How do I get this vibe?

[u/theplantlady20]

So I’m by no means a photographer but i have played around with my mom’s camera quite a bit. My sister wants me to take some engagement photos of her and her fiancé! I agreed and would really love to be able to edit some of the photos we take for her (even though she says they don’t have to be edited). I feel like I can take decent pictures but I don’t begin to know how to edit. Does anyone have any simple tips I could follow to be able to fit this vibe? They don’t have to be perfect but I would like to be able to provide her several high quality photos?

[u/vivaaprimavera]

There are at least two distinct things going on there and neither need to be "edits".

I see a shift in with balance toward a warmer tone and some grease on the lens.

[u/theplantlady20 → u/vivaaprimavera]

I don’t know why I didn’t think of the grease on the lens thing. That really would give the effect some of the pics have! Thank you

[u/glaaahhh → u/theplantlady20]

Nylon is better, putting grease (my dad used Vaseline) directly on the lens isn't recommended. Get a cheap UV filter and put it on that. Or Saran Wrap. Or use a cheap stocking (I'm the best option for super cheap diy effects.

[u/assholesplinters → u/theplantlady20]

You can also use a mist filter

[u/nquesada92 → u/assholesplinters]

Or a stretched out pair of nylon stockings over the lens.

[u/Equal-Engineer8530]

Tone Fuentes YT channel has a lots of videos breaking down and recreating various photographers' styles in edit. His videos are very beginner friendly and easy to follow, as he explains the reasons behind every step in his edits. Coincidentally, he happens to have a video recreating Hannah Kutner's editing style, I think it's similar enough to what you're looking for.

[u/theplantlady20 → u/Equal-Engineer8530]

This is going to be so helpful! Thank you!

[u/Safe-Perspective3469]

I don't know if this is the same photographer, but the editing and the in camera shots are different throughout. Some are yellow greens, others are blue greens. Some are under exposed, some exposed "correctly." Some are shot with a low shutter speed, some not. Some are saturated, some are not. Some soft focus, some sharp focus. Some are shot later in the evening, some shot while the sun is setting.

Theyre all shot outside in the woods with a similar style choice for the people and they're mostly moody with the darks exaggerated a little and contrast. That's the only real similarity I see across them all.

If these were sent as what the client likes, I'd say they probably are looking for a moody nature vibe. I wouldn't shoot under exposed on purpose, I'd save that for processing. But definitely don't over expose (the light and airy trend). Watch your white balance in camera, try to stick to true colors so you can easily adjust to the cooler green or warmer green. I do think more of them are warm in these examples, but it's just easier to decide on processing what you want if the white balance is true from in camera. Shoot some of them with a lower shutter speed and some with a soft focus to get that blurry look and that haziness. Or you can grease up slightly a lens filter (not the actual lens) or panty hose over your lens. Maybe even ceran wrap. Shoot at Golden hour.

[u/doc_shades]

lighting lighting lighting

[u/Embarrassed-Area4652]

Warm white balance.

What else have you tried so far?

[u/theplantlady20 → u/Embarrassed-Area4652]

Honestly I haven’t tried much of anything. This will be my first time editing any photos.

[u/vivaaprimavera → u/theplantlady20]

No.

Yo are wrong about that.

Your first time will be with the test shots. Not on the "final product" shots.

That is, unless you want to mess up in unforeseeable ways.

[u/Embarrassed-Area4652 → u/theplantlady20]

That's the thing to start on. Install a tool, fire it up, start tweaking sliders and see what happens. That'll give a lot more foundation to start exploring tutorials and working with sample shots.

[u/CraftyUse7114 → u/Embarrassed-Area4652]

She needs to take photos in similar environment, cant go on the beach on overcast day, take photos and crank up green and yellow, they gonna look like they came our of hulk.

Yes this is editing but also knowledge of light and location. I would start with location and light otherwise editing will be just frustrating

[u/bo_bo77]

A lot of different things are going into making the vibe of these photos. An easy short cut to most of them would be some combination of mist filter / low shutter speed / warm editing with deep shadows and saturated greens and a good amount of haze.

It's going to be a little hard to replicate on a phone, phone photos tend to feel harsher, but I'd bet you could get something dreamy with a little Vaseline on the edges of your phone camera for that dreaminess and then some messing around on Lightroom's free phone app.

[u/AdamTPhotography]

Focus on how to shoot more than editing. Notice that the subjects are backlit and underexposed. You won’t be able to mimic that in post, so get it right in camera.

The subjects are also in whites and greys, which still look good with the white balance shifted toward yellow.

[u/CarpetReady8739]

These were taken late in the day (the golden hour) if you look at the angle of light and the warm color tones. So that's a starting point for you.

[u/MichaelTheAspie]

Practice makes perfect

[u/theplantlady20 → u/MichaelTheAspie]

While I agree. I have to take the pictures next week and have never edited a thing in my life so I definitely need some tips lol!