Polish: Volume One

POLISH · Volume 1

This image generated a LOT of conversation.

Some people loved it. Some questioned the depth. Some thought the separation looked unnatural. And like many of my images photographed at very wide apertures, there were people who assumed more had been done to the image than what actually happened.

So...let me show you.

In POLISH · Volume 1, you will see the entire series of RAW files from this location so you can see exactly what was captured in-camera before I touched anything in post.

And honestly? I nailed the capture.

There wasn't anything to rescue. The light was where I wanted it. The depth was already there. The separation was already there. The image already looked like my image before I started editing.

But that creates a different lesson.

What do I do to an image when I don't need to fix it?

You'll watch me evaluate the entire RAW series, choose the image I want to work with, and take it through my complete hand-editing process from RAW to final.

You'll see where I make adjustments, where I leave things alone, and how I know when an image has been pushed far enough.

Most importantly, you'll be able to compare what actually existed in-camera with the finished photograph.

Inside the course you'll see:

• The entire image series in RAW format
• What the depth and separation actually looked like in-camera
• How I evaluate a series when the capture is already strong
• How I choose the RAW file I want to finish
• My complete RAW-to-final hand edit
• The subtle adjustments I use to refine color, contrast, skin and overall balance
• What I intentionally do not change
• How I polish an image without destroying what made the original capture work

This isn't about rescuing a bad RAW or completely transforming an image in Photoshop.

It's about something photographers don't talk about nearly as much...

Knowing what to leave alone.

Runtime - 24 min

Available inside the VP Box