Wonder how I choose the best photos from a photo session? There are a couple of key things that I look for when I sort through the photos to determine what makes a good photo – what stays and what goes. Here’s a glimpse into what I look for:

Composition

How does the overall picture look? Is everything in the shot that I want to be in the shot, or are there things cut off?

Lighting

I always have the inclination to keep the photos that have the best lighting. Of course, if I’m photographing a special event where the lighting was out of my control, I’m still going to deliver those important photos. For example, I’ve photographed memorial sessions and graduations. Was the lighting situation always ideal? Certainly not. However, I do the best I can with what I’ve got in order to make them as appealing as possible and deliverable.

Flattering

Since I’m a people centered photographer, one of my main goals is to have my clients looking the best that they can! I want them to have photos that they feel good about and make them feel good to look back on. Therefore, I keep the photos where I feel that they look the most flattering. This means they weren’t blinking, they’re in focus, and they’re angled nicely for the camera.

Focus

Another key component I look for is focus. Every photograph has places that should be in focus and places that are a little out of focus. This direct the eye towards what you should be looking at.

All of these these, when combined, should result in an appealing photo. Of course, there are always some exceptions to the rules. However this is what I look for to determine what gets to move on to the editing stage and which photos go into the discard pile.

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