I know this has been asked in different ways...but my question is slightly different than those previously, and it refers to when the final editing is done to make the image what it really is supposed to look like. There are a lot of pictures I take that really aren't what I intended until I play with them in photoshop. It's not that they aren't technically good...it's just that the image isn't complete with what my vision was for it until I have done all the dodging/ burning/ converting to B & W when necessary / give it proper contrast...etc.

So I am thinking about doing this: I will select the top 100 images from the day (give or take) that I think should go in the album and do a full edit on those. I will then do an album pre-design for them with those images. Then I will give them the album pre-design AND the rest of the other 400 or so basic edited proofs. Then they have a good idea of what my images REALLY look like when they are done, AND I also have the creative control of selecting images that I think are album worthy after they have had the photoshop treatment on them, but would not have been selected by the clients otherwise. They, of course, will have the option to trade out images if they want to...but at least they have a good idea of what the final product will look like. Is there any body else that uses this approach? And for those of you that do NOT do any of the extra editing before you present the proofs...how do you deal with the fact that there might be some images that have tons of potential with a little extra touch from photoshop but will be looked over because they are incomplete?

Thanks in advance!

I think that is a great idea if the clients have already ordered an album or it is included in their package...otherwise it might be a TON of work for nothing.

I do basic edits, pick top 15-20 or so and play with those for my blog and future use.

I like simple, clean pp though so most of the reception/family/ceremony shots just need a little boost in Lightroom to make them presentable. Then for any prints they order or album images I will do more extensive retouching and pp. That way I am getting compensated for my time spent.

Maybe someone else can give you a little more help...

Thanks! I'm kind of like you...I really don't do a lot of "extra" stuff in photoshop. But a good example of what i am talking about is a photo of my sister in law. She had broken out with a little acne on her wedding day. So there is a great image of her, but the acne shows up pretty bad. Now if I didn't take care of the acne she would hate the picture no matter how good it was. So not only would those kind of images ruin the initial "WOW" factor I like to receive when first presenting the images, but she probably wouldn't want the photo at all even if I told her I could "fix" it. No one likes to be told that they can be "fixed" ; )