Before and After.

Granddad · Oct 22, 2018

I was working on some images from my wife's birthday shoot and did some tidying up of one. It was a windy day so her hair was all over the place so I used PS CS6 liquify to flatten it down. I also played around in PP15, mostly fixing her make up and lightening her hair. I used PPBody v 1.3 to improve her posture and tone down the freckles and wrinkles on her arms and hands.

I know some will say she looks better all natural but that's not the point of this exercise. The point was to practice my PP and PS skills to achieve an image that's credible and recognisable. I was also aiming to try to be my own MUA as my top model's (wife's) eyes aren't what they used to be and make up can be a problem for her, especially around the eyes.

How did I do? I tried to keep it as low key as I could.

(there's a slight size difference between the two because I shot in 6x4 and cropped the final version to fit a 30cm x 40cm frame that's sitting around empty.)

Before

After

smoke665 · Oct 22, 2018

Lovely lady. As a member of the senior set I constantly struggle with the "tidying" up chores you addressed with my own DW. There is a fine line between bringing out the inner beauty and to much. Overall I'd say you held that line well.

Starting at the top, the edits to the hair look good, though I'd prefer letting just a tad of the disheveled look of the first come through as a sort of a devil may care look, that adds a little impish personality.

On the face and neck I like what you've done. Just enough, and not so much as to look plastic or fake. The only thing I'd suggest is just a tad darker to match the skin tone of the first.

Whatever you did in posture must have been subtle because I don't see it. LOL Her left arm and legs look good. Again the edits were subtle and in good taste. However, her right arm looks out of place, to light/bright. Tone is to far off from the rest. Like the face it could benefit from tone mapping.

That was a nice save on the gaping dress, though as good as you are I'm surprised you didn't catch it before the shutter was snapped. At least it makes me feel better about the gazillion things I invariably miss.

Jeff15 · Oct 22, 2018

Number two for me.....

tirediron · Oct 22, 2018

(1) You're a lucky old man; and

(2) a successful exercise, in my opinion. A significant portion of my retail clientele are senior citizens and finding the right level of retouching can be a challenge. I try to work to the level that I think people see themselves.

Designer · Oct 22, 2018

#2 FTW

Granddad · Oct 22, 2018

smoke665 said:
Lovely lady. As a member of the senior set I constantly struggle with the "tidying" up chores you addressed with my own DW. There is a fine line between bringing out the inner beauty and to much. Overall I'd say you held that line well.

Thank you.

Starting at the top, the edits to the hair look good, though I'd prefer letting just a tad of the disheveled look of the first come through as a sort of a devil may care look, that adds a little impish personality.

I tend to agree, I'll try cutting and pasting the original back on and see of I can fade/blend it to restore some naturalness.

On the face and neck I like what you've done. Just enough, and not so much as to look plastic or fake. The only thing I'd suggest is just a tad darker to match the skin tone of the first.

Yes, but on this I'll leave it be because I intend to have it printed and prints always seem to come up darker.

Whatever you did in posture must have been subtle because I don't see it. LOL Her left arm and legs look good. Again the edits were subtle and in good taste. However, her right arm looks out of place, to light/bright. Tone is to far off from the rest. Like the face it could benefit from tone mapping.

Posture was slimmed a little, stretched up a little and head moved a little back. On her right arm, you are 100% right, I missed that due to having spent hours working on it so my eyes didn't see what was obvious. Thanks!... Although the inner arm is naturally lighter so I'll have to try and find a happy medium.

That was a nice save on the gaping dress, though as good as you are I'm surprised you didn't catch it before the shutter was snapped. At least it makes me feel better about the gazillion things I invariably miss.

I quite liked that little gape... However I couldn't leave that there if she's going to approve having it on display so a little cut and paste with lighting adjustments did the trick.

Point by point reply ^

smoke665 · Oct 22, 2018

@Granddad "and prints always seem to come up dark" - good point, missed that. "
I quite liked that little gape... " - I would agree it adds interest but I was trying to be discrete :allteeth:

Granddad · Oct 22, 2018

How's this Smoke 665? Hair lightly mussed and right arm adjusted.

Granddad · Oct 22, 2018

tirediron said:
(1) You're a lucky old man; and

I know it! She's been gone for three and a half weeks visiting her mom in California, back on Thursday. I don't like this cold turkey business. After 39 years I'm an incurable addict.

(2) a successful exercise, in my opinion. A significant portion of my retail clientele are senior citizens and finding the right level of retouching can be a challenge. I try to work to the level that I think people see themselves.

Thanks, I prefer working with "mature" people. I like the challenge of being complimentary but also credible.