[Ant]

......awful......

[CaptainHook]

Even though your Avatar isn't Simon Cowell anymore, i still hear his voice every post
of yours i read whether it's here, photo.net, luminous-landscape, whatever.
Maybe that's why i laugh instead of getting offended.
Then again i generally always agree with Simon Cowell too...

[Conan138]

Originally Posted by CaptainHook

Completely fair enough.
But the most useful help you could get from anyone here, would be to let
you know this is not the kind of work you should be aspiring towards.

If Jeska was here i would say the same thing to her:
Look at someone like Chris Tarantino's Website here.
Study the work. Work towards that.

I say this because i truly care and wish to help others.
Not to be offensive to anyone.

You are right, but how to do this except d&b? I think you have alot of experience....

[CaptainHook]

Why not d&b?
This is supposedly a retouching forum after all.

[pixelzombie]

what settings did you end up using for that image?

[Insensitive.]

Was that directed at me Mr. Ant?

[jenniferfrances]

Stick with the basics of healing & cloning.
It will take you the same amount of time and it will look clean and natural.
Also play around with different blending modes.
My guess would be that she duplicated the layer and set it to "softlight" to get those saturated colors.

[Hello_taipan]

The first thing of all that is important in this case imho, is the definition of aesthetic.
we can talk all day about which technique is better but if the eye itself won't see what looks good or bad, even high end techniques won't help.

Those links to model mayhem to some are obviously far from being professional, and are far from having a "magazine" look.

I suggest you compare them with some of the Vogue pages and start training your eye by defining what is good or bad work, and asking yourself what makes it looks good or bad.

Then if you really want to learn it the way things are done in those printed and renown works, i would highly suggest you stick with Ant or CaptainHook or Chris Tarantino's precious advices.

[edgework]

Originally Posted by yangez

Yet for all my searching and reading in various RetouchPro threads, I have only come across a few very good posts or tutorials about high-end retouching. I was wondering if any of you could provide some insight into the matter.

Originally Posted by keiserjohn

...but once in a while ill do some FHM work... It usually takes me 8 hours for a fhm cover.. Not a 5 min retouch with some program...

There's your first clue. There's no rule that says you have to get it all in one step, or that the winner is the guy who finishes first. I'd bet you already know how to use all the tools that are needed, including the fabled Dodge and Burn rituals. But are you willing to zoom in and work at something near the pixel level, sculpting each shadow and highlight to make them consistent and smooth? Are you willing to edit each pore, one at a time? Each blemish? Are you willing to work on the highlight side, then the shadow side, of each wrinkle?

These kinds of threads pop up about every 6 months or so and they always contain the same suspicion that there is a body of hidden knowledge jealously guarded by an elite few who are content to let the masses rot away in a cesspool of blurred skin and blown-out highlights. I've said it before and since then, nothing's changed: retouching is a pain in the ass. You don't actually need OCD to succeed, though you'll probably develop tendencies in that direction if you keep at it. But none of it is rocket science, just common sense. You start by looking at the images that are successful, i.e. published in ads for high end brands and layouts in any of the commonly accepted magazines that offer beauty, fashion and, yeah, skin, and taking note of the difference between what you see there, and what you yourself are turning out. Self-editing is far more effective than any forum post.

But there are no secrets, no passwords, no mystical handshakes; retouchers don't recognize each other by the rings we wear or odd ways we scratch our ear on those rare occassions when we emerge into the daylight. We're just oddballs willing to spend the major part of our lives in a sedentary state, slowly going blind, drinking lots of coffee and blasting our eardrums out with iPods.

[MadMax]

Hi all ...she is using a program that is marketed from MM, I have a client
that uses it on her photos as well ... I forget the name of it ...I don't use it.

[toan thai]

not too long ago, in order for one to share his/her photos online the images had to be digitally scanned. they had to be enhance with photoshop (or other softwares) before they could be upload online. some didn't give a crap, uploaded anyway and the photos looked like crap. with inexpensive digital cameras nowadays, anyone can share their photos, without using special softwares, and they look pretty decent (way better than cheap digitized images in the past). i see photoshop kind of the same. if there are quick ways to enhance the photos for the mass, why not use them. not everyone cuts out to be a retoucher (i don't mean to sound arrogant). not everyone wants to sit down and plays with pixels like some of us. retouching is a "pain in the ass" haha.

[CaptainHook]

Originally Posted by toan thai

if there are quick ways to enhance the photos for the mass, why not use them. not everyone cuts out to be a retoucher.

Maybe the domain should be "www.retouchquickandeasy.com" then.
Otherwise i don't understand people that come to a website called
'retouchPRO' and complain when they're told being 'pro' isn't quick
and easy.

[toan thai]

Originally Posted by CaptainHook

Maybe the domain should be "www.retouchquickandeasy.com" then.
Otherwise i don't understand people that come to a website called
'retouchPRO' and complain when they're told being 'pro' isn't quick
and easy.

so then a lot of people don't qualify to be in here since this site is "retouchpro" the point i am making is some people join this site so they can learn and improve their photoshop skills to the point that they feel comfortable doing creative photography but not at amy dresser or chris tarantino level. they just want to have a little fun with photoshop without getting BEAT DOWN by some advanced photoshop experts for not learning the right way. it's nice that everyone learning photoshop the hard way but that's not the reality.

[Nemida]

And How do you get this color?
http://amydresser.com/img/BacardiPeach.jpg
Must be several ways but its amazing.

[PasteE]

Originally Posted by toan thai

so then a lot of people don't qualify to be in here since this site is "retouchpro" the point i am making is some people join this site so they can learn and improve their photoshop skills to the point that they feel comfortable doing creative photography but not at amy dresser or chris tarantino level. they just want to have a little fun with photoshop without getting BEAT DOWN by some advanced photoshop experts for not learning the right way. it's nice that everyone learning photoshop the hard way but that's not the reality.

I agree.
I didn't come here looking for "quick and easy". I came here with just a question, I don't care if it's easy or complicated. It was a style I wanted to try either way. I mentioned previously that I am NOT a professional retoucher and I don't aspire to be. Some how that seemed to get over looked. This was for my own use for fun. If I was looking to get into retouching professionally, I'm sure it would be different. I'd probably take photoshop classes. But this was just for fun. Many people use photoshop for fun and I guarantee a lot of professionals would view their work as not being any good. You wouldn't go to a park and walk up to people playing two on two basketball and tell them they need five on five, two halves, uniforms, etc. That is the difference between professional and fun. I'm surprised this thread is still around, lol.

"Insensitive", Thank you so much for the links. I completely see what you're saying now, "the cartoonish look". I've been doing the suggestions on the first page and playing around with things. I'm going to bookmark the links you gave me and play around with those. Again, thank you very very much.