Soft Focus - Portraits

[sansuci]

Hi Everyone!

My first post. I am new to photography and Photoshop. I have learnt a tad bit along the way and thought I would share this with you......

I learnt this process from a website by a person called Kevin Ames. All credit please goes to him. It creates the same effect as the Ziess Soft R2 filter - which you cannot use when you go digital...or at least that is what you thought till now. [n.b. if this is on someone else's post previously I apologise].

Attached is an action to achieve the soft focus. Where it stops however is after creating the soft effect with a layer mask. What you have to do afterwards is simply bring back into focus key features of the face such as the eyes....nose....eyebrows...and defining lines. It works wonders and I hope you all like it. Attached also are three photos...before...without masking and finally the finished product.

Before you run this action....please do all your colour correction and level/curve correction. Then click on new layer. Hold down your option/cmd key and click on the layer option pallet and hit merge visible. What this does is create a new layer effectively flattening all your previous layers while keeping them intact.

Then run the action and finally click on your background colour (black) and using a paint brush with an opacity of say 25% start colouring in the mask to bring the photo back into focus.

Hope you have fun. If you need a tutorial on this...would be happy to help - once I figure out how to publish a tutorial.

Take care and and a big thank you to the site organisers and contributors for making the entire experience of photography and Photoshop so enjoyable.

Sansuci

p.s. sorry don't know how yet how best to load before and after pictures so saved them for web to be below the 100kb limit

[Legacy~Art]

Welcome to the forum, your pictures are adorable and the added gift is very welcomed thank you!!!

Hope to see more of your work.

[Fizzgiz]

Welcome!!! That baby is simply delicious! I will have to try that action and technique on some of my son's baby pictures. And I'm sure that when you get it figured out, you will make a great tutorial. Your short post here was very clear. Look foward to seeing you around.
Jessy

[Big Mike]

Ziess Soft R2 filter - which you cannot use when you go digital

I'm wondering why that (or any) filter can not be used when you go digital?

[sansuci]

I think the answer to your question is that it can be used but the entire idea of digital is the flexibility that it offers in post production. If you used the filter then you are limited to using the photograph with the filter. However digital clearly gives you the ability to see if you like that effect or another.

[PamSav]

I love the effect of your action on your photos Sansuci. Thanks so much for sharing it with us (Very cute baby too)

[sansuci]

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for your kind words and encouragement.

Take care,

Sansuci

[nebgranny]

Besides the Child being beautiful, eyes to be exact, your work is wonderful. Such clarity and face looks so smooth and soft, almost silky!!

Thank you so much for posting. I do not have photoshop , using PSP8 so can not try your technique. Thank you for posting!! Blessings Neb