The whole concept of ‘Photoshopping’ has brought to light many debates behind its ethics. This idea has been around since the times of the great painters, who were not always able to capture every detail of their subject, and thus would make changes accordingly.
Personally, I think heavily photoshopping anyone just creates a lie, a false advertisement of a person, which isn’t actually ‘them’. It’s what the magazine wants people to see; although it is understandable (if wrong) that publications use this to such a degree. If the model looks bad, they will distract from the magazine. Magazines want their models to fit their idea of perfect, and the public want their idols to look perfect.
However, if they want their models to look perfect if, say, this is an advert for a skincare product; if their product is ‘so good’, then what is the need for Photoshop?
Although, this seems to be creating a shift towards a different mindset, from both the public and from models. There is a desire for a more relatable feel between fans and the people in front of the camera, with more models adding ‘no Photoshop’ clauses to their contracts to add to this trend.
But this doesn’t detract from the major problems Photoshop has cause, and will likely continue to cause in the future, in regards to eating conditions such as anorexia and bulimia, brought on by people expecting to reach the same unrealistic standards of beauty they see on the front covers of magazines.
Beauty Retouching
So of course, the next logical step is to learn how to use Photoshop in this way.
This is quite a heavy retouching process, and thus requires good organisation when it comes to layers. This can all be sorted by using folders, in this case:
- Retouch
- This contains usually a minimum of two layers: reduce, and remove.
- The remove layer is used to, as the title suggests, ‘remove’ aspects of the image. In this case, I used the spot healing tool (J) to remove any spots and stray hairs from my face and neck, as well as any messy hairs on the top.
- The reduce layer is used to do the same, but for features which may add character to the person in the portrait, or which would otherwise be distracting if left untouched (things such as moles and large freckles). The reduction comes from the reduced opacity.
- Shine
- This is used to reduce the shine on someone’s skin with the patch tool. This requires a pixel based layer (shift, option, command, c) onto which the adjustments can be made.
- Further, highlights can be isolated using the colour range tool by creating an inverted layer mask (command+I).
- Light
- Two adjustment layers are used here to dodge and burn the portrait to flatten the shadows and the highlights.
- For highlights, the curves are adjusted to darken the portrait, then with an inverted mask, the highlights can be brushed over a white brush.
- For shadows, the curves are adjusted to lighten the portrait, and then with an inverted mask, the highlights can be brushed over with a white brush.
- Skin
- This is the most complex adjustment I have learned so far. This affects the overall texture of the skin, but different methods are used depending on whether the person in the portrait is male or female.
- For both men and women, a new pixel based layer is created, and a high pass filter of around five pixels (depending on the portrait) added and inverted.
- For women, the blending mode is adjusted to linear light, and a gaussian blur added and adjusted until the skin is smoothed, but retains some texture.
- For men, the same process occurs, however, the blending mode is changed to soft light, instead of linear light. No other work is normally needed.
- Continuting, a new inverted layer mask is created, and the skin brushed over until the desired effect is reached.
- Colour
- This can become quite extreme, but works well if done properly.
- First, a black and white adjustment layer is created to slightly increase tonal contrast.
- Then, the colour balance tool is used on a pixel based layer to adjust certain parts, such as the lips, or any make up which is already in place, or can be added in.
- Sharpen
- The final step can take many forms, yet the one I used here, and will likely use again, is slight high pass filter with a soft light blending mode.
Although this is not what I normally shoot, it was very useful to learn this skill, and it is definitely something that I will take further in any personal work I shoot in the future which may require portraits.
Ryan Trower 