Portrait Retouching

Following the capture of a portrait photograph, it is generally anticipated that retouching will be employed to enhance the overall appearance of the image.

- Ashok Kandimalla

In the digital era, this procedure is considered a subset of post-processing, encompassing tasks such as removing imperfections (such as moles, acne, scars, etc.), refining or smoothing the skin’s texture, brightening teeth, and more. This article aims to demonstrate how these enhancements can be realised using standard postprocessing Adobe software. However, more involved changes, like changing hair colour or enhancing the subject’s body contours, are typically considered beyond the scope of retouching, and will not be addressed in this article.

Another aspect to consider is the balance between realism and fantasy. Everyone desires to appear better than their actual self, and retouching undeniably aids in this process. However, there is a tendency to go overboard, resulting in a subject appearing wholly flawless. While such retouching may find a place in certain contexts like advertising, it is crucial to avoid excessive perfection. Thus, what constitutes the right amount of retouching is difficult to answer as it depends on the application. In our article, however, we will confine ourselves to basic retouching to improve the aesthetics while making sure that the result is natural.