Editing in Photoshop

[ashleyrae84]

My question is about editing. Not sure if im in the right forum or not. But Im having a hard time looking for Photoshop tutorials on before and afters for model portraits. Im wanting to do some model portraits but I dont know how to get my models to look like they can be out of a magazine if this makes sense. Ill load a picture I found as an example of what look im trying to achieve. http://picturemycamera.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/boudoir-photography-ideas-590x392.jpg

 

[cgipson1]

It is against forum rules to post a image that you don't own the copyright to... but you can post a link.

Most modeling shots have more to do with good lighting, than with Photoshop. The image you posted is so small.. hard to say much about it.

 

[ashleyrae84]

O thank you I changed the link. Im looking to edit the skin, eyes to brighten, luminosity of the image and achieve a "glow" to the model. Im thinking about buying Florabella's retouch but is there an easier way to do this then to spend money on actions?

 

[Big Mike]

Welcome to the forum.

Firstly, you're barking up the wrong tree. Good portraits start with good lighting and it doesn't hurt to have a good make-up artist as well. And of course, a trait of a good model is very nice skin.

But yes, it's rather common that the photos you see in magazines are heavily 'touched up'.
I can't imagine that you're having a hard time finding tutorials...there must be millions of them. Just google 'Photoshop+skin'.
Also consider that the photos in beg magazines are touched up by 'digital artists' who do little else besides touch up model photos as their full time job. It's a skill and it can take years to master.

But like I said, don't go into this thinking that all you need to do, is learn how to fix up the photos with photoshop. Instead, learn how to use light to create good portraits. Learn that a little makeup can save hours/days of post processing.

 

[cgipson1]

^THIS!! As mentioned... GOOD LIGHTING!

I don't shoot people much.. and find most actions to be way overdone. Especially the ones that are popular with the facebook crowd... all the vintage, retro looking junk.

Maybe someone who shoots something like what you are looking for will respond.

 

[eddlum25]

A portraits retouch tutorial from you tube.

Professional Photoshop Portrait Retouching - Part I - Adobe Camera Raw - YouTube


Hope this help.

 

[MTVision]

O thank you I changed the link. Im looking to edit the skin, eyes to brighten, luminosity of the image and achieve a "glow" to the model. Im thinking about buying Florabella's retouch but is there an easier way to do this then to spend money on actions?

Yes. Don't buy actions. Everything done in those actions can be done by you in photoshop.

Look up skin smoothing tutorials for photoshop. There will be a million different ways to do it - play around with a couple tutorials to get an idea on how to do it different ways. After doing that you'll figure out what works best for you. Same goes for eye brightening and everything else. Editing can only do so much but if you have a good picture to start with you'll be good to go. It takes time and practice though.

 

[ashleyrae84]

Well Mike, i know good portraits start with good lighting. I dont want to over touch up my clients in any way. Im trying to achieve something my camera and lighting at times couldn't. I dont want this for all my images. Thanks for the feedback even if i might be barking up a tree.

 

[jowensphoto]

I'm relatively new to PS, so I've downloaded a few free actions to learn from. You can go through step by step, see what does what. They usually require heavy tweaking to get the proper result; most end up with strange WB problems. You would be wise to learn how to edit on your own, then record your own actions.

 

[ashleyrae84]

Yes, Ive been learning this way All I need to do is practice practice practice.

 

[amolitor]

That photograph looks like it's been warmed up quite a lot (color temperature) which you can do with lighting or in post.

The makeup around the eyes is pretty strong stuff, but you can accomplish much the same thing by increasing contrast in the area of the eyes (photoshop should allow you to select a feathered area around the eyes, and then apply a curves adjustment layer just to that area?) and some burning and dodging. You're not quite painting makeup on -- you're actually looking to achieve the same optical illusions of larger and more dramatic eyes without makeup.

Skin smoothing is a solved problem, there are probably a million tutorials online. The key here is a light light touch -- reduce the appearance of blemishes and imperfections, don't obliterate them entirely.

Enhance lighting overall with light burning and dodging, you're looking for both drama (so strong highlights and strong shadows) and softness (no harsh edges), so enhance the highlights and shadows while blending and smoothing the edges of shadows subtly.

 

[The_Traveler]

Florabella actions, imo, are overpriced and end up with a plastic-y look.
Don't get hooked into actions that are doing things you couldn't do by yourself.
Use actions to spped up your work ratehr than replace it.