How important is post-processing?

Q: HOW IMPORTANT DO YOU THINK POST-PROCESSING IS TO YOUR SUCCESS AS A PHOTOGRAPHER? I’M TALKING ADVANCED PHOTOSHOP, NOT SIMPLE CONTRAST, WHITE BALANCE TWEAKS, ETC., IN LIGHTROOM. I’VE SEEN JOEY L.’S WORK AND IT IS AMAZING, BUT ALSO NOT SOMETHING PROS LIKE YOU AND MCNALLY DO—SO WHAT GIVES? DO YOU JUST CHALK IT UP TO PERSONAL STYLE? OR WOULD YOU BE EVEN MORE SUCCESSFUL IF YOU EMBRACED PHOTOSHOP PROCESSING? THANK YOU!

A: It’s all about personal style. Case in point:

Last year I went to a portfolio review thing in NYC. My dear friend and fellow photographer, David E. Jackson, attended the same event. I’m fairly straightforward with my work. I do minimal, if any, post-production work. Dave puts a lot more into post-production with composites and the like. It’s nothing for him to drop in a new sky, change this, add this, remove that, and whatnot.

At this review event we both met with the senior photo editor of an international magazine. I got on their radar. My book was in line with their style. Dave was told that while he had great work in his book, this magazine would never hire him. Why? His style didn’t match their style.

It’s all about style. I could go the post-processed route and get “different” clients but not necessarily “better” clients. The kind of work Dave does is done for his style. The type of work I’m hired to do is based on how I do things. They are different clients with different needs speaking to different audiences.

Most bands have four band members. Would the White Stripes have been more successful if they had four band members like other bands? Would they be more successful if they sounded more like Beyoncé? (Oh man, I don’t want to even think about that.)

Style drives what you do. Your style is your sensibility. It’s how you approach life. God knows we all don’t need to approach life the same as everyone else. There’s a place for all of us. We just have to find where we fit. You have to realize that, while your work may be amazing, there are a lot of people who won’t hire you because your style isn’t their own.

It’s safe to say that there are a lot of people who like the White Stripes and there are a lot of people who like Beyoncé. It’s also a fairly safe bet to say there aren’t that many folks who like them both. Whoever likes the White Stripes and Beyoncé are the type of people who will hire anyone. Their tastes are so varied and, possibly, inconsistent that anyone can get some work from them. It is safe to say, though, that there aren’t that many types of clients out there.