With SmugMug’s cropping tool and proof delay, Steve’s customers get exactly what they want.

The sad, but undeniable truth that we pros in the online world have to deal with is that our customers will be viewing our photos on uncalibrated, very bright monitors. So, it’s highly likely that the buyer thought the above photo would print up just fine. Of course, when they received the print of their child swimming, they were most upset. Not good. No worries, though: The SmugMug Guarantee to the rescue! I caught the email, and in about 3 minutes was able to accomplish this correction, and order up a new large print at no charge for our pro or his customer:

The steps I took are pretty simple, and any Pro who wants to deliver quality work should know them: In Photoshop: a 15% shadow highlight adjustment, for the shadows only. Next, 2/3s stop positive exposure adjustment: (Image>Adjustments>Exposure. Then, I saw the image needed some “Pop.” So, I grabbed the black and white points in a siimple curves adjustment to give it some much needed contrast. Last, a minor skin tone correction.There are tons of resources available to you, our Pros, to help you deliver your best work. If you’ve got technique questions for shooting, or Photoshop questions for post-processing and workflow, come and find a ton of assistance on our forum, Digital Grin.