Photography today is digital. With the advanced equipment used resembling hand held computer scanners. Much of the photograph is created by the equipment. It is handling much of the exposure formula, it is pulling the focus and it is doing a great deal of the darkroom work. So since our cameras have freed us from much of the technical responsibility the photographer has much more time to concentrate on what's in the shot. In the example above, the subject is the same young man. The exposures are both what each photographer intended. They are both in focus and on a technical note they are both professional shots. The "after" shot has a commercial finished look to it. The "before" shot suffers from, bad model direction, unflattering lighting, lack of appropriate atmosphere and bad make up and styling. The "before" photographer's lack of experience is evident, those that purchase the services of professional photographers will "see" the lack of ability that this photographer has chosen to reveal. Learn what your supposed to be seeing when you look through your lens. Check out the other before and after examples. Then commit to making your work the best it can be.