Retouching is a skill that I have refined over the years. There is no easy answer to perfecting your retouching skills in Photoshop. It takes time, practice, dedication, willingness to learn, and did I mention practice?
I generally have a vision of what an image might become from the moment I click the shutter. That vision can not always be realized straight out of the camera. The trick is to recognize the potential where it is needed as well as understand when to leave an image alone. Restraint is a dominating word while I edit.
Trends will come and go in the industry, textures are hot right now, but they just don’t work for the majority of my images. 10 years from now I want my images to remain classic, allowing the subject to speak for itself.
That being said, I believe every image requires a minimal amount of retouching. So I thought today I would show you a bunch of before + after’s, noting what I did to get the image to where I feel it needs to be. I also wanted to post these because it shows that although we may have the same camera, we aren’t going to necessarily end up with the same shot.
Left: RAW File | Right: RAW File + Adjusted Exposure, Blacks, and Contrast
I am happy with the final image from its adjusted RAW format. On the final image, I just applied sharpening.
Left: RAW File | Right: RAW File + Adjusted Exposure, Blacks, and Contrast
For the final image, I took out the lamp post on the right and applied sharpening.
Left: RAW File | Right: RAW File + Adjusted Exposure, Blacks, and Contrast
Final Image, I decided to take out the ball at the bottom because there wasn’t enough of it in the image to make it worth keeping. Sharpened as well.
RAW File
RAW Adjusted File
For the final image, I really wanted a dreamy look. So I decided to take it one step further and applied an action from the Totally Rad Action Mix called Technicolor Dreamworld.
Here is a great example of a shot that I totally underexposed. I just didn’t have any light coming in behind me because my house was there. But the potential was there so I decided to work with it to see what I could do. The floppy lips were just too much to delete!
RAW Adjusted File | Since I am working in CS3, I was able to easily use the Fill slider to add some detail into her nose.
Final Image still really needed some work. I used the Quick Mask Took (my fave) to select her nose, created a duplicate layer, and then brought out the shadows. I added a bit more contrast by using curves. Then I added a slight cross processed tone, because I just like it that way. Sharpened. Ending up with the most smooshable lips ever!
Left: RAW File | Right: RAW File + Adjusted Exposure, Blacks, and Contrast
Final Image I just added a slight amount of contrast and sharpened
Maybe in Black & White? A black & white image is a lot more complicated. Maybe I’ll do a post on that some other day.
How about one of my little nephew?
RAW
RAW Adjusted
Final Image I added a slight pop of contrast and applied a slight skin smoother
Happy Editing!
Thanks for sharing your b&a! I love seeing these as it inspires me to make better images. I’m still trying to get the hang of pp… haven’t been able to grasp it yet. I love your talent!
Erin ~ thank you so much for explaining some of your work flow details. I will definitely look into getting the Kubota Magic Sharp. My problem is getting most of the work done on the front end (setting the photo up properly as far as camera settings) which eliminates a lot of work on the back end (post-processing). I’m learning to take more time to evaluate the situation, adjust my camera and THEN shoot. I know sometimes you see a shot and just have to take it but more times than none, its better to have it right when you take the shot.
Anyway…enough rambling…THANKS!! (btw, the one with Gracie’s lips…irresistible =)
MORE, MORE, MORE info! I love it! Thank you SO much. I am definitely in the camp of “how much post do I actually do?”
Angela: If you want to try RAW, I recommend reading Adobe Camera RAW by Bruce Fraser first. It will help you ease into it. I use Sharpen for Web from Totally RAD for my web images and Kubota Magic Sharp for my prints.
David: Invest in a good sharpening action if you can. I recommend Kubota’s definitely.
Amazing to see the before & after and have you tell the process of getting from one to the other. Sharpening has always mystified me and I’m never satisfied. Do you sharpen in CS3? Smart Sharpen or Unsharp Mask? Any rules of thumb you’d care to impart?
Thanks for taking the time to explain your process. I agree that restraint is a big factor in getting artwork that is timeless and not just appealing here and now. You’ve inspired me to give RAW a go too.
I was wondering if you use an action for your sharpening? There are so many on the market and some are so subtle and others way too intense.
Lovely Erin! Your post processing is so amazing, I do agree that simple is classy and timeless, and shows your true talent as a photographer :)
Wonderful information Erin….Thanks and tell Gracie Hi!
Hi Kim! I work exclusively in ACR Bridge. CS3 has some great new curve sliders but I have found that the contrast slider is plenty fine for me.
Can ask which RAW converter you use? And, when you say that you adjust contrast in RAW, does that mean you bump up the tone curve, or the actual contrast slider? Man I love your stuff!!
Thanks for this post Erin. I always like to see how other photographers post-process their images. I really think it can make a big difference between a good photo and a photo that really pops.
Thank you lurkers for coming out of the weeds! I’m happy to help!
Please let me know if any questions arise.
Hi Erin,
Just have to come out of lurking to say thank you so much for this post. I LOVE your post processing and am always dying to see your new pics! It is SO helpful to see before and after and know the steps you took to get there. Can’t wait to hear about your Black and Whites!! Thanks so much for all you do for us fellow photogs.
Kim
hey there, thanks for sharing this info. It takes a lot of confidence for a photographer to post the before pictures. I know people that won’t even let somebody see the shoot before they are edited… anyway, good work and thanks. — Kendrick
Thanks for sharing, Erin. :) I love the one of Gracie in the snow.
Thank you Erin for this very informative post. I, too, am not very fond of textures or borders although I do like to play with slight cross-processing at times. Your post-processing techniques look like they are very similar to mine so that is encouraging to me ;)
I really like your blog and have been a silent rss subscriber for a while now (as well as flickr contact). Have a wonderful weekend.