I would like to know how this is done. I've been playing and I just can't seem to figure it out. A lot of people can retouch like this, so it can't be that hard, really. It must be that once you figure it out, you have a pattern and you just do it.

I know that having the right lighting and all that is key, but you guys must have some tricks up your sleeves, so ... share them please!

The skin smoothing, I think I have that figured out (although I still can't make it look as good as them! it must come with lots of practice?!) But what I would REALLY like to know is how do they the perfect eyes and mouth. It's like they make the eyes bigger, wider, brighter, whiter ... lol just basically everything. And adding the eyelashes, well ... I don't think they use premade brushes! Or maybe they do once they draw them themselves first!

It gives me a headache thinking about it all. I could really use all the help that I could get. Here is an example for reference ...

The photos were all done by the same photographer, one is a non-retouched proof, and the others are finished examples. I need to go from proof to finished, obviously so .... help please, lol!


Non-Touched Proof
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/Angie789/red.jpg


Finished Photos
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/Angie789/untitled-2.jpg




And I know that these look fake, but that's the point, and that's how they're supposed to look, so it's ok. And also, I tried to attach them, but they were too big ... so I hope linking them is ok.

To learn how to do retouch pics to that quality...maybe study videos on youtube for and hour and you should be good to go :)

However if you want to do a beauty retouch that you can't tell is retouched (look at 99% of magazine covers) then you have to study as many photoshop books as you can, learn photography and practice for hundreds of hours

Edit*
Get this book to help you start out, and go over it cover to cover not just beauty they will all help you. It goes through step by step basic retouching as well as a little higher end skin fixing using dodge / burn techniques, more information here than we can tell you in one post.

http://www.amazon.com/Photoshop-Restoration-Retouching-Voices-Matter/dp/0321316274/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1/102-8540274-3003358?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1189801714&sr=8-1

No offense but those are some scary freaking bratz dolls.

Is that level of overdone retouching really the norm in child beauty pageant contestants?

hahahaha.....this is soooo funny...it's this the picture parents want for their kids????? baby pageant pictures is even more scary...WHY??? That is so typical american...even normal baby/childre aren't pretty without HEAVY retouching...

I have no comment on the technical aspect of this thread...


Gerry

those retouches are very scary :(
nothing artistic in them. Retouch is about making something look better . Kids are so beautiful already, they don't need retouch. I think those contests are kinda silly. After all, the ones that request these kind of works are focusing more on an imaginative image of their child, instead of seeing the natural beauty and innocence of kids. A retouch should improve the idea of the photo and this kind of heavly-overdone style is just .. fake. Kids are simple and subtle, fragile and the retouch is so strong. This is why it doesn't work.
So my personal advice would be to not even bother learning this technique and try to focus on some great, beautiful tutorials. :)

Why?
Thats some sick stuff!!
Little girls dont need to look like women!

That is so typical american...even normal baby/childre aren't pretty without HEAVY retouching...

Gerry

not trying to hijack this thread but I certainly don't think this is TYPICAL.

not trying to hijack this thread but I certainly don't think this is TYPICAL. Actually, it's quite typical: of smug, decadent, elitist Europeans living in self-congratulatory bliss while their bankrupt socialists paradises roll over and play dead for every fascist thug that rolls down the highway. That's okay, we saved your wimp hides last time, we'll do it again. Have another latt

hahahaha.....this is soooo funny...it's this the picture parents want for their kids????? baby pageant pictures is even more scary...WHY??? That is so typical american...even normal baby/childre aren't pretty without HEAVY retouching...Gerry
not trying to hijack this thread but I certainly don't think this is TYPICAL. Actually, it's quite typical—of smug, decadent, elitist Europeans living in self-congratulatory bliss while their bankrupt socialist paradises roll over and play dead for every fascist thug that rolls down the highway. That's okay, we saved your wimp hides last time, we'll do it again.

Oops! Did I generalize? Stereotype? Hmmm... maybe we should just not go there on this forum. Whaddaya think?

Oh, and as for the Photos, I think the parents should be arrested.

EDGEWORK: I'm sorry if I was being rude to all the american reader, I apologize...But there is a big difference between pageants from america to european...I don't even think we have pageants for kids that small...

cheers

Gerry

Do a search on this site - this has been discussed before.

EDGEWORK: I'm sorry if I was being rude to all the american reader, I apologize...But there is a big difference between pageants from america to european...I don't even think we have pageants for kids that small...

cheers

GerryUnfortunately, one of the downsides to an (allegedly) free market economy, is that you run the risk of discovering that markets exist for all kinds of things, even stuff that churns your stomach. The truth about those pageants is that the majority of the audience is made up of the parents shilling their kids, photographers making money off of parents shilling their kids, agents and various other bottom feeders and parasites. I guess, eventually, some few of them ooze their way up the food chain to Miss America and Miss Universe, but the rest burn out at Miss Hog Farmer and Miss Pickle Festival, or, maybe, worse. The only other people who get a buzz off photos and shows like these, besides mercenary parents, are likely candidates for a sex-offender registry. (Sorry for the rant, folks, I have a daughter who I do not shill, and this stuff kicks me in the gut.)

Bringing the topic back to relevance, Adamzx3 summed the retouching up best: this is mindless craft and zero quality, McRetouching at its worst (except that libels Big Macs).

Next?

And these pictures are mild compared to some I have seen. The part I have never been able to figure out is what kind of drugs the parents and judges must be on to think these are good photos that represent the girls. Its a twisted world we live in today. The market is there and as long as there is a market, there are people willing to fill it.

Here is by far some of the scarest of this work.

http://www.naturalbeautiescontest.homestead.com/retouch5.html


Many have sent the retoucher emails and get very nasty responses.

Hi there

Here is a quick go at the picture… not the best but a start.

I increased the eye sizes by 5 percent with the scale feature.

Hardened and brightened the catch lights and added catch light reflections.

Used a cooling photo filter in overlay mode to deepen the blue in the eyes.

Painted some extensions on the eyelids with a small black brush set to fade at 15 percent and added slight drop shadow.

The hair had some damage so I used a smudge brush in the hair.

Smudged some areas of the skin.

Used a high radius and lower amount sharpening

Heavy application of noise reduction.

Butch

Urbanheart, I have noticed that as the pageant candidates get older they seem to use less and less artificial plumping. It seems that mid to late teens are not 'dolled' up as much