Retouching faces

J

Jemma B

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Jemma
Edit My Images
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I've just been playing around with some portrait software that basically smoothes out the skin and takes out the odd wrinkle and spot etc.
There seems no doubt, to a stranger, the altered portrait looks better, but I've discovered that the model whose face has just had "the treatment" doesn't always feel the same. Suddenly I'm choosing to remove what I may think are blemishes, but the model thinks is character in her face.
Should we choose what is to be seen and not?
 
For me it depends if you paid her to pose for you then the images are for you to do what you think,

if on the other hand the for the model in question port folio or something,and she/he paid you, then his her input is valid you can only advice them
 
All in moderation methinks :)

Remove a spot? Yes.

Remove a scar or a mole? No.
 
I think Dave's hit the nail on the head, it depends on who's paying for the photo's.

When I shoot for people, I'll ask them what they want retouched / left alone, although most of the time they tell me what they want anyway when we review the untouched shots.

If I'm shooting on my ticket, I do whatever I think is necessary.
 
Betty said:
All in moderation methinks :)

Remove a spot? Yes.

Remove a scar or a mole? No.
Click to expand...

I remove it all in the Beauty shots, for obvious reasons... Perfection!

It all depends on what you're shooting though and whether the model wants whatever it is to be removed, and also how you want to have the shot in your portfolio (if you're going to use it that is..)
 
If they are paying and they opt for retouching. Give them a rough print for them to mark where they would like alterations...then talk it over with them.
In to the 50's we were taught at college, to pencil retouch on negatives. this was the accepted standard for serious portraits then. It went out of fashion with the demise of the use of large format for portraits.
Today such heavy retouching is coming back into vogue in some circles, because of the availability of easy to use software.
It is definitely an ask before you do though. Some hate it.
 
I agree that it depends on the purpose of the photo, if it's for a client, it's upto the client - after all that's what you're paid for.

For example, my niece has a fair sized scar on her face that she got when she was 5. She's 10 now and despises it with a passion! She doesn't want her scar on photographs at all and gets upset about it. I have a mole on my cheek, it's somewhat a family thing and if I paid for a photo and the mole had been removed, I wouldn't be overly happy about it.
 
Thanks for the input folks. I should have been clearer.
I was meaning when someone pays you to take their portrait. I can imagining even sitting down with them and looking at an un-retouched print and suggesting that I could remove this or that, may cause offence.
I'll tell you a funny (ish) story about how I re-touched a nude pic I'd done of my boyfriend. And you can guess what I made bigger. Ended up in a massive row!!
 
When it comes to approaching retouching, I have a few example images I use, basically 2 versions of the same shot, one retouched, one just cleaned up but skin left alone. I also have a 50/50 headshot (there's one in Betty's real beauty thread I did as an example).

I'll show these to the client and explain that a lot of people request retouching, and ask what, if anything, they want done then let them approach it from there. If they ask for work to be done, you can always ask what they want left alone, how extreme they want the work done etc.
 
JasonRS said:
When it comes to approaching retouching, I have a few example images I use, basically 2 versions of the same shot, one retouched, one just cleaned up but skin left alone. I also have a 50/50 headshot (there's one in Betty's real beauty thread I did as an example).

I'll show these to the client and explain that a lot of people request retouching, and ask what, if anything, they want done then let them approach it from there. If they ask for work to be done, you can always ask what they want left alone, how extreme they want the work done etc.
Click to expand...

that's a great idea.

tbh I think i'd be upset if i'd taken a photograph for someone and touched up something and they didn't like it, but if it was for me that i'd touched it up, it doesn't matter

college coursework again... a before and after touching up...

5.jpg


brianandJulie.jpg


They HATE the edited one, but it serves it's purpose well in my coursework
 
Always a touchy subject (pun intended) but basicly if its for me I will do what ever I want, if for a client I never remove birth marks or scars unless specificly asked. As to anything else I discuss it with them tactfully and also point out that any spots/acne they feel stops them from having there portrait done or that appear on the sitting day can be removed and that is is not really cheating.
 
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