Before & After Photos: Why I don't post them.

So this is a little controversial. Lots of photographers do this and I’m personally quite adamantly against it for BDP. Why? Well let’s get into it!

What are Before & After Photos?

They are just as they sound. One image is typically when a client arrives at a shoot, barefaced, bra less, in your comfiest, slouchiest clothes ready to get glammed up. The second image is after they’ve received professional hair and makeup, wardrobe styling, have been posed and retouched.

What’s the purpose?

To show a dramatic transformation. To show the difference between everyday women and what women look like after being preened and perfectly manicured for a photoshoot.

Now, why do I refuse to post or take these?

First, I’d like to be very clear that I do not think photographers who choose to post them are “bad” or “wrong” for doing so. Everyone likes a good transformation. I myself am a bit of a makeover reality tv show addict, so I get it! That said, I feel like a lot of it benefits the photographer, hair and makeup artist while doing nothing for the client. Of course it makes great advertising but sometimes at the expense of your client’s confidence. It many times feels like before and after images are implying that the before version was unacceptable or “ick”. But that after, oh boy is it stunning.

Of course it is! It’s our damn job to do that! LOL It’s our job as artists to make you look and MOST IMPORTANTLY feel amazing! I think even implying that the before isn’t “good enough” directly contradicts this goal.

Will you look different with your hair and makeup done, perfectly lit, posed and retouched? Obviously! That’s the point right?

May you like the way you look better? Highly likely. That doesn’t mean that you are valued any less without any of it.

Our shoots are about having fun, dressing up and highlighting you. It’s about a day of fantasy and fun to forget the stickiness of being an adult and just indulge. I don’t feel that should start with deprecation.

What do we do instead?

We take photos of the whole process! Everyone loves a good behind the scenes shot of their moment to be the star! We take photos of you getting ready, getting your hair and makeup done as a little momento of your experience.

We rely on our happy client’s to provide us with images to share for advertising. Every image you see is a woman we photographed who loved her images so much, she allowed us to share them with the world, and that means the world to us! Happy clients are enough for us!