Tips for natural-looking headshots.
Post-processing programs have opened up amazing ways to enhance a portrait, but there is always a fine line when too much retouching will look unnatural. Simple editing touches can make a huge difference to a portrait, without taking away the natural expressions and personality of the subject.
To best retouch a face, the key is to understand the shape of the face, how it reacts to light and what makes sense in terms of correction. Then, it is important to distinguish between facial expressions which give character to a face, and signs of aging or spots which can distract from the face’s natural beauty.
Wrinkles
There’s not just one kind of wrinkles.
While taking out wrinkles on the forehead and frowning lines will enhance your portrait, “crow’s feet” and laugh lines which portray your personality should only be smoothed out for a natural result. You don’t want your professional portrait to look rigid or life-less. It is important that your personality and dynamism shine through.
Age/sun spots
Age and sun spots can be easily taken out and greatly enhance the overall appearance of a face, without impacting on its character.
What about freckles?
This really depends on you and how you feel about them. If you consider that they are part of who you are, they should absolutely not be touched. Don’t hesitate to tell your photographer what you’re most comfortable with!
Other tips and tricks
Remember that a pose and outfit will also greatly influence your final photo.Your photographer is here to advise you on the most flattering poses and outfits. For example, simple posing tricks will smooth out double chins, and any other element you might not be comfortable with.
We reserved this space for posting a client’s before & after, including the unretouched photos, but.. couldn’t find any volunteer!
Guess we did a good job with the retouching 