Overdone Retouch?

[eja]

I've been practicing retouching while using Affinity Photo. I'm including a link to an image and request some input. One thing I'm concerned about is making a person look like plastic.

In this image, I used adjustment layers for dodging and burning, blemish removal and then merged those layers into a single layer. I then applied a Highpass filter and masked it to taste.

P.S. I put a link to the image instead of the image itself because I recently read the rules to the forum. It seems this is the preferred method. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Thanks in advance

https://www.flickr.com/gp/29781015@N00/764s65

 

[SquarePeg]

You can definitely post the image itself. people won’t follow a link to look at it. The image doesn’t look over cooked to me as far as the skin retouching goes.

 

[eja]

You can definitely post the image itself. people won’t follow a link to look at it. The image doesn’t look over cooked to me as far as the skin retouching goes.

Ok, thanks for the clarification. Here is the image

 

[eja]

Here is another try of posting the image

 

[SquarePeg]

are you using the bb code?

 

[eja]

I'm sorry, but I don't understand what the bb code is?

 

[Overread]

This thread should help How to Post Photos to the Forums

 

[Designer]

I've been practicing retouching while using Affinity Photo. I'm including a link to an image and request some input. One thing I'm concerned about is making a person look like plastic.

In this image, I used adjustment layers for dodging and burning, blemish removal and then merged those layers into a single layer. I then applied a Highpass filter and masked it to taste.

P.S. I put a link to the image instead of the image itself because I recently read the rules to the forum. It seems this is the preferred method. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Thanks in advance

https://www.flickr.com/gp/29781015@N00/764s65

First: the portrait looks good, and I do not see anything that points to being "overdone". I think the lady's skin looks perfectly natural, although I don't know her in person.

The link you posted goes to a full-size photograph, which is ideal for looking at minor flaws, but it is simply too large for the forum. When posting a photo, I limit the size to no larger than 1250 pixels on the long dimension.

Then, just drag it into your post. Click "full size" and you're good.

 

[eja]

Thanks for the reply and the suggestion on how to post photos to the forum. I'll try what you suggested in this post. That is, limit the long side to 1250 and see how it does. Also, point well taken. Since I did not include the original image, it may be hard to tell if it looks overdone. At least, if I understand the feedback correctly, it does not make her skin look like plastic.

 

[webestang64]

I do this kind of retouch for a living and it looks good to me. Only thing more to do would be to lighten the whites of the eyes just a touch and make the teeth less yellow. Also I think the lines under the eyes need a bit of attention.

 

[Designer]

Pay close attention to what @webestang64 wrote above.

As for me, if I may, I would like to offer some additional tips for future portraiture;

Frame with more space above your subject's head.
Orient the frame to vertical.
Bring your key light lower to light under her chin better.
By lowering your light, you will see that the hot spot on her forehead will be lessened.
Add a hair light to provide separation from the background. (don't try to do it with the key light)
For women, allow your subject to naturally tip her head just a bit, either toward her front, or toward her back.

 

[Derrel]

I do not think it has been retouched too much, and in fact it looks extremely natural to me. I do think however that the hot highlighted area on her forehead is a slight bit of a distraction.

My biggest concern however is the horizontal orientation. By orienting your camera in this way at the time of shooting you have cut her off too high on the chest area and have not allowed sufficient top space above her head, and have filled a good portion of the frame with empty and uninteresting black background. There is a reason that horizontal is sometimes also called "landscape" orientation and orienting the camera in the vertical direction is often referred to as "portrait" orientation.

 

[Braineack]

I heard if you click a link, your phone will ring. don't answer; the voice on the other line will say what day youll die...


sometimes you people crack me up.


Did you apply softening everywhere? cause she has no detail in her eyebrows, yet her earrings are very sharp and detailed.

also, if you shot with a 18-70mm lens, how was the focal length 105mm?

 

[Designer]

Did you apply softening everywhere? cause she has no detail in her eyebrows, yet her earrings are very sharp and detailed.

also, if you shot with a 18-70mm lens, how was the focal length 105mm?

The tip of her nose looks softened, but I doubt that she'll care or even notice.

The focal length of the lens might not matter to your subject, either, but it is something of a puzzle.

(screen shot of your flicker page data)

 

[Braineack]

oh 70mm x 1.5.

the focal length was 70mm.