A Beautiful Bride

[TBaraki]

This isn't the type of work we usually do so I'm posting these, not without trepidation, to see if I'm on the right track.

Comments or criticisms?

 

[holga girl]

these are nice. i especially like the last one, just wish the bride had a nicer expression.

 

[elsaspet]

I agree that she is totally gorgeous.
You wanted some pointers though, and the following is a perfect lesson from how to go from something the bride will love, to something a bride will be blown away with, and something that will raise your pricing substantially.

1. This is the original. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's a wonderful photo of the bride. But the only problem is, I, like most girls, never know that I have bigger arms than I remember, and soforth. I want to look back in 20 years and say that I was truly the most beautiful on this day. I want them to come to me over and over and recommend me to everyone they know, because I have taken the "most beautiful" photo of them ever.
But is it really them? Or how they see themselves?
1.

Now take out the blemishes and age spots on the original layer (you don't want to keep these), and then on a seperate layer, take out all the lines, moles, etc, and gently bring them back. On this layer, I gave the eyes some light, and adjusted to taste.
2.

I went in for my first "liquify" and fixed the sizes of her eyes. We all have differenly sized eyes, but it's easy to fix, and it's prettier.
3.

And here is what will take you from the $150 portrait, to the $500 portrait with $1500 in reprints.........
Go back to liquify, and GENTLY thin and flesh her out. Here I have brought her cheeks in, her chin up, her nose slightly smaller, her lips slightly larger and wider, her tooth is corrected, her eyebrows were made cemetrical, and her neck thined. Her forehead was long so I lowered it substantially.
4.

Her arm was wide, but I couldn't fix it because it was too close to the border, so I made her hair fuller. I then "glossed" her hair in a series of burn and dodge steps, and added very slight burning and dodging to her face to bring up her cheekbones, and lessen the chin to neck area.
Then, I brought her waist in just slightly on the camera left, making her have more boob and less tummy.
And here is the final.
5.

She is no more changed than anything she has ever seen in a magazine, but I bet she's looked at millions of them, and prolly wants that kind of thing.

Again...before:

After a little tender loving care:

Hope this was instructional and helpful.
Hugs,
Cindy

 

[Sarah5344]

Wow, wonderful retouch. My only concern is will the client end up feeling ugly? The picture is clearly her only way better. Of course, I would want pictures of me to be outstanding and to look incredible, but if they look enhanced I would wonder if I, as my true self, really looked that bad. Any thoughts?

 

[elsaspet]

It's funny. I do this ALL THE TIME, and they never notice. It's funny how we see ourselves, or would like to see ourselves.
They oddly don't see it as retouched. They see it as a superior photographic talent. Truth be told, it's mostly photoshop.
But that is how you get from here to there in a paragraph or less.
Believe me, I'm not a great photographer, but I do get recommended a ton, so I have to believe it's my total love and understanding of the client.
She's nervous. The most nervous ever. She wants to be a beautiful princess for her husband. She wants to walk into that catherdal/temple, being the most beautiful ever for her sweety. And she is. I've never seen guys smile like that at any other time.
Make her beautiful. That's what she wants to be. It's still her......how she wants to see herself. And it will make her super confident on a day that she might not so likely be.
You have to remember, this girl, like so many other girls, have seen nothing but these gorgeous magazine brides. Do these magazine brides really look like that? Nope, and I can tell you by experience of being published in these things. What they see, is NOT the real thing. But it's beautiful. And she's dreamed of this her whole life.
Will she know the difference? Absolutely not. She and her family and friends will only see the most beautiful photo of her ever.
And she deserves that.

 

[Sarah5344]

What you say I am sure rings true, it certainly makes sense. I really have to get much better with PS. I am only starting to experiment with the liquify tool, what are the best ways to use it and how is it used for the eyes? Thanks in advance.

Sarah

 

[elsaspet]

Hi Sara, Let me start a new thread on it, ok?

 

[Anita]

Wow, she looks great and so natural.

I would like to see what you can do with him. He needs work.

 

[JeannetteK]

Great job retouching/editing Cindy. Which software do you use? Have you ever thought of doing tutorials? You seem like a great teacher!

I agree that she is totally gorgeous.
You wanted some pointers though, and the following is a perfect lesson from how to go from something the bride will love, to something a bride will be blown away with, and something that will raise your pricing substantially.

1. This is the original. There is absolutely nothing wrong with it. It's a wonderful photo of the bride. But the only problem is, I, like most girls, never know that I have bigger arms than I remember, and soforth. I want to look back in 20 years and say that I was truly the most beautiful on this day. I want them to come to me over and over and recommend me to everyone they know, because I have taken the "most beautiful" photo of them ever.
But is it really them? Or how they see themselves?
1.

Now take out the blemishes and age spots on the original layer (you don't want to keep these), and then on a seperate layer, take out all the lines, moles, etc, and gently bring them back. On this layer, I gave the eyes some light, and adjusted to taste.
2.

I went in for my first "liquify" and fixed the sizes of her eyes. We all have differenly sized eyes, but it's easy to fix, and it's prettier.
3.

And here is what will take you from the $150 portrait, to the $500 portrait with $1500 in reprints.........
Go back to liquify, and GENTLY thin and flesh her out. Here I have brought her cheeks in, her chin up, her nose slightly smaller, her lips slightly larger and wider, her tooth is corrected, her eyebrows were made cemetrical, and her neck thined. Her forehead was long so I lowered it substantially.
4.

Her arm was wide, but I couldn't fix it because it was too close to the border, so I made her hair fuller. I then "glossed" her hair in a series of burn and dodge steps, and added very slight burning and dodging to her face to bring up her cheekbones, and lessen the chin to neck area.
Then, I brought her waist in just slightly on the camera left, making her have more boob and less tummy.
And here is the final.
5.

She is no more changed than anything she has ever seen in a magazine, but I bet she's looked at millions of them, and prolly wants that kind of thing.

Again...before:

After a little tender loving care:

Hope this was instructional and helpful.
Hugs,
Cindy

 

[JIP]

That is pretty remarkable I think I like everything but the nosejob that may have gone a little too far. But overall I am impressed as I usually am with your work...........

Oh yeah I like the shots the photographer took too sorry to let elsa highjack your thread.

 

[elsaspet]

Hi Anita and Jeannette.
I'd feel better switching threads. I don't want to intrude on the hard work done by this photographer. I can't really take this instruction to another thread without permission, so feel free to send other photos to "The Beautiful Bride" thread, and I'll be happy to help if I can.
Thank you for the kind words. Teaching to me is a way of giving back to all those who showed me how.
Thanks and Hugs,
Cindy

 

[Sarah5344]

that would be great!