Senior Portraits, Need Help!!

manderb1 · Aug 3, 2008

The senior portrait I took yesterday turned out well, but I need some advice.
Here are two of the same. One is edited, the other IS NOT. My question is this.
Should I remove her mole of her cheek? She looks more chic without it but it gives her character, it like a defining feature maybe. I don't know what to do! Any advice....PLEASE. Should I all the portrait without, some, none? Thanks

UNEDITED

EDITED

another UNEDITED

another EDITED

icassell · Aug 3, 2008

Give your model the choice! She may consider her mole a defining characteristic!

manderb1 · Aug 3, 2008

What should I ask? How would you ask tactfully? I don't want her to feel like its a flaw.

icassell · Aug 3, 2008

...hmmmm

how about giving her proofs of it both ways ... see if she notices ... see what she picks ...

Frankly, I think she's very pretty and the mole doesn't detract.

manderb1 · Aug 3, 2008

That sounds like a good plan. Once I get them edited I will post some more. She was a PLEASURE to shoot with.

Sarah23 · Aug 3, 2008

I say leave it unless she asks specifically for it to be removed. Its part of her face...if you remove it she might take it wrong, like you think its ugly or something. (not saying you do...but being an 18 year old girl, you never know what will get to them)

One thing....I think the edited ones look a bit TOO processed. Especially the skin. It looks blotchy from all the softening and retouching.

astrostu · Aug 3, 2008

I think the edited picture (2nd picture posted) is way too blurry. The skin also looks like an unnatural color.

I would also suggest doing a soft cloning out of the little baggies under her eyes.

SpeedTrap · Aug 3, 2008

I have to agree with astrostu, whatever technique you are using on the skin is not right.
You need to do the skin adjustments in after the initial clean up

tirediron · Aug 3, 2008

Sarah23 said:
I say leave it unless she asks specifically for it to be removed. Its part of her face...

Agree! It's not our place to make decisions for the customer.

cofphoto · Aug 4, 2008

Acne - I always remove. Moles or anything more permanent I never remove. But, I might mention something during the proofing session that I could remove it if she wanted it removed.

To me, it would seem odd if it were removed in some photos and not in others. So whatever you do, be consistant.

Deadeye008 · Aug 4, 2008

I usually leave any permanent features unless the client asks me to remove them. If it was acne or something like that then I would definitely remove it.

manderb1 · Aug 4, 2008

Thank you for all the replies. This was my first senior session and I want to make sure she gets what she wants. I believe I am going to show her every portrait with the mole and without the mole and she what she likes best. I just hope by me removing the mole she doesn't take it offensive.... Maybe I should just leave the mole. She such a pretty girl and that makes her "look" more unique.

Sarah23 · Aug 4, 2008

I would just show her the ones WITH it, and then if she asks to have it removed, then print ones with it removed. Since you already have them done anyway, its not like it will take more time for you to remove it. But since its part of her face, and she didn't ask ahead of time, I would leave it. I have a birth mark on my forehead, and if someone took it off without me ASKING, I think I would wonder why the heck they took it off. If it was a pimple, thats one thing, but a permanent part of her face it a whole other story.

Crimsonandwhite · Aug 4, 2008

Ok, since your photos are ok to edit

I wanted to try and touch up her skin as I need the practice. Am I getting closer to a natural look? The ones I have touched up in the past have all looked pretty fake..

Universal Polymath · Aug 5, 2008

Not bad, Crimsonandwhite! Though I think you might have gone a little too far around the eyes. Especially under her left eye (our right), it looks a little flat.

When it comes to acne, I always remove it completely. The patch tool always seems to do the trick for that. I hardly ever find myself using a blurring filter on the skin, but when I do it's very minimally.

But with a mole, a much more defining characteristic than acne and pimples that come and go, I might minimize its appearance, but I'd never remove it altogether. I use the patch tool to initially wipe the mole out, but then fade the effect down to 30-50% (go to 'Edit', and then 'Fade Patch Tool'). That way, it's still there (which I feel it should be - It is a part of the model, after all), but it's just not quite as conspicuous.

That's just a thought. But I have to echo everyone else too, though: It really doesn't hurt to just ask!

:thumbup: