[Dave]

YouTube Video

[Steve]

The camera never lies

[Rob Barron]

Unless of course you bribe it <g>

[heidi]

The camera never lies

Photo Shop on the other hand is a pro at it!

I once retouched an image of a woman while she was sitiing next to me (try wording that without it sounding funny!) and she was completely blown away by what you could do.

[Soupdragon]

I only wish I had the skills to do that.

[CathieT]

Great video - thanks!

I do believe that you can "over-do" photo retouching when trying to maintain something that vaguely resembles the original canvas (sorry, person).

However, from an artistic point of view, I'm thinking the sky's the limit .....

Cheers,
C

(I've just put two photos in my gallery ... Grub and Grub overboard .... )

[skipper954]

Hi Dave

I think that retouching portraits and people has it's place.

There may be three reasons to do so.

1) To remove blemishes and create "glamour" smoothing to the skin, but not to excess.

2) To create a specific effect

3) To mess around and see what happens.

Probably at least 2 of the three are valid, and sometimes the third reason produces unexpected great results.

So as always in art, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

skip

[Boofers]

Hi Dave,
save any presets yet, it's one way to slow the brush of time down. Always save your favorite fix's. Now lets all say "sitiing" and add a little bit of a curve to that shade over there.

[Andrew Hurley]

I think you really have to turn the argument it on its head. If someone was to take a photograph of you what would you think was acceptable manipulation. Just about everyone in the world has something about the way they look that they are not happy with whether it be their complexion, a blemish, skin colour, eyes, bags under their eyes, a wart, scar, hair (or lack of it!).

Acceptable manipulation should result in what a person would look like if they had an expensive makeover or a bit of minor surgery (to remove blemishes or a birthmark etc). To make a person look like someone that they will never look like in a thousand years is just deceiving them and creates a false reality - unless it is intended as a bit of fun of course!

[Dave Canon]

I believe this heavy manipulation is for the publishing market where they want this style. If you are a professional photographer and a professional model, then surely it is fine as they are beeing paid.

However, for personal portraits you are about right. A retired professional photographer told me that he had always slightly enhanced such portraits but only once in his career had overdone it. A lady client had a well worn face which he softened but she explained that it was no longer her. She had been in the army and since always involved in outward bound courses etc. and the craggy outdoor look was who she was. Of course he then replaced the photographs.