A PHOTOGRAPHER’S DIRECTOR’S CUT
Most people have heard of the term “Director’s Cut,” but I think “Photographer’s Cut” is a term that is rarely used. As a creative working on projects for clients with very specific needs and limited time with talent, there isn’t always time or opportunities to create outside of executing the brief. Once I’ve had the chance to step away from the shoot and I go through the catalog of images, I let my imagination run wild. However, what I envision doesn’t always align with the client’s needs or branding guardrails. That’s when my version, the “Photographer’s Cut,” typically comes to life. My mind starts racing, thinking about what I can create, how far I can push and pull the elements I’ve shot, and how I can transform something that, at first glance, may seem simple or even unfinished into a finished image I truly love.
There might be purists who argue that if it’s not all executed in-camera, it’s not a true photograph, and perhaps they’re right. But for me, what matters most is being a creative, and the work I put into the world represents the full scope of my creativity. So cheers to more “Photographer’s Cut,” in camera or in post, a lesson I learned from a good friend and colleague who has built an incredibly successful career from it.
The examples below are all “Photographer’s Cut,” some I pushed the creative and others I just gave it a little nudge.
