A picture (realistic portrait) to work on.

[0lBaldy]

Originally Posted by ME_wwwing

still learning how to post

How to attach Files/Images to your Posts or Threads? (Click here)

You can post fairly large pictures which are under 100k using the save for web function in Photoshop as described here: Size, Quality and/or Format your Attached Images.. (Click here)

If you want to post a larger resolution that is over 100K then you can host your image on your own site or elsewhere and attach a link (as you did in your other post ), but also please attach an under 100K version here (so the thread remains useful in the future, regardless of external links).
Alternative Image Hosts if you do not have your own site are: ImageVenue.com (3Meg max, free) or pixentral.com (2Meg max, free) or photobucket.com (1 Meg max free,... 5 Meg PRO) or mediafire.com (100 Meg per file)

[beefy24]

Here's my play... not done much but hope it works

[ME_wwwing]

so that's where the upload buttons are. thanks.

[_jason_]

I see that the most difficult part meight be to get that grainy makeup texture anyhow under control. I do not know what happened... probably too much makeup powder or simply a bad makeup ceam...

Big thanks to all participating on this thread!
Many good ideas. Obviously there are thousands sights and ways in retouching...

Jason

[lkroll]

Face Control and iWarp distortion along with Wavelet Decompose degrunging followed by ACE, Grain Extract Overlay degrunging and healing/clone brush work. Modified the contrast a tinge too. Maybe too a few years off but didn't want to go too far. By the way, I will turn 45 in a few months.

[jåån]

yay. gave it a try

[jåån]

ohenoe! D:
-.- all the pores got erased while decreasing the file size.

[BillFrey]

I tried to keep it natural looking, but still a little glamour comes out

Edit: Added a second version.

[TopiToo]

worked on the eyes . . as per orignal post

[TopiToo]

Originally Posted by lkroll

Face Control and iWarp distortion along with Wavelet Decompose degrunging followed by ACE, Grain Extract Overlay degrunging and healing/clone brush work. Modified the contrast a tinge too. Maybe too a few years off but didn't want to go too far. By the way, I will turn 45 in a few months.

are you serious?

[lkroll]

Yes; I will turn 45 in April.

[edgework]

She's 48. She's not glamourous, she's interesting. Trying to make her skin look like she's Tyra Banks or Heidi Klum is exaggerating in the wrong direction. I exaggerated in the other direction.

http://edgework.tripod.com/samples/jason.jpg

[_jason_]

Originally Posted by edgework

She's 48. She's not glamourous, she's interesting. Trying to make her skin look like she's Tyra Banks or Heidi Klum is exaggerating in the wrong direction. I exaggerated in the other direction.

http://edgework.tripod.com/samples/jason.jpg

No way!!!
I actually can say, that my friend Ute doesn't look even close as that!
She does look MUCH younger and she does actually look not like 45!

And by the way, I am sure she could look glamurous if she want to, so that you even would fall to your knees.

Hell, she is even not recognizeble on the thing you posted!
Fog, that is the worst retouching I've ever seen!!!

Please remove it!

Jason

[_jason_]

I think there is a clear winner.
The (with distance) best retouching actually came from:

robmac
profile here

Congratulation my Dear!

Your work is both: beautiful and exactly on the point.
You magically captured the expression and the feeling of the photograph and pushed it to the maximum. You focussed on the person and the personality and simply optimized the photograph (which actually wasn't the best ever) in a surprising, yet pleasing manner.

You did not even try to remove wrinkles or reshape the face to make she younger with other synthetical Botox. But the final result definately is: she looks younger now! And yes, she even looks absolutely glamurous with what you did! She looks real! And saying that I want to emphasize that "looking real" is the most obvious problem with retouching in general.

I do not now how you did it nor what you used exactly but I think, your visual skills regarding contrast, focus and shape and the "essence of expression" are remarkeble. You shaped, yet brought to life the beautiful soul of that fotograph. And you did that obviously in only few hours.

Your nickname is something that anyone needing professional grade portrait improvement should remember. Definately.

(I'll probably send you some money to get in touch with your edit...)

Thanks alot!
Jason.

[BillFrey]

It definitely should not drive into an extreme "beauty", "fashion" or "art" style of photograph.

I'm so confused. I guess I don't know what a realistic retouch is, your choice is what I could call a beauty/fashion/art retouch.

[TopiToo]

Hi Jason

As you have made your choice, and myself along with others have put in some effort, would it be fair to ask why you did not like the other images?

[_jason_]

The goal was (and with retouching mostly is) to IMPROVE the phptograph.
And this even as much as possible.

So this has nothing to do with beauty, fashion or art.

But if someone (probably intentionally) creates a result, that is actually worser than the original, so that is surely the wrong way. (Except that special one which was no good, I did not say that the others are any bad.)

Originally Posted by BillFrey

It definitely should not drive into an extreme "beauty", "fashion" or "art" style of photograph.

I'm so confused. I guess I don't know what a realistic retouch is, your choice is what I could call a beauty/fashion/art retouch.

So your definition obviously differs from mine.

(btw: A realistic retouch is in my opinion, if the person of the picture keeps recognizeble, while the entire photograph was improved and optimized in entire expression (in the way the photographer liked it.)

Jason

[crazyfly1]

Yup, I'm with TopiToo, had I known that it was a competition and that their may be money involved I would have asked for a detailed description of entry rules, and the amount of the cash reward, I also would have spent more than 5 minutes on it. Darn, I thought we were just having fun.

[_jason_]

Originally Posted by TopiToo

Hi Jason

As you have made your choice, and myself along with others have put in some effort, would it be fair to ask why you did not like the other images?

I did not say that I do not like the others!
I've merely choosen a picture which I liked most.

If that was your original photograph, wouldn't you intuitively do the same?
(And well, it was not only my desicion but also the desicion of the person on that phptograph.) So we are merely honest.


I've chosen that work, because I think I could learn most from it.
This is the way I want to have improved my pictures. The work looks most professional of all.
She has chosen this image because she liked it with first look and spontanously said : "WOW!!!" (Isn't that a greatest compliment to a retoucher - as that particular retouching work actually is a greatest compliment to her?)


And if you want to work sucessfully with customers in general, so you also have to accept their decisions regarding your work and you have to ask youself why they did not select your work.


Finally I'd like to say big thanks to all participated to this thread. All works are good. Each of the retouchings has somethin interesting to discover and to leran from. But one was the choice.

Jason.

[_jason_]

So you are free to make your choice of what you like most here!

So ignore us ...
(me, the photographer who has made the picture
and her, the person actually being displayed...)

[TopiToo]

Hi Jason,

I find your response a touch aggressive, we are all here to learn and get feedback good or bad, I accept that . Personally I am delighted for robmac and your client, as ultimately that’s all that really matters.
If given a series of pictures, I would have some instinct as to which one best meets the brief, but more importantly I would have an opinion as to why the remaining pictures did not and why. To suggest not having the capacity to work with customers in general or indeed accept their decisions is a little off the mark,
it’s your client not mine. I along with others replied to your post in good faith, I guess hopping for more feedback that’s all.

Maybe it’s time to move on, I know I am.

[BillFrey]

I also found the tone aggressive and am not impressed.

So ignore us ...
(me, the photographer who has made the picture
and her, the person actually being displayed...)

Good idea !

[edgework]

Originally Posted by _jason_

So ignore us ...

Should be pretty easy.

[crazyfly1]

I miss New York, and New Yorkers! I truly do.