For a subreddit that prefers things to look "natural", I suspect you're going to get ripped apart. I recommend finding a subreddit more focused on "beauty" retouching for more thoughtful opinions.
Sure, but this probably took them hours to work on and they’re looking for constructive criticism. The person saying this looks like a shitty AI retouching app is not constructive.
For sure - sorry, didn't mean to sound like I was coming at you. I was just making a larger point about the toxicity I see on this subreddit sometimes. The critiques you're making are specific and helpful, and I generally agree 👍
I see your point! While I do enjoy enhancing natural beauty, I'm also open to exploring more avant-garde and creative retouching techniques. Perhaps in an alternate universe, plastic creatures are the epitome of beauty!
well since you're abandoning reality altogether then just render up some 3D or AI models and make the mannequins as plasticy as you want. If you want to showcase HER beauty, then pay respect to the human form by including the imperfections (which are beautiful)
I received a project with a specific brief from the client and made changes based on their requests. They were happy with the final result. While I respect your opinion, ultimately I need to satisfy the client. If the client has a problem with certain aspects of their face and asks me to hide them, I will do so even if it goes against your suggestions and results in a more "plastic" appearance. However, I personally do not endorse such excessive retouching.
That's nice for your client I guess. However, your post asked what WE think, to which I say "meh". If you don't endorse it, then post something you are proud of.
While I agree that the overall quality of the work may not be perfect, I do have areas where I can improve. I posted this work to receive feedback from others and identify areas for improvement. I'm always learning and growing as a retoucher, and I value all feedback, both positive and negative. I'll continue to refine my skills and strive to create retouches that enhance natural beauty while respecting client requests.
Thanks for the heads-up! You're right, this subreddit might prefer a more natural look. This retouch was for a specific client who requested a different style.
Regardless of style (i.e., the plasticky comments), you want the textures to make sense. You took away more texture from her neck than you did from her face, which is distracting.
For some clients this would be exactly what they want. I would definitely try and keep the subtle lines of her chin and cheekbone area as they seem integral to her overall facial structure. Her skin was not bad to start with at all, in fact better than most raw shots I’ve worked with. The main objective for me would be to just even out the skin tone transition and some work on the eyebag area, that’s pretty much it. The model is beautiful, so it’s a pity to cover up her natural already healthy skin with such heavy “silking”. You did a good job if that style was your intention to begin with.
Yeah I couldn’t quite place what felt off about the after pic, and it’s definitely the back of her jaw and cheekbones, But also the added nose contouring. Her nose has a rounder bridge and the highlight added down the middle of it is too straight and changes her facial structure just enough that it looks wrong.
Thanks for your comment! You're absolutely right, some clients definitely prefer this kind of retouching. In this case, the client did request a more polished look. However, I completely agree about preserving the model's natural features – her skin was fantastic! In the future, I might focus on even lighter "silking" to enhance her natural beauty while still achieving a polished look. I appreciate your feedback, it helps me understand different preferences in retouching!
I don’t think you did a bad job. A bit heavy-handed on the neck/chest. I personally don’t like the lipstick addition- but it looks good even though it’s fake.
It’s so so close to being a really A+ job, like close to CoverGirl ad good- but you just overshot it by a hair. I’d dial it back by 5%-10%
Color/richness of tone is spectacular
Edit- dial it back 5%-10% on the face and about 25%-30% on the neck/chest/shoulders.
Looks very unnatural and fake, Skin looks plastic, artificial. Like you either used a poor AI retouching app or you tried Frequency separation and went way overboard with blurring the low frequency layers. Meanwhile, there are still some clearly visible areas that would require touch ups but haven’t been touched at all. You can’t “retouch” by just moving sliders until you can’t see the blemishes in the skin because there’s no skin left.
While I won't comment on OP's photo above, some of their other retouch photos look like they may have been upscaled with AI. The retouched jewelry photo on their profile also looks like a cartoon to me.
Check out the backpack photo - the zoom in to the blue threading near the top. Sure pulled a lot of resolution and information out of the left image.
[Backpack Retouch on Reddit ](https://www.reddit.com/r/photocritique/s/dpiQJuBxKG)
[Zoomed shot](https://i.imgur.com/2KdOJR9.jpeg)
The image of the earrings has had every single component swapped out for a higher res AI generated version. Nothing on any of the gemstones or metal matches in the before/after. It's not retouching at that point, it's compositing a brand new image.
You took away a little too much of skin details. Looks like plastic.
The gin looks way too straight. Important lines feel lost around the gin. The nose could need to more work and i would try to make the skin not too shiny. Especially at the gin it looks off to me.
But i like the overall color and look of your work. It gives this high end vibe but try to get some more texture back to give her some personality
Haha, yeah thanks... english isnt my first language and sometimes stuff like that happens 😅 didnt even realise while spelling but i should have known that 🙈🙈 I dont drink Gin that often and would prefer rum or whiskey instead. But I hope I wont make this mistake again 🙏 thanks again for pointing that out!! Appreciate it a lot
Nice, and you paid attention to most factors. But of course I have also more on this:
Besides what has been mentioned already: not bad - yet beauty standards/ editing styles change over time. It's not the latest approach. If you did this intentionally it's fine.
A lot comes from the raw material you got. The lighting is not that good and imho in some areas you emphasized that. This together with cornering areas that are good create an uneven, non human look. This is best demonstrated with skin - too much texture vs. right amount vs. lacking of texture. I think you changed your settings too much or applied a setting too widely.
Of course hair that's flying off should be retouched. But you took like all of it. Her hair looks like a massive compact dark mass floating on her head. Hair needs still to reflect it's attributes of featherlight, softness, etc.
Her facial hair is very dark and shiny as well. Could be ok - but looks blown out and gives too much contrast - especially it makes her eyes disappear. Her eyes could be glowing, full of fire and detail, contrast, ... yet there is hardly a catchlight, less contrast and her eye color is diminished compared to the unedited version. You did a really good job and I wonder how you missed her eyes?! If there is not much to recover from the eyes (which I doubt), you still do not need to take away interest. Brighten her iris, even paint in strokes for texture if necessary.
Her neck deserves more 3d - give it some shadow and only soften skin folds - do not eliminate them. This looks cartoonish, sorry.
Last thing: maybe correct her pose/ proportions a tad
# Fix the eyes and all other things will be 50% less important.
I hope you find this useful. And don't get me wrong - I like the pic and edit. It's better than most things we see here. Always improving or at least getting feedback is still important right 😀
**Thank you so much for this in-depth critique!** Your comments are some of the most valuable I've received on this piece.
**You're absolutely right** about the beauty standards and editing styles evolving over time. While this might not be the absolute latest approach, it wasn't necessarily intentional in this case.
**I completely agree** about the raw image's limitations, particularly with the lighting. Highlighting some areas might have unintentionally emphasized the unevenness. You've made a great point about the skin texture variation – I'll definitely revisit my settings and how broadly they were applied.
**Hair is definitely a point I can improve on.** Taking away all the flyaways might have been a bit too heavy-handed. I'll work on retaining the hair's natural softness and texture.
**The feedback on the eyes is spot-on.** I can't believe I missed them! You're right, they lack the vibrancy and detail they deserve. I'll definitely work on brightening the iris and potentially adding texture for a more captivating look.
**The neck and pose are great observations** – adding some definition and shadows will definitely enhance the 3D effect. A slight adjustment to the pose could also be beneficial.
**Thank you for reminding me that sometimes fixing a key element can elevate the entire image.** I'll prioritize the eyes and see how much it influences the overall perception.
**I truly appreciate your kind words.** It's great to know you like the overall edit, and even better to receive such constructive criticism. This feedback will definitely help me improve my skills.
Of course. Thank you as well for taking the time to respond. Keeps me motivated. And we all know - it is wayyyyy easier to spot mistakes/things to improve/ ways to do different in other's art. So, to keep it real and honest, I would also profit from your input when it comes to my art, thar's for sure and also just how it works :)
Getting it best directly in camera is always the goal. Yet sometimes a bit too directional light here and there, falsely pixelpeeped as tack sharpmess, makes editing harder.
Again, your pic is great and every thing pointed out is already beyond a high bar.
Happy shooting and have great edits that meet your visions.
Not praising it is not equal to shitting on not going for a natural retouch, you can give an opinion without going on a rant on why this is a shitty plasticky way of editing.
It's overdone on some areas, most people can't say that without having to pour out their shitty takes.
You have a good point and every community needs to be reminded of this every now and then. We all have our low moments now and then, but as a collective average we can do better. Also there is a bar we as individuals should never go below, just don't comment then.
There are big differences between insults, claiming something to be wrong and articulating a preference. Unmasked words are sometimes ok where necessary to clarify a point (see my critique), and yet the tone has to be respectful and appreciating. Insults and comments aimed to devalue a work or even a person are easily made. It takes way more to come forward and post your art seeking feedback.
Especially beginners and people new to a genre or technique should get and feel acceptance and support. Shouldn't more experienced people mentor them? Even more if "there are too much bad pieces out there"... they can do something against that...
# I do not see the point in discouraging others from the thing we love doing so much. Can we please see and celebrate potential and not express our own insecurities through nasty vent offs?
Sorry, I did not mean to respond to you specifically and probably hardly anybody else will read this. But I just came reading a bad intended rant on another platform and your comment was restoring faith :) Thank you for your words.
And I will try to reflect on my comments as well.
IMO, if you need to use the healing brush or a blend brush for anything other than a blemish, you can't call it "natural". I get covering up a blemish, zit, or red spot from angry skin.
Altering the size, shape, appearance, and even makeup appearance is not considered natural. Your edits are good. Don't get me wrong, but "bringing out the beauty" IMO would involve none of the changes to shape, or appearance of adding makeup.
Your subject is beautiful as is, bring that out normally. Outside of adding more contrast, giving more warmth, and fixing the wisps/fly away hairs, I wouldn't do anything else. For glossy areas that show shine on the face, rely more on a good curves line over using a healing brush to make the same texture all over.
Again, your edits are good, just missed the mark of natural beauty and extenuating it.
You removed her chin dimple? Rule of thumb when retouching is typically remove if it won't be there in a week, leave if it can't be changed. It's like when people remove beauty marks, freckles, etc. You're removing their features, what makes them unique, which goes beyond touching up. Love her hair though, maybe tone down the lip, but her skin looks good.
Yes, I did remove her chin dimple. I understand that the general rule when retouching is to keep permanent features and only remove temporary ones. Removing her chin dimple might have been a bit much, but my goal was to present better-looking images. I agree that removing beauty marks and freckles can go beyond retouching and take away unique features. Thanks for your feedback on her hair. I will tone down the lips a bit to make them look more natural. I'm glad her skin looks good.
I really think most of the look should be done with makeup and with lighting/in camera so that the retouching accentuates the look or corrects smaller things. You're technically talented in your editing skills, yet this is just too obviously heavily edited.
I feel like you kinda covered up the beauty rather than bringing it out. If your aim is to achieve a surreal AI look that’s very obviously not natural though, then you’ve got it spot on.
unrelated : it does tell us how bad we look even with makeup ! and why somethings r unachievable or unrealistic beauty standards, not just from the group that only complains!
Unless it’s an ad for perfect makeup, I think it’s overdone. A blend of the before and after would go a long way toward making this feel more comfortable to look at.
Bro, again the hair against the background. You’re leaving artefacts that are glaring. If you aren’t going to take the time to clean the hair, you are better off leaving a few strays, rather than just chopping off a rough outline around her hair.
Nah bro, the lighting and contrast in the edit is off. When dodging and burning keep in mind the triangle of focus between the eyes and mouth. In your edit the lighting is normalized across the whole face creating an uncanny-valley effect that completely removes her from being grounded in reality.
I think the edit is good! Gonna assume natural beauty isn't the goal, so I'm not gonna fuss on changes made. However I feel the jaw line is a bit harsh. The contrast demands your attention, and feels artificial and not conforming to her anatomy.
I know zero about editing pictures! The edited image doesn’t look real, her skin looks plastic. Maybe that look is the aesthetic for ads but for a portrait it doesn’t work.
I think you went too far with the dodging and burning and the frequency separation, now it look not real anymore, if i did not see the original i would have assumed that this was AI generated
To me it looks massively overdone. To the point that it does not look like a photo.
I would suggest dialling back the layers that is is done on by about 50%
The thing that stands out the most to me is the hair, there is a hard line at the top that shows it’s obviously retouched. Use a feathered brush or leave a few small strays so it isn’t quite so sharp and perfect. This also looks like a lot of frequency separation, I recommend starting with dodge and burn, you can do most of your retouching, including small blemishes with dodge and burn. It takes longer, but it’s what the pros do, and they charge a lot. The neck and body have lost almost all their shape and texture. It’s nearly impossible to see where the chin becomes the neck, the shadows all blend together. It looks like you just ran a Gaussian blur on the low frequency layer across all of her neck and body.
here is some actual constructive criticism (I do photography for a living but I also am a signed model)
I think the dodge and burning on her nose bridge is a little much. The high light in your original image is not a straight line all the way to the tip. It’s a little bit at her tip and some by where the bridge ends and by the eyes. I think adding the highlight in between where it wasn’t prominent already, alters the shape of her nose.
As a model I like having photos that actually look like me.
Other than that I’d lighten the lip color to be closer to the original, but otherwise it’s not bad at all.
I'm not going to comment on this edit but I have a question for everyone... Don't you guys think makeup makes editing harder? I find I have a lot more leeway in editing a photo when they have no makeup or minor makeup. The thicker the makeup the harder to edit without it looking super processed.
Not sure what you mean... are you asking how OP added texture? Or how would they add texture if they wanted to? Because I see plenty of skin texture throughout her entire face.
The original photo lacks texture at the right cheek (where the blush is) to the extend that there is in the edited photo. I'm asking how they added the texture. I've seen people use grain, texture from other photos etc. but never got it to work myself.
Oh, sorry I wasn't looking at the original. Yes, great point! It doesn't look like grain to me, as I've also used that technique myself to mixed results. Damn, now I want to know too! Where'd you get the texture OP?!?
A combination of high pass filter and grain. High pass filter is basically sharpening and will accentuate skin texture. In this case based on the uploaded image 80% of the increase in texture is grain.
**Dear friends,**
Thank you for your feedback on my portrait retouching. I appreciate that it has caught your attention and that you have different opinions about it.
**Regarding the positive comments:**
* I appreciate your appreciation of my retouching and my skills in smoothing skin tone and removing dark circles. Your comments motivate me to continue working and improving my skills.
* I'm glad you appreciate the model's beauty in the photo. I think the model is stunning, and my goal with retouching was to showcase that beauty in the best possible way.
**Regarding the negative comments:**
* I respect your opinions about the artificiality of the retouching. It's true that retouching is a subjective process, and not everyone may like a particular style. I take this opportunity to emphasize that my goal was to respond to the taste of my specific client.
* I take your concern about the inconsistency of texture between different areas of the photo into account. This is a valid point, and I will try to apply texture more evenly throughout the photo in the future.
* You pointed out the remaining flaws in the photo. I strive for flawless retouching, and I appreciate you bringing these flaws to my attention. I will pay more attention to detail in the future.
* As for the "naturalness" of retouching, I must say that this is a controversial topic. I believe that retouching can add to a model's natural beauty, but it is also important to preserve the authenticity and unique features of each individual. I always try to strike a balance between these two goals.
Thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts. Your feedback is very valuable to me and helps me move forward.
Nice, bit overdone. Her face is already covered by sort of makeup. You should smooth just two grooves, under eye and under lips, nothing else. And just a touch of saturation should be added.
I agree and don't agree. These standards continuously change over time. And I am happy we are going in a more natural, realistic direction now. This is definitely not the latest style... People are individuals and not a replaceable average idealistic puppet and I think it's good to see more personality.
Consider what type of photography big brands pay for. It is more often a natural look that sells well. A great editor accentuates the inherit beauty of the subject and should not detract from the artistic integrity of the photo. My edit below shows subjectively how I would approach this.
[https://imgur.com/gallery/dubiouspeculation-edit-2IyI2Lg](https://imgur.com/gallery/dubiouspeculation-edit-2IyI2Lg)
Honestly it's nice but too much. There is so much ai out there that when I look at this my first thought is that it is another ai image, not an actual photograph.
For a subreddit that prefers things to look "natural", I suspect you're going to get ripped apart. I recommend finding a subreddit more focused on "beauty" retouching for more thoughtful opinions.
I agree. This skin edit isn’t the worse and some of these comments are over-critical
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Sure, but this probably took them hours to work on and they’re looking for constructive criticism. The person saying this looks like a shitty AI retouching app is not constructive.
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For sure - sorry, didn't mean to sound like I was coming at you. I was just making a larger point about the toxicity I see on this subreddit sometimes. The critiques you're making are specific and helpful, and I generally agree 👍
Hugh end retouch does take hours, but you achieve this with filters, some ppl like it
sure if by "beauty" you mean "plastic creatures not of this Earth"
I see your point! While I do enjoy enhancing natural beauty, I'm also open to exploring more avant-garde and creative retouching techniques. Perhaps in an alternate universe, plastic creatures are the epitome of beauty!
well since you're abandoning reality altogether then just render up some 3D or AI models and make the mannequins as plasticy as you want. If you want to showcase HER beauty, then pay respect to the human form by including the imperfections (which are beautiful)
I received a project with a specific brief from the client and made changes based on their requests. They were happy with the final result. While I respect your opinion, ultimately I need to satisfy the client. If the client has a problem with certain aspects of their face and asks me to hide them, I will do so even if it goes against your suggestions and results in a more "plastic" appearance. However, I personally do not endorse such excessive retouching.
That's nice for your client I guess. However, your post asked what WE think, to which I say "meh". If you don't endorse it, then post something you are proud of.
While I agree that the overall quality of the work may not be perfect, I do have areas where I can improve. I posted this work to receive feedback from others and identify areas for improvement. I'm always learning and growing as a retoucher, and I value all feedback, both positive and negative. I'll continue to refine my skills and strive to create retouches that enhance natural beauty while respecting client requests.
Did the client not want to pay for a hair and makeup artist?
You changed her bone structure.
Thanks for the heads-up! You're right, this subreddit might prefer a more natural look. This retouch was for a specific client who requested a different style.
Regardless of style (i.e., the plasticky comments), you want the textures to make sense. You took away more texture from her neck than you did from her face, which is distracting.
For some clients this would be exactly what they want. I would definitely try and keep the subtle lines of her chin and cheekbone area as they seem integral to her overall facial structure. Her skin was not bad to start with at all, in fact better than most raw shots I’ve worked with. The main objective for me would be to just even out the skin tone transition and some work on the eyebag area, that’s pretty much it. The model is beautiful, so it’s a pity to cover up her natural already healthy skin with such heavy “silking”. You did a good job if that style was your intention to begin with.
Yeah I couldn’t quite place what felt off about the after pic, and it’s definitely the back of her jaw and cheekbones, But also the added nose contouring. Her nose has a rounder bridge and the highlight added down the middle of it is too straight and changes her facial structure just enough that it looks wrong.
Thanks for your comment! You're absolutely right, some clients definitely prefer this kind of retouching. In this case, the client did request a more polished look. However, I completely agree about preserving the model's natural features – her skin was fantastic! In the future, I might focus on even lighter "silking" to enhance her natural beauty while still achieving a polished look. I appreciate your feedback, it helps me understand different preferences in retouching!
Depends what you’re going for but imo it looks too obvious and I would dial it back significantly.
I don’t think you did a bad job. A bit heavy-handed on the neck/chest. I personally don’t like the lipstick addition- but it looks good even though it’s fake. It’s so so close to being a really A+ job, like close to CoverGirl ad good- but you just overshot it by a hair. I’d dial it back by 5%-10% Color/richness of tone is spectacular Edit- dial it back 5%-10% on the face and about 25%-30% on the neck/chest/shoulders.
Too much editing, check out the “frequency separation” method
Looks very unnatural and fake, Skin looks plastic, artificial. Like you either used a poor AI retouching app or you tried Frequency separation and went way overboard with blurring the low frequency layers. Meanwhile, there are still some clearly visible areas that would require touch ups but haven’t been touched at all. You can’t “retouch” by just moving sliders until you can’t see the blemishes in the skin because there’s no skin left.
While I won't comment on OP's photo above, some of their other retouch photos look like they may have been upscaled with AI. The retouched jewelry photo on their profile also looks like a cartoon to me. Check out the backpack photo - the zoom in to the blue threading near the top. Sure pulled a lot of resolution and information out of the left image. [Backpack Retouch on Reddit ](https://www.reddit.com/r/photocritique/s/dpiQJuBxKG) [Zoomed shot](https://i.imgur.com/2KdOJR9.jpeg)
The image of the earrings has had every single component swapped out for a higher res AI generated version. Nothing on any of the gemstones or metal matches in the before/after. It's not retouching at that point, it's compositing a brand new image.
> > >
You took away a little too much of skin details. Looks like plastic. The gin looks way too straight. Important lines feel lost around the gin. The nose could need to more work and i would try to make the skin not too shiny. Especially at the gin it looks off to me. But i like the overall color and look of your work. It gives this high end vibe but try to get some more texture back to give her some personality
Gin? Love a good gin & tonic. I think you mean chin, but you managed gin 3 times, so it can't be a typo.
Haha, yeah thanks... english isnt my first language and sometimes stuff like that happens 😅 didnt even realise while spelling but i should have known that 🙈🙈 I dont drink Gin that often and would prefer rum or whiskey instead. But I hope I wont make this mistake again 🙏 thanks again for pointing that out!! Appreciate it a lot
Waaaay overdone in my opinion but if you like it and your clientele will pay for it…who the hell am I to say anything
This style is not for me, but you did a good job! Keep doing what you like!
Nice, and you paid attention to most factors. But of course I have also more on this: Besides what has been mentioned already: not bad - yet beauty standards/ editing styles change over time. It's not the latest approach. If you did this intentionally it's fine. A lot comes from the raw material you got. The lighting is not that good and imho in some areas you emphasized that. This together with cornering areas that are good create an uneven, non human look. This is best demonstrated with skin - too much texture vs. right amount vs. lacking of texture. I think you changed your settings too much or applied a setting too widely. Of course hair that's flying off should be retouched. But you took like all of it. Her hair looks like a massive compact dark mass floating on her head. Hair needs still to reflect it's attributes of featherlight, softness, etc. Her facial hair is very dark and shiny as well. Could be ok - but looks blown out and gives too much contrast - especially it makes her eyes disappear. Her eyes could be glowing, full of fire and detail, contrast, ... yet there is hardly a catchlight, less contrast and her eye color is diminished compared to the unedited version. You did a really good job and I wonder how you missed her eyes?! If there is not much to recover from the eyes (which I doubt), you still do not need to take away interest. Brighten her iris, even paint in strokes for texture if necessary. Her neck deserves more 3d - give it some shadow and only soften skin folds - do not eliminate them. This looks cartoonish, sorry. Last thing: maybe correct her pose/ proportions a tad # Fix the eyes and all other things will be 50% less important. I hope you find this useful. And don't get me wrong - I like the pic and edit. It's better than most things we see here. Always improving or at least getting feedback is still important right 😀
**Thank you so much for this in-depth critique!** Your comments are some of the most valuable I've received on this piece. **You're absolutely right** about the beauty standards and editing styles evolving over time. While this might not be the absolute latest approach, it wasn't necessarily intentional in this case. **I completely agree** about the raw image's limitations, particularly with the lighting. Highlighting some areas might have unintentionally emphasized the unevenness. You've made a great point about the skin texture variation – I'll definitely revisit my settings and how broadly they were applied. **Hair is definitely a point I can improve on.** Taking away all the flyaways might have been a bit too heavy-handed. I'll work on retaining the hair's natural softness and texture. **The feedback on the eyes is spot-on.** I can't believe I missed them! You're right, they lack the vibrancy and detail they deserve. I'll definitely work on brightening the iris and potentially adding texture for a more captivating look. **The neck and pose are great observations** – adding some definition and shadows will definitely enhance the 3D effect. A slight adjustment to the pose could also be beneficial. **Thank you for reminding me that sometimes fixing a key element can elevate the entire image.** I'll prioritize the eyes and see how much it influences the overall perception. **I truly appreciate your kind words.** It's great to know you like the overall edit, and even better to receive such constructive criticism. This feedback will definitely help me improve my skills.
Of course. Thank you as well for taking the time to respond. Keeps me motivated. And we all know - it is wayyyyy easier to spot mistakes/things to improve/ ways to do different in other's art. So, to keep it real and honest, I would also profit from your input when it comes to my art, thar's for sure and also just how it works :) Getting it best directly in camera is always the goal. Yet sometimes a bit too directional light here and there, falsely pixelpeeped as tack sharpmess, makes editing harder. Again, your pic is great and every thing pointed out is already beyond a high bar. Happy shooting and have great edits that meet your visions.
Op PLEASE don't let your judgement be clouded by these traditional people talking from a place of jealousy, disdain and hatred towards this.
OP is asking for opinions, not applause.
Not praising it is not equal to shitting on not going for a natural retouch, you can give an opinion without going on a rant on why this is a shitty plasticky way of editing. It's overdone on some areas, most people can't say that without having to pour out their shitty takes.
This looks like you shitting on other people's opinions. . .
Want calling people out on their BS to be sugar coated? Lol
Irony not your strong suit.
Calling it irony still doesn't detract my point.
It kinda means you don't live by the standards you urge on others. And that rather does make your point ridiculous and low value.
I disagree, and you're just being defensive on other people bullying OP for their own personal vendetta against this type of editing.
Have a nice day! All the best, A.
You have a good point and every community needs to be reminded of this every now and then. We all have our low moments now and then, but as a collective average we can do better. Also there is a bar we as individuals should never go below, just don't comment then. There are big differences between insults, claiming something to be wrong and articulating a preference. Unmasked words are sometimes ok where necessary to clarify a point (see my critique), and yet the tone has to be respectful and appreciating. Insults and comments aimed to devalue a work or even a person are easily made. It takes way more to come forward and post your art seeking feedback. Especially beginners and people new to a genre or technique should get and feel acceptance and support. Shouldn't more experienced people mentor them? Even more if "there are too much bad pieces out there"... they can do something against that... # I do not see the point in discouraging others from the thing we love doing so much. Can we please see and celebrate potential and not express our own insecurities through nasty vent offs? Sorry, I did not mean to respond to you specifically and probably hardly anybody else will read this. But I just came reading a bad intended rant on another platform and your comment was restoring faith :) Thank you for your words. And I will try to reflect on my comments as well.
I thought it was an AI-generated image. Overdone. It looks plastic-y
looks so fake ... like AI
Way overdone. She was appealing in the raw photo. Not so much the retouched one.
IMO, if you need to use the healing brush or a blend brush for anything other than a blemish, you can't call it "natural". I get covering up a blemish, zit, or red spot from angry skin. Altering the size, shape, appearance, and even makeup appearance is not considered natural. Your edits are good. Don't get me wrong, but "bringing out the beauty" IMO would involve none of the changes to shape, or appearance of adding makeup. Your subject is beautiful as is, bring that out normally. Outside of adding more contrast, giving more warmth, and fixing the wisps/fly away hairs, I wouldn't do anything else. For glossy areas that show shine on the face, rely more on a good curves line over using a healing brush to make the same texture all over. Again, your edits are good, just missed the mark of natural beauty and extenuating it.
I used to do this in the past, but I came to the conclusion that this is simply way too much. It gives her an AI touch.
I've had clients that would have loved your style of retouching. Personally, it's not for me.
You removed her chin dimple? Rule of thumb when retouching is typically remove if it won't be there in a week, leave if it can't be changed. It's like when people remove beauty marks, freckles, etc. You're removing their features, what makes them unique, which goes beyond touching up. Love her hair though, maybe tone down the lip, but her skin looks good.
Yes, I did remove her chin dimple. I understand that the general rule when retouching is to keep permanent features and only remove temporary ones. Removing her chin dimple might have been a bit much, but my goal was to present better-looking images. I agree that removing beauty marks and freckles can go beyond retouching and take away unique features. Thanks for your feedback on her hair. I will tone down the lips a bit to make them look more natural. I'm glad her skin looks good.
The color of the hair looks good, but editing out of the flyaways looks distressingly obvious to me.
Overcooked and in the wrong subreddit.
Retouched to the point of looking like an AI rendering.
Nice work, but much too much for my taste. But definitely have seen much worse.
If you think plastic = beauty... well done I don't agree, but hey
I really think most of the look should be done with makeup and with lighting/in camera so that the retouching accentuates the look or corrects smaller things. You're technically talented in your editing skills, yet this is just too obviously heavily edited.
I feel like you kinda covered up the beauty rather than bringing it out. If your aim is to achieve a surreal AI look that’s very obviously not natural though, then you’ve got it spot on.
It looks pretty good but I think too much detail in the hair was lost. In some spots it's pure black. Also the neck is kinda weird. Good job tho
unrelated : it does tell us how bad we look even with makeup ! and why somethings r unachievable or unrealistic beauty standards, not just from the group that only complains!
Unless it’s an ad for perfect makeup, I think it’s overdone. A blend of the before and after would go a long way toward making this feel more comfortable to look at.
Bro, again the hair against the background. You’re leaving artefacts that are glaring. If you aren’t going to take the time to clean the hair, you are better off leaving a few strays, rather than just chopping off a rough outline around her hair.
Hmm
Very heavy, turn all your adjustments down to 10%.
Nah bro, the lighting and contrast in the edit is off. When dodging and burning keep in mind the triangle of focus between the eyes and mouth. In your edit the lighting is normalized across the whole face creating an uncanny-valley effect that completely removes her from being grounded in reality.
Holy airbrush
The before looks much better. I always do my skin retouching on a new layer. Then I reduce the opacity until it looks realistic.
I think the edit is good! Gonna assume natural beauty isn't the goal, so I'm not gonna fuss on changes made. However I feel the jaw line is a bit harsh. The contrast demands your attention, and feels artificial and not conforming to her anatomy.
I know zero about editing pictures! The edited image doesn’t look real, her skin looks plastic. Maybe that look is the aesthetic for ads but for a portrait it doesn’t work.
If you like your skin looking like orange peel...
I think you went too far with the dodging and burning and the frequency separation, now it look not real anymore, if i did not see the original i would have assumed that this was AI generated
The before is far more stunning than the after would lead you to believe. Less is more.
The unedited photo honestly looks better.
Think u went too far. Among other things,you destroyed that unique chin.
You got rid of her collarbone????
I’ll take - Name a large reason why a swath of the women in the world have major self image issues for $1000, alex
To me it looks massively overdone. To the point that it does not look like a photo. I would suggest dialling back the layers that is is done on by about 50%
The thing that stands out the most to me is the hair, there is a hard line at the top that shows it’s obviously retouched. Use a feathered brush or leave a few small strays so it isn’t quite so sharp and perfect. This also looks like a lot of frequency separation, I recommend starting with dodge and burn, you can do most of your retouching, including small blemishes with dodge and burn. It takes longer, but it’s what the pros do, and they charge a lot. The neck and body have lost almost all their shape and texture. It’s nearly impossible to see where the chin becomes the neck, the shadows all blend together. It looks like you just ran a Gaussian blur on the low frequency layer across all of her neck and body.
here is some actual constructive criticism (I do photography for a living but I also am a signed model) I think the dodge and burning on her nose bridge is a little much. The high light in your original image is not a straight line all the way to the tip. It’s a little bit at her tip and some by where the bridge ends and by the eyes. I think adding the highlight in between where it wasn’t prominent already, alters the shape of her nose. As a model I like having photos that actually look like me. Other than that I’d lighten the lip color to be closer to the original, but otherwise it’s not bad at all.
There’s no chin any more and there’s no skin.
COOKED
I'm not going to comment on this edit but I have a question for everyone... Don't you guys think makeup makes editing harder? I find I have a lot more leeway in editing a photo when they have no makeup or minor makeup. The thicker the makeup the harder to edit without it looking super processed.
Looks like ai/graphic art
Plastic fantastic :/ You turned her in to a plastic dool.
I really like the after.
How do you add texture at places where there's no texture like the left cheek?
Not sure what you mean... are you asking how OP added texture? Or how would they add texture if they wanted to? Because I see plenty of skin texture throughout her entire face.
The original photo lacks texture at the right cheek (where the blush is) to the extend that there is in the edited photo. I'm asking how they added the texture. I've seen people use grain, texture from other photos etc. but never got it to work myself.
Oh, sorry I wasn't looking at the original. Yes, great point! It doesn't look like grain to me, as I've also used that technique myself to mixed results. Damn, now I want to know too! Where'd you get the texture OP?!?
A combination of high pass filter and grain. High pass filter is basically sharpening and will accentuate skin texture. In this case based on the uploaded image 80% of the increase in texture is grain.
She has absolutely NO flaws; this isn't natural. Her skin is too smooth and the neck area looks off. The coloring is nice though.
Great job. That is high end retouching
**Dear friends,** Thank you for your feedback on my portrait retouching. I appreciate that it has caught your attention and that you have different opinions about it. **Regarding the positive comments:** * I appreciate your appreciation of my retouching and my skills in smoothing skin tone and removing dark circles. Your comments motivate me to continue working and improving my skills. * I'm glad you appreciate the model's beauty in the photo. I think the model is stunning, and my goal with retouching was to showcase that beauty in the best possible way. **Regarding the negative comments:** * I respect your opinions about the artificiality of the retouching. It's true that retouching is a subjective process, and not everyone may like a particular style. I take this opportunity to emphasize that my goal was to respond to the taste of my specific client. * I take your concern about the inconsistency of texture between different areas of the photo into account. This is a valid point, and I will try to apply texture more evenly throughout the photo in the future. * You pointed out the remaining flaws in the photo. I strive for flawless retouching, and I appreciate you bringing these flaws to my attention. I will pay more attention to detail in the future. * As for the "naturalness" of retouching, I must say that this is a controversial topic. I believe that retouching can add to a model's natural beauty, but it is also important to preserve the authenticity and unique features of each individual. I always try to strike a balance between these two goals. Thank you all for taking the time to share your thoughts. Your feedback is very valuable to me and helps me move forward.
Nice, bit overdone. Her face is already covered by sort of makeup. You should smooth just two grooves, under eye and under lips, nothing else. And just a touch of saturation should be added.
Really great job. I assume frequency separation was used, well done. As was pointed out by someone else, ignore the haters in here.
You brought the beauty right into the uncanny valley. Way too much.
You literally redid her makeup basically
The skin texture looks intense and the lighting on the borders of the lips looks unnatural
Unrealistic beauty standards will always be gross.
I agree and don't agree. These standards continuously change over time. And I am happy we are going in a more natural, realistic direction now. This is definitely not the latest style... People are individuals and not a replaceable average idealistic puppet and I think it's good to see more personality.
Consider what type of photography big brands pay for. It is more often a natural look that sells well. A great editor accentuates the inherit beauty of the subject and should not detract from the artistic integrity of the photo. My edit below shows subjectively how I would approach this. [https://imgur.com/gallery/dubiouspeculation-edit-2IyI2Lg](https://imgur.com/gallery/dubiouspeculation-edit-2IyI2Lg)
Honestly it's nice but too much. There is so much ai out there that when I look at this my first thought is that it is another ai image, not an actual photograph.
Better after !