you from 20 years ago. Fair enough?
So where the Hell does the coffee come in then? I know you’re wondering about the title so let me tell you how this works and it has rarely failed me. Right before I start editing with a client I ask them “hey, how do you take your coffee?”. If it is some specialized process with, flavored creamers, syrups and sprinkles I know exactly how the editing session will go. They want the works (not a bad thing and not even a red flag yet). On the other hand if they say “Black” or “a little cream and sugar”. For some reason this group has a very firm grip on their appearance and tend not to give a flying (insert my favorite word here!) about what anyone else thinks about the lines on their face. Now….if they say “Irish”, then we are booting up my laptop and the editing session will resume at the closest pub…. because at that point we are going to be good friends!
Be YOU, Be FEARLESS. Go make the stories, earn the wrinkles and laugh lines and live long enough to show off those grey hairs because those are hard earned! Here’s a little secret about me… from about the age of 20… I LOVE the look of a full head of grey hair. I think it’s amazingly attractive and I’ve been known to absolutely walk up to strangers and let them know! Another thing…. I rarely drink coffee…. I just like the smell of it.
Okay all you beautiful people… go and attack your day!
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