How much do we "edit out"?
In 2021, photography has fully evolved into a digital art form. While a handful of nostalgic photographers still use film, the overwhelming majority of us shoot digital photos exclusively, then use software programs to edit those photos before we deliver them to our clients.
Retouching is the process of digitally altering photographs to prepare them for a client. Most of us have heard of Adobe Photoshop, and many photographers use that program. Personally, I use two programs, called Capture One and Affinity Photo, to edit my clients’ photos. Capture One is used for color grading, exposure correction, and quick retouching of obvious blemishes. Affinity Photo lets me make detailed adjustments to the skin, add drama to a photo with the liquify tool, and make final, small corrections to colors and exposure before I deliver the images to my client.
What’s the purpose of retouching?
Contrary to some misconceptions, retouching is not designed to make skin look plasticky or alter body proportions; while some photographers do those things (unfortunately), retouching is actually designed to make you look more like yourself. It’s normal for us to have temporary blemishes in our skin, as well as temporary fluctuations in our skin tones resulting from heat, sweat, humidity, dryness, and other factors. We don’t want those temporary features in a photo that is designed to be preserved for a lifetime!
Worse, modern cameras and lenses are incredibly sharp. Without retouching, a professional photo can show every tiny bit of skin detail — and that often looks unrealistic and unflattering
My process of retouching
To give you an idea of what I do in retouching, I’m going to show you how I edited this photo of Shelbi.
First, we start with the RAW file, which is straight out of the camera with no digital alterations. While this picture is great, there are some issues straight out of camera. Some of the highlights are too strong, such as the magenta color on her left arm and the exposure on the right side of her face. The high-resolution lens and camera have also picked up a ton of facial detail, and we simply want to reduce the appearance of some of those textures.
First, though, I use Capture One to apply a range of exposure and color corrections that are part of the ‘signature look’ of my photography. My goal is to create an image with an almost painterly quality — something that looks like a fine art showpiece rather than ‘‘just a photo’.
In the photo below I’ve adjust the colors, including adding some color detail to the shadows. I’ve reduced the highlights on her arm and face; now we turn to the detail work of adjusting the tones and textures on her face.
To finish, I use Affinity to smooth textures on her face and even out skin tones while eliminating harsh highlights and muddy shadows. The goal here was simply to make the skin on Shelbi’s face look smooth and even-toned without making her look fake and plasticky. And now we have a finished product!
Retouching is a vital process in modern digital photography. Every photographer does it a little bit differently; some just a apply a ‘preset’ — a bit like a filter on Instagram — to create the look they want, and don’t do much if any detailed retouching. Because I work in a studio shooting portraits that capture a great deal of detail, it’s important that I pay attention to those finer details; it’s also how I turn my clients’ photos into works of art!
What won’t I alter?
I will never alter body proportions under any circumstances; I will not erase permanent features such as scars, stretch marks, cellulite, birth marks, or moles unless requested prior to retouching. My goal is always to capture my clients authentically, and promoting body positivity means encouraging my clients to come as they are.
Ready for the leap?
There’s no time like the present to come as you are. Whether you’d like to shoot at our studio in midtown Tulsa or on-location, schedule a complimentary consultation today and let’s start planning your dream shoot!