Editing Portraits

SmoothFlow

I'm just starting with portraits, and want to know if it is recommended that you blur or soften the image if it shows too much detail in the face. Do you remove as many blemishes as you can? Do you leave "permanent" blemishes like freckles and moles? Does anyone have links to sites that elaborate on this?

Rhuarc

I was actually wondering the same thing last night, but (not to hijack the thread) specifically related to Lightroom. Are there any portrait photographers that edit only in Lightroom, and if so what plugins and/or techniques do you use? Any good books or websites?

If the OP would like me to post this in a different thread a Mod can feel free to move this.

Thank you!

Art Scott

I do almost 99% of ALL my editing in LR.......portraits,weddings, wildlife and landscapes..........for portraits and weddings......what I do really depends on the client........if they insist on being processed to be unnatural then i remove what they ask for otherwise I do not
I have not useed it yet but did just get a copy of Portrait Professional.....it looks good.......

After Lr processing the files do go to Photoshop to be sharpened in UNSHARP MASK and then saved.........if I am going to need really large prints then it is off to Genuine Fractals before UnSharp Mask..........then save as #12 jpg................................

Rhuarc

Art Scott wrote:

I do almost 99% of ALL my editing in LR.......portraits,weddings, wildlife and landscapes..........for portraits and weddings......what I do really depends on the client........if they insist on being processed to be unnatural then i remove what they ask for otherwise I do not
I have not useed it yet but did just get a copy of Portrait Professional.....it looks good.......

After Lr processing the files do go to Photoshop to be sharpened in UNSHARP MASK and then saved.........if I am going to need really large prints then it is off to Genuine Fractals before UnSharp Mask..........then save as #12 jpg................................

You aren't able to use the Sharpening tools in LR for this? What settings do you use on the Unsharp Mask for portrait work, and for landscapes?

Art Scott

Rhuarc wrote:

You aren't able to use the Sharpening tools in LR for this? What settings do you use on the Unsharp Mask for portrait work, and for landscapes?

I have not gotten the results with lightroom's sharpening that I do with unsharp mask.......
I know I should know my settings but I don't and I put everyting back to 0 before moving to next pic.......everything is done 1 at a time and no presets........

the only action or preset is my signature set at !.5" from right side and bottom of all prints........

kd2

SmoothFlow wrote:

I'm just starting with portraits, and want to know if it is recommended that you blur or soften the image if it shows too much detail in the face. Do you remove as many blemishes as you can? Do you leave "permanent" blemishes like freckles and moles? Does anyone have links to sites that elaborate on this?

I'm a woman and I do a lot of women's portraits. I can guarantee you that women want blemishes removed and their "experience lines" softened. They also don't want to see any bags or shadows under the eyes. (We women already know we're tired and have wrinkles and so we don't want to be permanently reminded of how we really look.) So I always give women a quick little Photoshop facelift. Believe me, they appreciate it!

(As a note, I also have a lot of men also request to have some of their lines softened so they don't look so harsh.)

I generally leave freckles and moles alone.

For women, I also do an overall softening of the image.

I use LR and some actions in Photoshop.

topcat374

SmoothFlow wrote:

I'm just starting with portraits, and want to know if it is recommended that you blur or soften the image if it shows too much detail in the face. Do you remove as many blemishes as you can? Do you leave "permanent" blemishes like freckles and moles? Does anyone have links to sites that elaborate on this?

I agree that it depends on the 'client'. I've only ever shot portraits for people I know well or as part of my day job in schools and have been asked on a couple of occasions if I can remove certain blemishes (including one child who asked me to photoshop her bruised eye which she'd got from a playground fall and was very self concious about!). However, I've always been wary of removing anything 'permanent' as I know of one person who was upset at having a mole edited out as they felt it suggested there was something 'wrong' with having it in the first place!

Just as an aside - have you seen this? Now this did shock the kids at school who constantly see celebrities in glossy magazines!

Craig

photorelive

retouching all the skin med smoothing , thats what i do

tate

Art Scott wrote: »

I do almost 99% of ALL my editing in LR.......portraits,weddings, wildlife and landscapes..........for portraits and weddings......what I do really depends on the client........if they insist on being processed to be unnatural then i remove what they ask for otherwise I do not
I have not useed it yet but did just get a copy of Portrait Professional.....it looks good.......

After Lr processing the files do go to Photoshop to be sharpened in UNSHARP MASK and then saved.........if I am going to need really large prints then it is off to Genuine Fractals before UnSharp Mask..........then save as #12 jpg................................

Have you tried out the portrait professional yet? I just did a trial on it and it was amazing...and fast! I am new and spend hours trying to correct in elements and having a hard time. Have you printed out from portrait professional at all? Wondering if it looks fake at all...

Art Scott

yes and it works great as you noted in your other post, it is fairly simple to use, as with all things
there will be more of a learning curve for some people than for others........things are picking up
and I am now outsourcing my post processing of my DNG's...............

The images looked good to me...not fake at all........................

tate

Thanks! I was afraid when you are editing the photos with PP that maybe some resolution might have been lost and when they go to print show...glad to hear someone who has used it and got good results. I have elements 6 and have spent hours trying to do what PP does in a few minutes! Any suggestions on any other software that is easy like PP for backgrounds ? Or maybe that I do on elements and then touch up the faces under PP?

Art Scott

My workflow might and probably does differ greatly from most........I start in LR then if needed to what ever other processing software I need.......I get everything done except I do no sharpening until I run my images thru Genuine Fractals to get the size I am going to finally keep......then it is back to Photoshop to be sharpened using unsharp mask.......then if it is to be printed I take a disk to my local PRO lab and get the needed prints.............I do not print from my software or computer.........

malch

My portrait steps
Not always in exactly this order...

1. Deal with any hot spots or flash shine.

2. Remove major blemishes, if appropriate. Zits go, moles typically stay.

3. Soften wrinkles/shadows (simple dodging).

4. Flyaway hair.

5. Skin color. Remove any casts etc. Also pull down any excessive reds on acne sufferers.

6. Skin smoothing. Too little is always better than too much!

7. Whiten teeth.

8. Eye work - whiten the whites, saturate the iris, add/remove/modify catch lights.

9. Selective sharpening. Always on the eyes, sometimes on teeth and jewelry, rarely on hair.

For these steps, Photoshop is the best. I have used plugins for some of this work but I generally prefer to do it manually since that provides much more control and allows me to develop my skills as well.

tate

malch wrote: »

Not always in exactly this order...

1. Deal with any hot spots or flash shine.

2. Remove major blemishes, if appropriate. Zits go, moles typically stay.

3. Soften wrinkles/shadows (simple dodging).

4. Flyaway hair.

5. Skin color. Remove any casts etc. Also pull down any excessive reds on acne sufferers.

6. Skin smoothing. Too little is always better than too much!

7. Whiten teeth.

8. Eye work - whiten the whites, saturate the iris, add/remove/modify catch lights.

9. Selective sharpening. Always on the eyes, sometimes on teeth and jewelry, rarely on hair.

For these steps, Photoshop is the best. I have used plugins for some of this work but I generally prefer to do it manually since that provides much more control and allows me to develop my skills as well.

Thanks for the info! I just uploaded a trial from lightroom 3 per someones suggestion...so trying that now...not having much luck, better with elements...........and that portrait professional is amazing...That is very easy to use....I just wish I could print out to see the finished product...since in trial mode they dont allow it....pretty much what you said to do in correcting the portrait is what they do for you in PP. Thanks again!