Clients see the gallery. What they don't see is the three passes it takes to get there — and the deliberate restraint in each one. Editing is mostly saying no: no to the almost-frame, no to the trendy preset, no to retouching that erases the person.
Pass one: the honest cull
Within 48 hours I cut ruthlessly — blinks, misfires, near-duplicates. What survives is everything with a spark: real laughter, real light, real connection. A two-hour session usually lands around 200 keepers at this stage.
Pass two: the story cut
Galleries are sequenced like albums, not dumped like folders. Openers with energy, a calm middle, closers that linger. This is where the count drops from 200 to about 60 — the frames that earn their place in the narrative.
Pass three: grade and retouch
One consistent grade across the set — warm but truthful — then skin and detail work by hand. True texture stays. Distractions (exit signs, stray cups, a passing pigeon) go. Delivery follows within two weeks, in a private gallery you can share, download and print from.
What this means for you
- Preview in 48 hours — highlights to share while excitement is fresh.
- Full gallery in two weeks — sequenced, graded, print-ready.
- Revisions welcome — one refinement round on any frame, included.
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