For KTBoom2006-E510 - aka Katie before and after PP'ed

Seneca

[/SIZE]MY POST PROCESS IMAGE TOOK 8 MINUTES



YOUR IMAGE




Katie...remember your in the business to make people look good. So taking their photograph is just the first process...the second process is the post-process. Teenagers especially want to look like models...this is your job to ask them if they want touch ups...they will probably not know what that means. During your presentation you show them what came out of the camera and then you show them the post image after PP. More often than not they are going to pick the one that you touched up. This is where you charge for the process. For example if I were selling an 8x10 pp'ed image...I would sell it as a unit and I would charge $35.00; but I would tell them that they get 4 wallets with it. Wallets don't cost much - you know that you have a Smugmug account. Additional wallets of same would be sold as a unit (8 wallets per unit).

Listen they can go to a Store Front Photography business and pay much more for touch ups...so remember your time is money. Learn your craft and learn it good. Also if your are going to take a head shot...you need to master accentuating those eyes...they cannot be blurry - remember that - that is a must!:deal

What did I do?

Corrected her eyes...but I noticed the eye on the right is not quite right...just now noticed that so I would go back and use the burn tool to fix that.

Whiten her teeth

Took a little bit of hair off her eyebrows

soften her face with gaussian blur

used the patch tool to fixed her dark circles - not much...just a tad.

used a filter to darken the background and lighten her face a bit.

That's it 8 minutes

KTBoom2006-E510

That looks great, did you use the dodge and burn for the eyes?

Seneca

No I lasso'ed the eyes individually, then used Ctrl C - Ctrl V and put them on a separate layer. Then I went to filter - HIGH PASS used the slider to either pop them or lower them. Then I went to the layers blending palette and used the Hard Light on them. That's it. The hard part here is just lasso'ing those eyes.

KTBoom2006-E510

Seneca wrote:

No I lasso'ed the eyes individually, then used Ctrl C - Ctrl V and put them on a separate layer. Then I went to filter - HIGH PASS used the slider to either pop them or lower them. Then I went to the layers blending palette and used the Hard Light on them. That's it. The hard part here is just lasso'ing those eyes.

May I ask why do you use Lasso instead of Magic wand?

Seneca

KTBoom2006-E510 wrote:

May I ask why do you use Lasso instead of Magic wand?

Why would you...? Can you do this with the magic wand?

KTBoom2006-E510

Seneca wrote:

Why would you...? Can you do this with the magic wand?

Sorry I meant quick selection

Seneca

Remember it's all about time management...if that works for you (which I have never ever used that tool for this technique) then go for it.

I learned this technique using the lasso...so I'm comfortable using this instead.

KTBoom2006-E510

Seneca wrote:

Remember it's all about time management...if that works for you (which I have never ever used that tool for this technique) then go for it.

I learned this technique using the lasso...so I'm comfortable using this instead.

I didn't mean it in a bad way, I just didn't know if there was a reason for why you used it. That's all

KTBoom2006-E510

Here's my version... I hope I did good

Seneca

KTBoom2006-E510 wrote:

I didn't mean it in a bad way, I just didn't know if there was a reason for why you used it. That's all

I know sweetie...sorry if I sounded critical. I'm sure there are more ways to do things in CS3.

Seneca

Too cool...you're getting there. If you ever need help - just let me know. I'll be happy to give you my phone number (PM) and go step by step with you.

KTBoom2006-E510

Seneca wrote:

Too cool...you're getting there. If you ever need help - just let me know. I'll be happy to give you my phone number (PM) and go step by step with you.

Thanks a lot for your help! You have helped me in so many ways already.

Seneca

KTBoom2006-E510 wrote:

Thanks a lot for your help! You have helped me in so many ways already.

You're welcome...now that makes me happy!!

jeffreaux2

Hey girls......


sorry to interrupt, but an easier method than lassoing at all is to just duplicate the original layer, set layer blend to hard light and apply the amount of high pass sharpening you want on the eyes. Now, apply the quick mask to that second layer and use the bucket to pour black over the entire image. This will hide the second....sharpened layer. Next use a softish brush and white paint to paint your sharpened eyes back in. It is easier than it sounds. You can lastly add glaussian blur to that mask to hide and hard edges where your two layers merge. I use this method, but also apply curves adjustments to that second layer. Now......you can adjust opacity of the new layer to make it look natural.

KTBoom2006-E510

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Hey girls......


sorry to interrupt, but an easier method than lassoing at all is to just duplicate the original layer, set layer blend to hard light and apply the amount of high pass sharpening you want on the eyes. Now, apply the quick mask to that second layer and use the bucket to pour black over the entire image. This will hide the second....sharpened layer. Next use a softish brush and white paint to paint your sharpened eyes back in. It is easier than it sounds. You can lastly add glaussian blur to that mask to hide and hard edges where your two layers merge. I use this method, but also apply curves adjustments to that second layer. Now......you can adjust opacity of the new layer to make it look natural.

Thanks, i will try it tomorrow!

Seneca

jeffreaux2 wrote:

Hey girls......


sorry to interrupt, but an easier method than lassoing at all is to just duplicate the original layer, set layer blend to hard light and apply the amount of high pass sharpening you want on the eyes. Now, apply the quick mask to that second layer and use the bucket to pour black over the entire image. This will hide the second....sharpened layer. Next use a softish brush and white paint to paint your sharpened eyes back in. It is easier than it sounds. You can lastly add glaussian blur to that mask to hide and hard edges where your two layers merge. I use this method, but also apply curves adjustments to that second layer. Now......you can adjust opacity of the new layer to make it look natural.

That's easier? Ok...I'll try it too. Thanks Jeffy.

joshhuntnm

love that pp on the eyes. thanks for sharing. I just practics with similar results. THANKS for sharing!

DoctorIt

Hi KT, there's quite a bit of help in the way of skin retouching on this forum. I will just warn about using that guassian blur too much. It's easy, but many of the pros warn against it - your first try was a good example of overkill, you've made your subject look essentially out of focus.

Might I suggest you check out our DGrin tutorials that have been written with the help of working pros (the guys doing the airbrushing in magazines )

skin retouching tutorial pt1
skin retouching tutorial pt2

Seneca

DoctorIt wrote:

Hi KT, there's quite a bit of help in the way of skin retouching on this forum. I will just warn about using that guassian blur too much. It's easy, but many of the pros warn against it - your first try was a good example of overkill, you've made your subject look essentially out of focus.

Might I suggest you check out our DGrin tutorials that have been written with the help of working pros (the guys doing the airbrushing in magazines )

skin retouching tutorial pt1
skin retouching tutorial pt2

Eric. with all due respect...I learned my techique from a Master Photographer, not just a pro...but a Master.

Seneca

P.S. Perhaps your monitor needs a bit of calibration...I know mine does - I might have overdone it because I did it on a laptop...my 24 inch monitor is being calibrated right now.

All the best.

DoctorIt

Seneca wrote:

Eric. with all due respect...I learned my techique from a Master Photographer, not just a pro...but a Master.

Seneca

P.S. Perhaps your monitor needs a bit of calibration...I know mine does - I might have overdone it because I did it on a laptop...my 24 inch monitor is being calibrated right now.

All the best.

with all due respect back at you, I'm simply reiterating what I have read on the forums so please don't go taking it as an attack at you or your master. Also, are you saying the highly skilled and detailed tutorials I linked to don't stack up? Because I'll once again say, they were done by a working retouching pro.

Mind you, big difference between professional retouching and photography. I know plenty of excellent "pro" and "master" photographers who think that layers are only something in a lasagna... (insert knee slapper here).

As for monitor calibration, it has almost no effect on blurriness, more color casts (if your monitor is really blurry, no amount of calibration will save it and you most likely need a new one - common with old tubes, not so common with LCDs). And in fact, I was referring to KT's attempt to mimic your work - not yours, which by the way, was nice - she overcooked it and her subject looks blurry.

I'm trying to share info, but if outside input is not welcome, i'll butt out.
(although I do like to get more traffic to our DGrin tutes )

thanks,

jeffreaux2

My advice is...

Reguardless of what can or cannot be accomplished with photoshop, you really should try to get your image sharper in camera. Her left eye is/was completely out of focus.