Matt Timmons
February 4th, 2010, 07:58 PM
For some of you newer members here, you'll find that I like to write little blog topics here that I don't want to put on by own blog (http://www.mtmstudios.com/blog/) because I generally want to be a little more friendly/got-my-shit-together self for my clients and such there, and on here I can be my normal, idiotic self.
There's a common element I see in most retouching out there and in here. When you retouch a photo, the idea is for the general public's eye to not know that it was retouched. In the past year or so, I really got away from retouching as much as possible, because I didn't want to be seen as one of those guys who uses photoshop to save his photos all the time, or makes people look too fake. Since learning the SlickForce method, I've fallen in love with retouching again, and now I just barely get in there and give the photo a once-over, with healthy restraint (compositing aside). If you retouch a photo and let's say, post it in here and the other photographers in here know what you did, that's ok because we know. But if the general public knows, you've gone too far.
I get asked all the time by clients, models and their friends things like, "Did that photo take a lot of airbrushing?" ('airbrushing' is the laymen's term for retouching). Now, the fact that they always have to ask is a sign that I was subtle enough with the retouching that they don't know I did anything. I can smile and lie and just say, "Not at all, it's my lighting that makes her look so smooth, and I can do the same for you." or "No, I just know how to photograph her." God knows I spent an hour fixing some busted chick's zit-scarred face, but I can sell it as just being a good photographer, not a face-replacer. Make sense? Because it makes dollars, I can assure you.
A perfect example is Nick's work. I use him as an example because since he came out with Mastering Retouching, he's (unsurprisingly) gotten a bad rap on some of the other forums as being an over-retouching megalomaniac. Which is total bullshit. If you look at his work (especially his personal work), the retouching is VERY subtle, very hidden unless you are really good at seeing it. There is plenty of skin texture in the closeups, realistic color blends and selective areas where there was no retouching done at all. "Hot chick" photography is just shunned in the critical circles of beauty retouching, but fuck 'em if they can't just be cool and respect someone else's style and finesse at doing the same art. I mean they act like he sucks at it or something. Pure ignorance. Anyway, you won't see the retouching he does- as an experienced eye, you might know it's there- but you can't pick out what was done. That's when you've mastered it. It looks like a great photo, not an obvious retouch. That's why his series is called Mastering Retouching, and not Amateur Retouching.
So when you go into your photo, and are ready to goop some Ben-Gay on your pen hand to prepare for an overdose of smoothing skin, step back and try to see if you can produce an image that doesn't give it away. It's harder than you might think. And if you use any of that blurring skin crap- that's the most obvious dead giveaway of all time. When you're done, post it here and we'll see how you did, and offer up some suggestions if needed. But your critics are also in the real world, and if the general public thinks it's just a great photo, than you know you're one step closer to really calling yourself a master of retouching, if there is such a thing.
Cheers!
:beers:
There's a common element I see in most retouching out there and in here. When you retouch a photo, the idea is for the general public's eye to not know that it was retouched. In the past year or so, I really got away from retouching as much as possible, because I didn't want to be seen as one of those guys who uses photoshop to save his photos all the time, or makes people look too fake. Since learning the SlickForce method, I've fallen in love with retouching again, and now I just barely get in there and give the photo a once-over, with healthy restraint (compositing aside). If you retouch a photo and let's say, post it in here and the other photographers in here know what you did, that's ok because we know. But if the general public knows, you've gone too far.
I get asked all the time by clients, models and their friends things like, "Did that photo take a lot of airbrushing?" ('airbrushing' is the laymen's term for retouching). Now, the fact that they always have to ask is a sign that I was subtle enough with the retouching that they don't know I did anything. I can smile and lie and just say, "Not at all, it's my lighting that makes her look so smooth, and I can do the same for you." or "No, I just know how to photograph her." God knows I spent an hour fixing some busted chick's zit-scarred face, but I can sell it as just being a good photographer, not a face-replacer. Make sense? Because it makes dollars, I can assure you.
A perfect example is Nick's work. I use him as an example because since he came out with Mastering Retouching, he's (unsurprisingly) gotten a bad rap on some of the other forums as being an over-retouching megalomaniac. Which is total bullshit. If you look at his work (especially his personal work), the retouching is VERY subtle, very hidden unless you are really good at seeing it. There is plenty of skin texture in the closeups, realistic color blends and selective areas where there was no retouching done at all. "Hot chick" photography is just shunned in the critical circles of beauty retouching, but fuck 'em if they can't just be cool and respect someone else's style and finesse at doing the same art. I mean they act like he sucks at it or something. Pure ignorance. Anyway, you won't see the retouching he does- as an experienced eye, you might know it's there- but you can't pick out what was done. That's when you've mastered it. It looks like a great photo, not an obvious retouch. That's why his series is called Mastering Retouching, and not Amateur Retouching.
So when you go into your photo, and are ready to goop some Ben-Gay on your pen hand to prepare for an overdose of smoothing skin, step back and try to see if you can produce an image that doesn't give it away. It's harder than you might think. And if you use any of that blurring skin crap- that's the most obvious dead giveaway of all time. When you're done, post it here and we'll see how you did, and offer up some suggestions if needed. But your critics are also in the real world, and if the general public thinks it's just a great photo, than you know you're one step closer to really calling yourself a master of retouching, if there is such a thing.
Cheers!
:beers: