Are you looking for techniques to become an expert in photo retouching? It is said that photo retouching is the most crucial and complicated part of the post-processing of photos. Retouching is the step after culling and editing the photos. In simple terms, the final touch to the edited photos otherwise known as photo retouching.
Retouching photos add essence to the photos and makes them lifelike.
Expert retouching makes the photos look appealing. Retouching specialists in the market focus on even the slightest imperfections like fingerprints and erase them. Retouching photos like an expert will increase your client’s sales, especially if you are working on fashion or product retouching.
Gaining knowledge and becoming comfortable with the tools of photoshop might be daunting as a beginner. Many websites provide knowledge on how to retouch photos. However, they restrain from telling you the insights. We will explain to you the roadmap to becoming a photo retouching specialist.
There are various photo retouching services. The ones ruling the retouching industry are fashion retouching, jewelry retouching, product retouching, automobile retouching, and real-estate retouching.
Insights
- Nothing beats experience. In photo retouching, the more photos you work on, the more ideas you get. Working on samples of images increases your exposure to detailing. Be the person who knows it all.
- It would be best if you focus on every minute detail. Expert retouching is about perfecting the images by focusing on the nuances. You shall train your eyes to distinguish imperfections and spots that increase the beauty of photos.
- Know the editing software in and out. You can do this by learning about the numerous tools and techniques used by professional image editing services.
- Use plugins. Extensions in photoshop will enhance your photos by adding additional image effects.
- Organize Photoshop for better workflow.
- Photo retouching is time-intensive work. Being a beginner, applying tools takes time. As you master Photoshop, you can automate actions and use presents to save time.
- Use the Content-Aware option in the Spot Healing Brush tool to remove unwanted objects in the background.
- It is advantageous to familiarize yourself with the keyboard shortcuts and practice using them. We can use the shortcuts to speed up the entire post-production workflow.
- Always use layers and layer masks. It is a non-destructive technique to retouch photos, and it is easier to redo things if they go wrong.
- Master White balance and exposure. Fixing color balance will bring a wholesome look to the photos.
- Adjust the size of brush tools for optimal strokes. You do not want to overdo brushing using large brush sizes.
- Zoom in and zoom out whenever you are doubtful about the strokes. Zooming out clears your mind and helps form a new perspective if you are stuck.
- Observe other’s work. Look closely at the photos and visualize the tools they have used and how they retouched the images. Adopting their workflow might give you a perception of the do’s and don’ts of photo retouching.
- If you are into photo retouching services, understand the needs of the client. You can customize work knowing the various requirements of the client.
- It would be best if you could work efficiently to meet deadlines. Sometimes clients have insane deadlines, and meeting them can be difficult. Especially if you are a beginner and you take a lot of time to retouch each image.
We created this workflow for you to understand the basics of retouching in Adobe Photoshop. Photoshop is by far the best photo manipulation software in the market. If you are a beginner, the pointers are headstarts. Go ahead and explore to learn deeply about each tool to use it to the maximum. And if you are an amateur, the tools are a checklist for a perfect retouching session.
Follow this trail, and you will be able to design your workflow for retouching photos like an expert.
Fashion Retouching:
- Check layers- These layers increase the visibility of imperfections that are not visible in standard view.
- Blemish and tan removal using Clone Stamp tool or Healing Brush tool.
- Hair and eyebrows retouching using Clone Stamp tool.
- Retouch eyes using Lasso tool, Healing Brush, and clipping path.
- Teeth whitening using Hue/Saturation Adjustment layer.
- Removing creases and wrinkles on clothes using frequency separation.
- Dodge and Burn with Curve Adjustment layers.
- Background replacement(if needed) using the Clipping Path tools.
- Skin tone correction using Clone Stamp tool > Dodge and burn > Colour correction using Adjustment layers.
In the case of fashion and beauty retouching, the eyes are the engaging part. It draws the viewer’s attention like a charm. So it is vital to retouch eyes to look very attractive. Work on red-eye removal, eye bag removal, change of iris, and enhancement of eyes.
Sharpening the photo is an essential step in photo retouching. It enhances the image and makes the subject stand out. Photographers work hard to focus on the subject. But the focus also depends on the camera’s lens. To retouch the photos, select the Sharpen tool and carefully paint over the areas you want to sharpen. Adjust the opacity level according to the amount of sharpness you want in different areas.
You would like to sharpen those areas that you would want the viewer to focus on at first glance. Sometimes the background is blurred to focus on the subject, making it easier to work on the image. For more flexibility and control while sharpening, use the High Pass sharpening tool. This tool lets you adjust contrast level, radius, and threshold settings.
Product Retouching:
- Background replacement using the simple Remove Background option in the Properties panel or by using clipping path and separate the background.
- Reflection removal using Clone stamp tool.
- Shadow and reflection creation
- Lens correction
- Dust and Fingerprint removal using the healing brush
- Compositing by using layers and setting’ the luminosity.
- Spot-fixing using Clone stamp tool or Spot Healing Brush tool.
Automobile and Real Estate Retouching:
- Resizing using Image Size.
- Background replacement using the simple Remove Background option in the Properties panel or by using clipping path and separate the background.
- Reflection and glare removal using Dehaze Slider and Spot Healing Brush.
- Shadow and reflection creation using vertical flip with clipping path selection.
- Sharpening using the Sharpen tool.
- Surface cleaning using Clone stamp tool.
product photo retouching services
Are you new to Photoshop and Product Photo Retouching Services? And are looking for photo retouching services. Having a photo retouching specialist work on your photos brings multifold value to the subject. We at Digi5Studios offer various photo retouching services. We specialize in Product photo retouching, Beauty retouching, Fashion retouching, Automobile photo retouching, Real Estate retouching, and Clipping Path Services.
