Portrait retouch--too much?

[astscraode]

try a program like portrait professional or a plugin like imagemonic Portraiture.
these will give you even skin tone and if you are really wanting to learn retouching

[elle s'ennuie]

Originally Posted by Exposures

Oh NO! Not too rude at all. The person is actually me...it is for a newspaper/business card. I feel so ugly in pictures I thought I needed some help.

I know how that feels, really, I do.

Here's my (very unqualified!) opinion: Yes, it is a bit too much. You look very friendly and sweet in your original picture, whereas the edited one feels a bit empty, like a shell without the person. (Of course, maybe that's because it is next to the original, perhaps without that context it'd feel more authentic regardless of retouching.) I'd only retouch the blemishes and the shiny bits (and maybe change the background colour, as has been suggested), but leave the neck and chin as is.

[angah]

i've made some tweaking to the pic if you dont mind. I've screen up the pic then i clean up the skin using healing brush and gaussian blur. Change the background to popup the subject using hue/saturation.

then here come the tricks. i filter the pic in liquidfy. i pull the chin down and narrow the cheek.

After that i do some shadow and highlighting.

[SaraJane]

Yeah it is a bit much bc you can tell it's been retouched bc you've lost detail in the areas you've touched iykwim.

I have PSP and it's good for retouching. Here's a quick edit, would be able to do better if I had the original size though.

[idontknow97]

Hi I am new to all this as well and was wodnering how you did the background swap thanks.

[angah]

Originally Posted by idontknow97

Hi I am new to all this as well and was wodnering how you did the background swap thanks.

i'm using colourize saturation and masking

[idontknow97]

I dont know if that link was for me or not because it is all in another language thanks.

[Jim Poor]

Try some of the tools in the free 30 day trials at Topaz Labs.

[notsue]

I understand the unhappiness, but I think that leaving it alone looks better than having it look like it was obviously tampered with. It always gets you thinkin "oh what are they hiding".
In regards to this picture, I dont have a problem with the blemishes, I think the woman looks fine. What bothers me about the picture is the flash, which is an easy fix without ruining the picture. I dont think most people stare too hard at the person in the picture if everything is soft and easy on the eyes.

[daddyoproductions]

I know how you feel about yourself in pictures...I think most of us do The reality about retouching portraits I think is that unless it is a fashion/glamour shot, you should not be able to tell it has been retouched, and here you can. Less is more. I would not bother with changing face structure at this point. Start by practicing getting rid of blemishes and minimizing bags/wrinkles. Don't necessarily eliminate bags and wrinkles, because it may be too obvious and people look really different without them. As far as makeup, I'd say there's a little too much blush, and it's a bit bright. Apply digital makeup the same as regular makeup....it should contour the face and be subtle. Above all, keep practicing, you will get it! We learned by watching lots of tutorials and using the methods we found easiest.

P.S. Avoid using flash as your only light source and that will help a lot. Take photos in natural light, but not direct sunlight and you'll have an easier time retouching it.