Why I don’t retouch your photos — and why that’s a good thing

16 Jul 2025
Categories: business, family

When you book a personal branding or family photography session with me, you might expect a beautiful gallery, a relaxed experience, and natural, unretouched photos that reflect your life or work honestly.

Luckily, you’ll get all of those things from me.

However, there’s one thing I don’t do – and that’s heavy retouching.

You’ve probably heard of retouching photos – smoothing skin, removing lines, slimming people down, brightening eyes, reshaping faces. It’s the kind of editing that’s so common in magazines and advertising that we barely notice it anymore. I don’t do any of that.

And here’s why.

I don’t believe you need to be “fixed”

Whether you book a family session or a personal branding shoot, my job isn’t to change you. My job is to see you – to hold space for who you already are, and to reflect that back through honest, beautiful photographs.

So no, I don’t offer retouched portraits in the traditional sense. I don’t smooth away your laugh lines or make your body smaller. I don’t edit you into a version of yourself that only exists on a screen.

Because the people who love you – your clients, your kids, your future self – don’t want that version anyway. They want you.

What I do edit

While I don’t believe in heavy retouching, I do believe in thoughtful, natural photo editing to help the real you shine through. So, yes, I do edit my photos – always. But my editing is subtle and grounded in storytelling.

For branding and portrait sessions, I might:

  • Remove a temporary blemish or mark that wasn’t there two weeks ago
  • Clone out a distracting background element
  • Adjust light, colour and tone to create a consistent, polished feel

But I don’t reshape your face, blur your skin or make you look like someone else.

For family sessions, the editing is even more minimal. I shoot in a documentary style, which means I don’t move your stuff, pose you, or tidy up your home (digitally or otherwise). I’m there to tell the truth of what your life actually looks like – toys on the floor, cereal on the table, laughter, meltdowns and all.

That’s the beauty. That’s the point.

What you bring is enough

I know getting in front of a camera can bring up a lot: nerves, old stories, the inner critic whispering that you’re not photogenic or polished enough. But here’s the truth – you don’t need to dress up as someone else to be worthy of being seen.

Whether you’re a business owner needing personal branding photos or a parent documenting the everyday magic of family life, my approach is the same:

  • Show up as you are
  • Wear what makes you feel like you
  • Trust that the ordinary is already extraordinary
  • Know that you’re not being judged — you’re being witnessed

This is photography without retouching. On purpose.

I’m not here to sell you perfection. I’m here to witness your life, your face, your work, your family – as they really are.

That means:

  • You don’t have to dress up as someone else
  • You don’t have to pretend to be polished
  • You don’t have to look like the version of you that only exists in your head

You just have to show up. And I’ll take care of the rest.

Because if you always hide behind a filter, you might never realise how much is already beautiful about you.

Heavy editing says: “You’re not enough.”

My work says: “You already are.”

“But what if I don’t like how I look?”

That’s a hard one – and something that comes up more often than you’d think.

Sometimes, people don’t like their photos. Not because the photo is bad, or because they’re doing anything wrong – but because they’re used to judging themselves harshly. They’ve been told (directly or indirectly) that they’re not photogenic. That they should pose a certain way. That only the “perfect” version of themselves deserves to be seen.

But you can’t hate yourself into a version of yourself you love. And no amount of retouching will make you feel at home in an image if you don’t believe you belong in the frame.

The way we start to shift that is by being seen – without filters, without harsh edits, and without needing to hide.

If you’re ready to be photographed without filters, without pressure, and without needing to change who you are, I’d love to work with you.

Why I don’t retouch your photos — and why that's a good thing

Interested to learn more about how I work? Sign up for my weekly emails for inspiration, real stories about photography and a peek behind the scenes.

Anja Poehlmann

Brighton’s photographer and filmmaker for families and small businesses. Cultivating confidence though beautifully authentic images of the real you!