April 24, 2008
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Retouching can be over done at times
I’ve been noticing so many of the actions and other retouching software I use can over retouch an image. Highlights for instance can be blown out, like the one above and at times the image can start to look cartoonish. What I try to do is find a middle ground so my subject still looks like themselves and not over done. On the image above (right) I used Kevin Kubuto’s “Lord of the Rings version 2″, and its a little too hot for me for one action. I used photoshop tools to remove the lines from under her eyes and the clone tool to smooth out the neck lines and the top of her hair line, I also filled in the small space between the teeth. Her eyes and teeth were whitened with another new piece of software from Image Trends. When I realized that the Kubuto tools actions can be altered then I could get the much better and sharper finished image I was looking for.
So as you can see, there are many tools and many different and expensive software applications needed to create just one finished image. Taking the picture is the easy part, the computer time is where the image starts to come alive.
Comments (4)
I have definitely seen some over-done photoshoppery in my day, from beginners who get excited about a new techinque they just learned, and they end up making everybody look like they’ve had plastic surgery, it’s not pretty…
I’m really more of a natural person. I like a little bit of a “glow” ala Lord of The Rings, with the intensity dialed way down (cause yeah, I love customizing actions!) …and then I’ll faintly remove blemishes, age etc.
My goal is for my clients to not REALIZE what I’ve done; I want them to think “wow, I looked so great on my wedding day!” I think that’s a much better feeling to have than to think “yeah, our photographer photoshopped us to look like supermodels…”
I must check out this teeth / eye whitening stuff! For now I’ve been doing it totally ghetto-ish with actions and the lassoo tool! Haha…
Thank you for sharing your wisdom as a highly experienced professional, Randy!
=Matt=
Good post Randy…you never really know anymore what ppl really look like…I agree with Matt about doing it judiciously…
+1 to Matt!
I agree that actions and PhotoShop can be overdone. Usually “because we can” and we get carried away with what we can do!
Your view is totally correct. We should be enhancing the look of the subject not altering it so everyone knows what was done.
Good Photoshop isn’t noticable.
I totally agree with you on some of the tools can be overly photoshop someone!! Thanks for sharing your post and stopping by my xanga. I too enjoy reading your xanga and looking at your photos. Wishing your business goes well and I’m so glad to know that there are a lot of christian photographers out there