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Do You Have Any Limits on Retouching? How Far Are You Willing to Go?
- Thread starter TomHeaven
- Start date
Paul Grupp
Veteran Member
For news -- no retouching, period.
For actor's headshots -- only fix strands of hair, temporary zits, etc.
For model portfolios -- same as above
For wedding, engagement, and bpix photos -- anything goes
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-- In search of Wabi-Sabi
For actor's headshots -- only fix strands of hair, temporary zits, etc.
For model portfolios -- same as above
For wedding, engagement, and bpix photos -- anything goes
--
-- In search of Wabi-Sabi
Violadeity
Senior Member
nt
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'Thank you for flying church of england. Cake or death?' - Eddie Izzard
FLICKR!!! GO!!!!
http://flickr.com/photos/ontheduck
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'Thank you for flying church of england. Cake or death?' - Eddie Izzard
FLICKR!!! GO!!!!
http://flickr.com/photos/ontheduck
Yeah, pretty much the same for us. In portraiture, I try to make them look as good as possible, for headshots, I don't want to mislead anyone who's looking into hiring the model or actor into thinking that their skin is smoother than it really, or more evenly toned or what ever.
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Skip M
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com
http://www.pbase.com/skipm
http://skipm.smugmug.com/
'Living in the heart of a dream, in the Promised Land!'
John Stewart
WNPmedia
Well-known member
The whole point of re-touching is to fix your stuff ups. Once it gets to changing the appearance of people, you might as well get out a paint brush or pen and start with a fresh canvas. Otherwise it's not photography.
Having said that... This happy full of life photographer told one of his clients who asked if he'd taken any shots with her overhang showing (I didn't) that I'd happily remove it for $25 a kilo!
That's not all... When she came for her photos, she actually asked how much extra she had to pay for the cosmetic re-touch! I still can't contain my laughter.
Her brother had aparantly taken some photo as she walked away from him and when she saw them she must have thought I'd taken such shots too. The rear is never the best view. LOL.
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When I was younger everyone wanted someone with more experience, Now I have it they all want someone younger!
No, that's not the whole point of re-touching. I'm guessing that by "stuff up," you mean mistakes. My mistakes generally run to exposure or white balance, not retouchable stuff. For portraits, it all about making the subject look as good as possible. George Hurrel retouched directly on the negatives, do you think that Clark Gable, Jean Harlow and Joan Crawford actually looked that good? It's still photography, my friend, just not realism.
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Skip M
http://www.shadowcatcherimagery.com
http://www.pbase.com/skipm
http://skipm.smugmug.com/
'Living in the heart of a dream, in the Promised Land!'
John Stewart
calson
Forum Pro
I look at retouching when there is a bride with a zit or dark lines under her eyes as I know this is atypical and the result of a stressful and tiring couple weeks leading up the day of the wedding.
With moms I will soften lines but not remove them as otherwise they do not look natural. Often the lighting is not flattering as with full sun and this will emphasize lines and wrinkles and my softening takes them down to the level at which most people see them in their mind's eye.
I will on very rare occasions do a little bit of tummy reduction but this is only when a pose has accentuated a large bride or groom and I don't want this to detract from the picture overall in the case of a formal picture that is going to be enlarged and hung on their wall.
I see retouching as taking a picture that is otherwise good and minimizing distracting elements much like burning and dodging and easel tilting in the days of the print darkroom. But I keep it simple and seldom spend more than 10 minutes doing the touchup work on any file that will be used for a couple's album or wall print enlargement.
With engagement sessions and weddings that I photograph there is not the time to get the lighting perfect nor do I have control over makeup and choice of clothes so the retouch is a way to offset problems that will arise as a result. But I am not going to spend hours of my time fixing a problem that arose because a bride or her mother did not want to spend the money on a professional makeup person.
If someone wanted extensive augmentation or other retouch work I would direct them to someone who specializes in that kind of work.
With moms I will soften lines but not remove them as otherwise they do not look natural. Often the lighting is not flattering as with full sun and this will emphasize lines and wrinkles and my softening takes them down to the level at which most people see them in their mind's eye.
I will on very rare occasions do a little bit of tummy reduction but this is only when a pose has accentuated a large bride or groom and I don't want this to detract from the picture overall in the case of a formal picture that is going to be enlarged and hung on their wall.
I see retouching as taking a picture that is otherwise good and minimizing distracting elements much like burning and dodging and easel tilting in the days of the print darkroom. But I keep it simple and seldom spend more than 10 minutes doing the touchup work on any file that will be used for a couple's album or wall print enlargement.
With engagement sessions and weddings that I photograph there is not the time to get the lighting perfect nor do I have control over makeup and choice of clothes so the retouch is a way to offset problems that will arise as a result. But I am not going to spend hours of my time fixing a problem that arose because a bride or her mother did not want to spend the money on a professional makeup person.
If someone wanted extensive augmentation or other retouch work I would direct them to someone who specializes in that kind of work.
vwgn
Senior Member
I agree... I dont do a lot of touch up, usually zits etc. but on maternity photos, I go as far as I care to, because the women are usually very self conscious and are coming to me on a referral from a friend and think I made thier friend look better, so I will use liquify tool etc to make the belly a bit more of a round shape if its lumpy or fix rolls/flaps of skin that were accentuated by the pose and usually run portraiture on them too... they all love the results so I think I am still in the means of reality...
But if they want to keep paying, I prob wont say no...
Franka T.L.
Veteran Member
in any photograph I go retouching. Say trying to slim down a friend so he/she look really nice but really in fact he/she is overweight. Make the sky a deep vivid blue when in fact the day is gray and uninsipring ...
There is different line drawn for different people and different need. Commmercial photography never intend to portrait reality and thus should allow more leeway. Family snaps is about fond memory and some element of retouching without overstrentching things can be had. On other hand scientific and journalistic photography is about the fact and truth and as close as to reality must the photo be and the least amount of retouching the better.
This is all down to what you are shooting and shooting for .. Personally I just abide by the principle that I do not falsify nor mislead in a photo ..
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There is different line drawn for different people and different need. Commmercial photography never intend to portrait reality and thus should allow more leeway. Family snaps is about fond memory and some element of retouching without overstrentching things can be had. On other hand scientific and journalistic photography is about the fact and truth and as close as to reality must the photo be and the least amount of retouching the better.
This is all down to what you are shooting and shooting for .. Personally I just abide by the principle that I do not falsify nor mislead in a photo ..
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- Franka -
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