Portrait - Help with Skin

[Amphoteric]

Howdy, I am just getting into taking portraits and I snapped this pic of a friend of mine. Notice how the skin on her arms and legs are a bit splotchy. Can anyone tell me how to fix this? Also, the image is a bit flat and her skin is a bit dull. What can I do to add some pop?

Thanks!

 

[ronlane]

I can't on this computer, but I will try later this evening when I get home. What software are you using? If it's LR, PSE or CC, then soften the skin and that should help out some.

looks like the exposure could come up in the photo to me. But that may be my work pc.

 

[The_Traveler]

You could isolate her from the background and increase the brightness and contrast.
As for the blotchiness, could be PSed in original.
Unfortunately the increase in brightness points up the brightness on the right side of her left arm.

Nice picture, nice model.

Lew

 

[Amphoteric]

When you say the skin can be fixed in PS, how exactly? I am having a hard time fixing the issue while retaining detail.

 

[MrSleepin]

i'd have to see the pic from another angle... perhaps with her back to the camera. that should help identify the problem

 

[ronlane]

Here is my edit. I fixed the wb and then softened the skin in LR4 and made a small highlights and shadow change as well.

 

[binga63]

I was bored so thought that I would throw my edit into the mix

 

[The_Traveler]

When you say the skin can be fixed in PS, how exactly? I am having a hard time fixing the issue while retaining detail.

It's difficult to say exactly what I would/could do without seeing it at high res.
The problems are barely visible at 1200 pixels high and any fixes attempted at this resolution would probably be really obvious and visible at higher resolution.

 

[Big Mike]

When you say the skin can be fixed in PS, how exactly? I am having a hard time fixing the issue while retaining detail.

"air brushing" / skin softening can be a very complex subject. There are many people working full time jobs as 're-touchers' who spend most of their time doing just that....and I'd guess that it takes them a long time to master their craft.

If you Google 'Photoshop+skin' you will have more reading than you could ever do. Video tutorials are probably a better introduction, and there will be many thousands of them out there.

One of the issues is that it can be done via several methods. Some of them taking just minutes and not requiring much knowledge...others that can take hours and require a high degree of expertise with Photoshop. So the first question is: what sort of results are you expecting?

 

[Amphoteric]

When you say the skin can be fixed in PS, how exactly? I am having a hard time fixing the issue while retaining detail.

"air brushing" / skin softening can be a very complex subject. There are many people working full time jobs as 're-touchers' who spend most of their time doing just that....and I'd guess that it takes them a long time to master their craft.

If you Google 'Photoshop+skin' you will have more reading than you could ever do. Video tutorials are probably a better introduction, and there will be many thousands of them out there.

One of the issues is that it can be done via several methods. Some of them taking just minutes and not requiring much knowledge...others that can take hours and require a high degree of expertise with Photoshop. So the first question is: what sort of results are you expecting?

I want to even out the skin coloring in her legs. You can see the pattern than appeared on them (she was cold). I don't want to lose texture which would give her as plastic look. I tried split frequency editing but it didn't help too much. Most tutorials I found are for red skin patches from rash, etc. These markings aren't a distinctly different color so it is hard to isolate them.

 

[Amphoteric]

I was bored so thought that I would throw my edit into the mix

What color settings did you use? I white balanced with a grey card and I feel that she still came out a bit yellow. Did you just apply a LR skin softening brush to the skin for that effect?

 

[Derrel]

Decent edits, Ron and Binga.

 

[ronlane]

Decent edits, Ron and Binga.

Decent??? I think that sickness has moved to your head Derrel. lol

 

[KmH]

The best solution is to get it as close to right in the camera as possible by making sure the exposure and white balance are accurate.
Use ETTR and a gray card.
How to use a gray card - Bing

Optimizing Exposure
ETTR

Tones & Contrast

• Understanding Histograms, Part 1: Tones & Contrast
• Understanding Histograms, Part 2: Luminosity & Color
• Using the "Levels" Tool in Photoshop
• Using the "Curves" Tool in Photoshop