I need help with this retouch!

Mrs. Prout Has a Camera

I have never encountered skin like this. She is very tan and blotchy and it looks like she coated her skin with a shimmery powder. I know the photo looks heavily sharpened- but I didn't do any sharpening at all.

My usual method is to run the surface blur tool, and clean up with healing brush etc. But, I can't get it to look natural enough. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Pupator

She used liquid tanning solution - yuck. (See how she missed, or else wiped off, the tip of her nose? Notice also around the edges of her lips.) If there are any giant blemishes, I might fix those, but you aren't going to be able to fix the biggest problems with that skin. I think she's going to learn the hard way that the camera doesn't lie.

Mrs. Prout Has a Camera

Pupator wrote: »

She used liquid tanning solution - tuck. (See how she missed, or else wiped off, the tip of her nose? Notice also around the edges of her lips.) If there are any giant blemishes, I might fix those, but you aren't going to be able to fix the biggest problems with that skin. I think she's going to learn the hard way that the camera doesn't lie.

I'm trying so hard! She is a sweet girl and is SO excited about her pictures, I just want her to be happy. I think you are right about the self tanner.

There has got to be a way to smooth her out some without looking plastic, but I just can't figure it out. I'll post my version of the fix as soon as I can.

I'm super open to any help!

Pupator

Any chance of a reshoot? Even just one or two pictures to give you something better to work with...

(I'm eager to see what you're able to do post - don't get me wrong - I just don't have high expectations.)

zoomer

Unfortunately I can''t see the photo but typically the cloning tool makes evening out skin tones pretty easy. Have you tried that.
Select a spot that is the color you want, think of it as painting using the rest of the face as a paint pallette.
Then when all done do an overall exposure increase and skin color adjusment.
Blurring is not the way to go.

Mrs. Prout Has a Camera

Pupator wrote: »

Any chance of a reshoot? Even just one or two pictures to give you something better to work with...

(I'm eager to see what you're able to do post - don't get me wrong - I just don't have high expectations.)

No chance of a reshoot. She graduates in mere weeks! Her photos are beautiful really- her skin is just no good. I don't think this was a one time tanning accident if you get my drift.

This was the best I could do. Give it to me straight- ok? Not so good? I've been working for hours on her skin so my mind has been turned to mush.

Sam

Is this the whole image or only a crop?

I think your retouch looks pretty good, but I would clone the flash highlight on her nose, and a little on her chin. Also a small area on the bottom of her chin needs some smoothing.

I think some of the the skin issues are from the flash reflecting from her make up.

Sam

Mrs. Prout Has a Camera

Sam wrote: »

Is this the whole image or only a crop?

I think your retouch looks pretty good, but I would clone the flash highlight on her nose, and a little on her chin. Also a small area on the bottom of her chin needs some smoothing.

I think some of the the skin issues are from the flash reflecting from her make up.

Sam

It's just a crop. Yeah I thought the chin needed work too after I posted it. I did mention during her shoot that the shimmer on her skin would show and gave her the option of wiping it off. But how do you say politely that "your makeup is yikes!".

Sam

Mrs. Prout Has a Camera wrote: »

It's just a crop. Yeah I thought the chin needed work too after I posted it. I did mention during her shoot that the shimmer on her skin would show and gave her the option of wiping it off. But how do you say politely that "your makeup is yikes!".

How isn't the question.............the question is why didn't you?

It can be tricky dealing with the client but getting the best image on capture is far better than trying fix it in post. Although I think she will be happy with the final image.

It's well worth any trouble you have in telling the client. Clients are normally looking to you for advice.

Sam

Pupator

It's better than I thought it would be! I agree with Sam's nits - and the chin area does look a little unnatural, but its a better kind of unnatural than what she did to herself.

Bryce Wilson

Two mins tops in photoshop using the High Pass filter and a couple healing brush spot touches.

lanaer

Your retouch turned out much better than your posts made me fear. Others pointed out the chin, I think it's the sharp division between smooth & rough skin in some areas of the chin that makes it look off.

You might step back the smoothing a tad so that transitions between areas can look more natural, but generally I think it'll look rather good.

jhefti

One simple technique I have used on skin like this is the clarity slider in ACR. Basically, if you turn down the clarity it smooths out uneven splotches on the skin, but leaves the larger features more or less intact. And like any global slider adjustment, use it sparingly.