My take on retouching and editing has always been a little more liberal then those of some of my contemporaries. In fact, I think editing software like Portrait Plus and Photoshop are essential tools to my profession. I don't know what I would do without them frankly.
I think we would all like to have fairy tale and storybook weddings and family pictures but the simple fact is, nothing is picture PERFECT. What is seemingly magical however is the day before your wedding an ugly blemish will appear or right before your family portrait your toddler will bust his lip. Then there are always the things that I find distracting in pictures...like gum on the sidewalk as a couple makes their grand exit from the reception or one lone brown leaf on a pristine green lawn. I know I have some obsessive compulsive tendencies (of which my clients tend to not mind) but these are the little things that I think can either add or distract from the subject in a photo. There are images that left untouched tell a certain story and those documentary, photo-journalistic style photos can be beautiful ....so as always the editing and retouching has to be done with care and with discretion. It is a matter of taste to determine if the editing is over done or subtly done. Knowing your preference before your images are processed is the best way to avoid being disappointed later.
