Retouching for Headshots
Image retouching is a post-production service applied to all headshot selections made from the client’s proof gallery. The retouching process designed to polish the image by removing blemishes, under-eye circles, stray hairs, yellow teeth, etc., or even remove or change the background of an image.
Basic Retouching methods are resizing, color correction, exposure adjustment, or defect removal. Advanced Retouching addresses more complex edits by request.
Photoshop is one of the most popular software programs used to edit images.
Who does the retouching for your images?
Our retouching is done by the photographer, Erica J Mitchell, BFA and not through a third-party site or from AI services.
Basic Retouching
All images selected receive basic retouching.
This is to address the color, brightness, tone, and cropping of the image for final delivery. Additional elements are for attention to skin, eyes, teeth and distractions such as background elements or stray hairs.
For more complex retouching such as removal of glare on glasses we apply our advanced retouching techniques.
What does Basic Retouching look like?
Basic retouching is enhancement of skin, eyes and teeth, adjustments to image exposure, and attention to background elements and clothing.
Some features of Basic Retouching include:
- Exposure and colour correction
- Skin smoothing and toning
- Reducing shine on face
- Teeth whitening & eye correction
- Basic touch ups such as eyebrows
- Blemishes & scars removal
- Background clean-up
- Image cropping
Retouching Examples (desktop only)
Using a desktop computer, roll over with your mouse on the images to the right and below for an example of a before and after of our headshot retouching.
The image was previous unedited and shows the in camera exposure. In the final image the image has been lightened, stray hairs removed, removed any blemishes, shaped the face with classic dodge and burn techniques, brightened the eyes, and gave the skin a general smoothing effect by hand. We even smoothed out the wrinkled shirt.
Roll over image for the before and after! (Desktop Only)
Roll over image for the before and after! (Desktop Only)
Advanced Retouching
For more complex retouching we offer what we call “Advanced Retouching” such as changing structure and form elements or adjusting specifics such as straightening teeth or removal of glare in glasses.
What is Advanced Retouching?
Advanced retouching are edits with major enhancement of skin, eyes and teeth, adjustments to image exposure, and attention to background elements and clothing.
Some features of Advanced Retouching include:
- Adding or removing large portions of hair
- Removing pimples, blemishes, acnes, eyebags, etc.
- Taking pieces from one photo and swapping it with pieces in another photo
- Reducing skin imperfections like scars, wrinkles, birthmarks
- Significant creases or wrinkles in clothes (please iron/steam your clothing)
- Background removal or change of background colour
- Advanced correcting of red-eyes & whitening the teeth
- Adding digital makeup that looks natural
- Creating a smooth “airbrushed” look for toning the skin
- Making you look 30 years younger
- Changing your clothing in any way
- May include face reshaping or contouring
