There is absolutely nothing wrong with full lip-on-lip photos and we had numerous shots of this during this photo session. But just telling the couple to kiss and snap photos of said kissing can sometimes lead to shots that are awkward or appear forced. Almost kisses, on the other hand, appears more natural; it tells a story, it leads to a moment (the kissing), and to me, it looks more romantic.
I am a firm believer of post-editing; I use Adobe Lightroom for all my post-process work. I have met many photographers, amateurs and veterans alike, who have lectured me on the unnatural-ness of post-editing, as if it is a lesser art than untouched, "pure" photos. There is certainly value in having elements of photography (composition, exposure, sharpness, etc.) done right while shooting. That said, there will be times when errors are made and post-editing, however extensive, is required. In this particular photo, there were a couple of smaller rocks on the far left side of the image. I used Lightroom's spot removal tool to cover these rocks by sampling a different area of the image and overlaying it where the smalls rocks were located. Like breaking the Rules of Third, the removal of these small rocks from the scenes contributes to the symmetrical composition and intended mood of the image.
