My Three Editing Styles | Raasch Photography
When you choose a photographer, you're really choosing two things: how your story is documented and told, and how those moments are preserved in the edit. Before I started shooting film in 2024, my editing style was all about pushing the limits of digital cameras. Crisp sharpness, strong contrast, saturated color while always chasing the newest gear.
Then I fell in love with film and the history of photography. I started collecting old photo books, experimenting with mist filters, and getting drawn into the slower, more intentional process of shooting film and all its imperfections. Somewhere in that journey, I realized my older look didn't feel like me anymore. I still wanted to shoot digital with the gear I'd invested in, but I wanted my work to reflect how I was growing as an artist and a person. I wanted your photos to look true to life so they instantly bring you back to that moment, while also elevating those moments with a touch of beauty and character only the camera can create. Authentic, beautiful, and timeless.
This past year of refining has shown me it's less about the presets and more about how I see and capture things. As a drummer and musician, it reminds me of genres of music. No matter what genre a well-known drummer is playing, it still sounds like them when they sit down behind the kit. Cameras, lenses, and tools will keep changing, but what makes a photographer unique is their eye, perspective, personality, and the experience they create for you.
So here's where I've landed for the rest of 2026 and beyond. Three editing styles, each one intentional, unique yet cohesive with each other, and built to age well. You can pick the one that speaks to you, or trust me to match the right look to your session, location, and story.
Here's what each one actually looks and feels like.
Signature
romantic, luminous, soft, and slightly dreamy. My default wedding look.
Signature is built on an editorial preset originally designed for luxury weddings. It's the look I used for almost all of my late 2024 and 2025 wedding work, and it's where I default for weddings, engagements, and artistic family sessions in 2026.
Skin tones stay flattering without going overly warm or saturated
Colors get gently softened so nothing screams in the frame
Highlights lean soft and airy with a whisper of coolness
Blues read cinematic in the shadows
Greens feel elegant
Skin pops, the world recedes. Romantic and editorial yet still grounded in reality.
Best suited for:
Weddings
Engagements
Artistic family sessions
Anywhere we want a touch of stylized beauty
Classic
clean, polished, true to life, and grounded in beauty.
Classic is built on a newer version of Signature but with a slightly different DNA. Where Signature leans cinematic, soft and stylized, Classic leans natural. Lifted blacks, brighter highlight with the warmest skin tones of any of my looks while still being accurate.
Clean highlights that feel bright without blowing out your skin or dress
Natural greens that look true to how the scene felt in person
Warm, soft skin tones with just enough polish to feel elevated
A subtle, faded-film quality that feels current without trying too hard
Best suited for:
Family portraits
Lifestyle sessions (in-home, beach walks, downtown hangs)
Maternity
Branding work
Casual events where we still want character and a cohesive feel
Weddings, when you want something less stylized
If you want your photos to feel timeless and elevated without being heavily stylized, this is the one.
True
refined, color-accurate, and editorial. Real life, elevated.
True is my newest preset and built off European luxury photography. I built it because I wanted something true to life, crisp, and clean yet not over-powering and heavy. Something that handled skin tones perfectly with a refined, polished feel that elevates the moment without changing it. It's the most color-accurate look I have with the least amount of tweaking to the original image straight out of camera. Think polished and elevated. The closest to documentary while still being polished and intentional.
True-to-life color rendered with a slight editorial polish
The most accurate skin tones and colors
Subtle green and shadow adjustments that keep environments honest while making the subject pop
Clean, refined, and quietly elevated
Best suited for:
Events or studio work
Corporate sessions and headshots
Weddings, when you want the most color accuracy with a polished editorial feel
Any session where the priority is real life, rendered beautifully
To Conclude
If Signature is soft/cinematic and Classic is natural/organic, True is life polished/elevated.
Three looks might sound like a lot or might come off as a lack of direction or style, but here's how I see it: they're not three different brands…they're three rooms in the same house. All three live inside one editorial palette and inside of me. Every preset prioritizes refined and accurate skin tones, intentional color, mild contrast, and light enhancing to provide edits that age well. The DNA between them is consistent. What changes is the mood and how much stylization each moment naturally holds.
Sometimes a luxury wedding asks for something different than a fun family lifestyle session on the beach, which asks for something different than a corporate headshot or an event. But it’s all versions of me and my influences with the same eye, same care, just different treatment. Having three options isn’t indecisive; it means I can further tell your story in the edit, not force every story through the same one preset.
Honestly, this is where my passion for photography truly lies. Being present on your special day, equipped with all the necessary gear, a clear vision, and fully prepared to serve is an integral part of the job. However, the other crucial aspect is the editing process. Sitting with your photos at the end of the night, carefully selecting how to best honor the moments we captured, ensuring that each image resonates with your personal connection to it, is where every photo truly comes alive. It’s not just slapping a preset on it; it’s about preserving the memories we’ve created together.
If you're drawn to one look in particular, mention it in your inquiry or questionnaire. Otherwise, trust me to match the style to your session, location, and what you want your photos to feel like 10, 20, 30 years from now.
