Editing portraits.

Raptor Mike

Raptor Mike

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Mike
Edit My Images
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I just wonder how much you do on your portrait edits. So if you had a load of them to do how much time would you spend on each one? I understand that if you where just doing one you could do all the retouching like skin softening and eye popping but if you've got a load to do surely that's not realistic.

Also can anyone recommend a good YouTube vid for portrait editing from start to finish.

Basically Id like to learn more about editing portraits please.

Thanks, Mike :)
 
Portrait Pro is worth a look, it can do a great job very quickly. I'm very impressed with it.
 
Given that 90% of 'edited portraits' I see are massively over processed, my advice would be to be careful watching any online tutorials. They forget to keep stressing that what you are looking to deliver is a picture of a human being.

'If you've got a load to do' then your surely not expecting to deliver 'cover photos'. The question might be 'how many portraits should I deliver?'
 
Phil V said:
Given that 90% of 'edited portraits' I see are massively over processed, my advice would be to be careful watching any online tutorials. They forget to keep stressing that what you are looking to deliver is a picture of a human being.

'If you've got a load to do' then your surely not expecting to deliver 'cover photos'. The question might be 'how many portraits should I deliver?'
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Thanks for that Phil (y) So don't get carried away unless you're just doing one special photo?
 
Don't get carried away even if you're doing one special photo. ;)
 
I'll elaborate, put the effort into preparation and execution, if you're spending more than 10 mins editing a photo, you shot it wrong.

The only caveats to the above are composites and top end beauty work. All of course IMHO.
 
I've often been annoyed when editing photos that I never got mum to drag a wet wipe across a youngsters face. Would have saved a lot of bother
I sometimes get too focused on the pose or lighting or what's in the background thatI forget to look at the little details
 
BruceMo said:
I've often been annoyed when editing photos that I never got mum to drag a wet wipe across a youngsters face. Would have saved a lot of bother
I sometimes get too focused on the pose or lighting or what's in the background thatI forget to look at the little details
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I keep forgetting to do this when I takes shots of my son. With the time it then takes to clone them out you would think I would remember to do it the next time i get the camera out.....but I rarely remember!
 
Thanks folks. I've often wonder because you can do so much retouching. If you have loads of photos it would take an age to do them all. I have some that I need to do I but didn't want to spend ages doing them so wondered how far you go.

As for making sure kids are clean etc, a few years back two of my aunts had a joint 50th wedding anniversary party. My mum made a nice cake, she decorates them for a hobby, which was on a table with a wedding photo of each couple either side of the cake. I took photos of each couple next to the table. But when I took the second couple I said I'd just swap the pictures around and they said it was their picture. So basicly the picture in the photo of the first couple was of the second couple. Rather than asking them up to re-shot it I decided I'd just photoshop their picture in from a different photo of the table. Big mistake as their picture was smaller so I had to remake the curtain behind it.
 
Raptor Mike said:
Thanks folks. I've often wonder because you can do so much retouching. If you have loads of photos it would take an age to do them all. I have some that I need to do I but didn't want to spend ages doing them so wondered how far you go.

As for making sure kids are clean etc, a few years back two of my aunts had a joint 50th wedding anniversary party. My mum made a nice cake, she decorates them for a hobby, which was on a table with a wedding photo of each couple either side of the cake. I took photos of each couple next to the table. But when I took the second couple I said I'd just swap the pictures around and they said it was their picture. So basicly the picture in the photo of the first couple was of the second couple. Rather than asking them up to re-shot it I decided I'd just photoshop their picture in from a different photo of the table. Big mistake as their picture was smaller so I had to remake the curtain behind it.
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Lesson one!
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-dESZbVJ_9TY/UZqGTaLCQPI/AAAAAAAAALQ/yk8amk5aLQQ/s1600/FIX+IT+IN+POST+-+f***+OFF!!.jpg
 
I clean up spots and stray hairs. That's generally it. I like people to look like people.
 
Phil V said:
Lesson one!
FIX+IT+IN+POST+-+f***+OFF!!.jpg
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Lol
But to be fair they are elderly and I didn't want to drag them up for a photo again. But after the hours spent making the adjustment I would've draged them up using a rope if I had to. I'll post the before and after edits up when I'm next on the PC.
 
Raptor Mike said:
Lol
But to be fair they are elderly and I didn't want to drag them up for a photo again. But after the hours spent making the adjustment I would've draged them up using a rope if I had to. I'll post the before and after edits up when I'm next on the PC.
Click to expand...
We've all done it.
 
With elderly people you have to fill all those lines with lots of soft light to flatter them. That is unless you're taking a gritty portrait.
 
a digita 'snap' portrait isnt a painting, but one can do the painting later
imho there will always be something to do to make it look more presentable adding and subtracting
the objective is to show the sitter in the best 'light' and capture a piece of their personality
the only shots that cant be improved are those plasticky set ups with lights and makeup..men included
 
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