editing portraits

[esther_a]

I found this terrific online tool for touching up portrait photos: Makeup.Pho.to - Automatic online photo retouching | Free online face retouch

I have read that the main things to do to edit a portrait includes removing blemishes and red eyes, whitening teeth and eyes and sharpening. This website does all that for free and you can download the final photo at reasonable resolution. You can also add some eyeshadow which it does amazingly accurately and tastefully. And there are other options, too...

It is mindblowing what tools we have at our fingertips!

Any other tips for portrait editing?

I wonder how much editing you think is appropriate? Would you remove someone's freckles? Would you add blush and lipstick?

[brenda_in_tx]

If I'm shooting portraits, I always edit but have learned to keep it realistic. I have added a touch of blush and lipstick - especially if we'd been shooting a while and the original colors had started to fade. I would not remove freckles unless the person specifically asked me to - I have removed blemishes, lightened dark circles under eyes and applied a SLIGHT smoothing to skin, but not to where it looks like plastic. Scott Kelby has great tutorials on portrait editing and has a fantastic method for making eyes twinkle. Just doing some minor touch ups can take a "oh that's a nice picture" to a "wow - that is a great picture". I had a friend who removed all of a lady's wrinkles and she looked at the picture, handed it back and said "where are my wrinkles? Put them back in - I earned them." Different strokes!

[esther_a]

Thanks for those suggestions. That's rather what I was thinking. Does anyone have a link to Scott Kelby's tutorials? He's so prolific that when I searched I found so much stuff! (but learned a heap more things!)

[carollee]

I have been known to remove a piercing or two from the kids! ROFL. But just for fun, have always kept them in photos as much as we don't like them as that's part of them.

Although I have removed pimples from the kids photos. I'm all for realism but I want them to look back at their photos and not cringe.

[KimR+]

I'd leave the freakels!! They add character and add to the photo!! Leaving them show their natural state and overly photoshopped!

But that's just me!

[snard]

The CoffeeShop Blog
Has a free action named "Perfect Portrait" for both Photoshop and Elements.
Does a nice job of eye & teeth whitening, skin smoothing etc.

[anke]

I never add make-up. I will remove blemishes, but not freckles. I lighten darkness under the eye and I will soften some wrinkles on ladies. Sometimes I will ask the person or the mother as to how much they would like to have done. I usually whiten teeth slightly (depending) and I like to sharpen the eyes, especially on kids. My kids have gotten to the point where they tell me what they want me to do. "you will take care of that pimple, right?"

[KimR+]

Anke that is too greate that your kids are the ones suggesting what to edit! Love it!

[oldbag165]

Originally Posted by esther_a

Thanks for those suggestions. That's rather what I was thinking. Does anyone have a link to Scott Kelby's tutorials? He's so prolific that when I searched I found so much stuff! (but learned a heap more things!)

I have actually bought his books for whichever version of CS I have at the time and it has always been worth the money. Usually get them from Amazon.com

[zannella1108]

I use portrait professional - i think it was about $40 - so quick and easy I hardly ever have to do more touch ups!

I love Scott kelby's tutorials go to Learn Adobe Photoshop, Lightroom and Digital Photography | NAPP and they have tons of tutorials on everything!