PP-Skin Smoothing. Too Much? (maybe NSFW!)

Too much skin smoothing? I was showing a friend my pictures and they said I needed more but I dunno if I like it.

 

The only part that looks a little plastic and unsharp is the right side (her right side) of her face.

 

Is the patchy light on her body and legs edited? I think the rest looks fine, could have done with a bit better lighting tho

 

a bit too much editing on the face for me... but, heck.. i'd kill for that body! x

 

I didn't do any editing but some skin smoothing. Lighting is all natural, it was mid-day and we were under a tree. The bright spots filtered through. I used a reflected to try and take them out but that was the best I managed.

Thanks for the comment she will be happy to hear that!

 

Stupid question....how do you do the skin smoothing?

 

Not a stupid question at all.
There are lots of technique.
The simplest one that doesn't destroy pixels (assuming use of PS) is to:

1. make a duplicate layer.
2. take out all sizeable zits, blemishes with spot-healing tool
3. blur that layer with a Gaussian blur until all the surface blem disappear
4. make a layer mask that reveals all (white)
5. paint on mask with black brush wherever you want detail to show through from detailed layer below
6. adjust opacity of duplicate layer until you get the look you want.

 

I'm sorry that's absolutely wrong.
This thread is closed.

 

I was going for magazine type smoothing I guess. Although I don't really like that much myself.

Actually pretty close exactly to what I do. I use the heal brush before I make a duplicate layer first, and I make a layer mask that hides all.

Here is a step-by-step tutorial that taught me my method: http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=171753&highlight=airbrushing

 

It was a great tutorial. Thanks for sharing. Do you have any more links like this?