Hey Reader,
In this week’s Captured, I want to show you how my editing style has evolved lately — and how you can think about yours too.
I'll break down how I used to edit, what I'm doing differently now, and why editing is one of the best tools you’ve got as a photographer.
If you’ve ever felt unsure about your look or stuck between what you like vs. what clients want, this one’s for you.
Let's dive in!
Why We Edit (And Why It's NOT Cheating)
Let’s just get this out of the way: editing is not cheating.
It’s part of the creative process. Always has been. Every pro you look up to is editing their work.
Even film shooters are tweaking shots after scanning — colour shifts, dust removal, and slight crops. It’s all editing.
Editing helps you fix small issues, shape your creative identity, and bring the photo closer to how it actually felt when you shot it (or how you'd like it to feel).
Without it, you’re only halfway there.
How I Used to Edit
Back in the day, I was all about the punchy, vibrant look — lots of colour, high energy, bright skies, deep blues and warm oranges.
If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll likely remember this era.
Consistently, I’d overexpose by +1.0, pull highlights way down, lift shadows, leave contrast neutral, and boost vibrance up past +20.
In HSL, I’d push oranges and blues to make it pop.
That style really suited the lifestyle I was living — travel-heavy, upbeat, fun.
But as I started working with clients, that same edit started feeling…
...off.
The Personal vs Professional Clash
One of the hardest realisations was that the photos I loved creating didn’t always land with the clients I was trying to work with.
Hotels, restaurants, brands — I kept hearing the same things like “Can we tone this down?” or “It’s a bit too much, feels more like a travel blogger.”
At first, I took it personally.
But over time, I realised the disconnect was just about context.
Different styles work for different goals.
And what I thought was “my style” was really just one phase of it.
I ended up splitting my work into two lanes:
- My fun, vibrant edits for me
- The more muted, neutral edits for clients
That lasted a while… until eventually, I got tired of feeling like two different people.
I wanted one style — one direction — that felt like me, but still worked across both worlds.
How I'm Editing Now (+ Where I'm Going)
These days, my edits are a lot more balanced.
Warmer, calmer, more timeless.
I’ll underexpose slightly, around -0.8, just to bring more depth and softness into the shot.
I pull down contrast, reduce highlights, and avoid lifting shadows too much — I want the image to hold onto some natural shape.
Whites are pulled right back, blacks come up slightly, and I’m toning down vibrance instead of boosting it.
I’m also not afraid to desaturate colours now.
Muted doesn’t mean boring.
It often feels more inviting and calming.
And honestly, in a sea of bright, punchy social content, a softer, more luxurious edit stands out more.
My most recent preset collection: Mediterranean started leaning into this new look — if you want to try it out, here’s 25% off: 'CAPTURED'
How to Experiment with Your Own Style
If you’re still figuring out your look, that’s totally normal.
One thing that helped me early on was saving 10–15 photos from photographers I admired, then trying to understand what I liked about them.
Was it the warmth? The softness? The way shadows were used?
Then I’d apply a similar vibe to one of my own photos — not to copy it exactly, but to feel what it was like to edit that way.
Over time, those experiments led me to something that felt more like my own.
You don’t have to pick one style forever.
But the more you play around, the more confident you get.
One Last Thing: Gear Matters...
Camera brands give you different colour science, and it does affect your editing.
I’ve noticed big differences between Sony and Fujifilm.
Sony gives you lots of dynamic range, but the colours can feel a bit cold or flat.
Fujifilm has that baked-in warmth and character that just feels easier to work with — especially for this softer look I’m chasing now.
Neither is right or wrong — they just require different things from you in post.
So if you’re finding it hard to get your edits where you want them, it might not be your skill level.
It might just be the gear giving you a different starting point.
That’s all for today.
Let me know if this gave you something useful to think about, or if you want a part two on colour grading, workflow, or client delivery.
