A Re-edit Will Serve You Well
Everything old is new again
When I’m not out shooting shows, I like to revisit some of my older photos and re-edit them. Not that I don’t like how they look anymore, it’s to mix things up and try some new styles. I use Lightroom and have been tweaking my presets to have set styles for different genres and keep building my style.
For example, this photo is of the frontman for the Australian Nu Metal group Ocean Grove. When I edited this photo last year, I immediately went to black and white. Looking back, I don’t know why, though I did like the result. Out of camera, this capture was very sharp and I liked it with no colour.
Today, I have flipped it and used a preset I have been working on, which is a hazy and less luminous colour film look. A once sharp photo becomes grainy and noisy, and I like the result. Even changing the photo on my website, as I like the latter.
After this one, I went through other shots to have a play and see if I could have similar results. Not really a process for my primary film shooting friends, but it’s a good exercise to go over your old work and see what you can find. Maybe I’m just going through a phase of liking colour more.
Looking over my old photos, I can see that I have started to develop a style with common tendencies. Those who see my concert photos often will know I like these things.
— Direct Flash
I shoot a lot of DIY and hardcore shows. This allows me good access up close and with permission to blast away with the flash.
— Vignette
A landscape photographer’s worst nightmare and my best buddy. There aren’t many of my gig shots that I won’t apply some vignetting to. Looking through my presets now, I have it applied to all of them. I think it captures the energy of a concert photo so much better, directing you into the subject.
— Incorporating Crowds
The added emotion from the crowd, combined with the artist, just makes the photo so much better to me. More to look at and more going on. Below is a throwaway until I recently did the re-edit exercise and noticed the dude upside down. While doing this edit, I created a new preset, which is this contrasty black and white with a slight green hue. No shadow and makes it pop.
What’s your favourite editing go-to’s?
Below are some more examples of once-discarded photos now loved again.
I really like the last pics of that lady in black & white, great pic 👍
I really like the last pics of that lady in black & white, great pic 👍