High End Large file retouching

[Lithodia]

Okay so I have a bit of a problem when it comes to retouching really large files...I'm talking 200mb to start and where you know the print size is going to to be way over 8x10. My normal tips and tricks just don't have the same effect and i find myself taking hours longer than i would with any normal size psd file...which is making me feel like an idiot! I am curious to see what some of you use to get these types of effects with very large images while still staying in the 4 hour time range:

here are some examples i found on the web:
http://www.redlanternstudio.com/closer_look/3.html

Is it only dodge and burn and clone/color...does the blur underneath than adding back texture never work with these large images? If anyone knows of a good tutorial or website to check out, please let me know! I'd be very interested in finding out the ways of the ultra large format retouch.

Thanks!

[kav]

No one blurs if they want good results. This has been stated way too many times. It's important to realize you don't need to adjust every line on the face. You just need to edit out what you don't like. You should be using a good quality monitor if you want nice results. The necs are popular (and I wouldn't consider anything less) but their lifespan isn't that great, so if you're using one keep it turned off when you're on email or looking up stuff on the web. This offsets the cost as you don't have to buy one as often. A lot of people work on imacs and laptops so they already have a screen that is capable for non photoshop stuff. My nec has been retired from photoshop and it's pretty icky around the edges with its age.

Also if you're spending 4 hours it means you're going over the same areas more than necessary (most likely) or just overdoing the image. Try this. Open photoshop and make a new document. Try to write your name as you would on paper. Make some shapes. Try the same on a sheet of paper. If it's a much greater strain to do this in photoshop then you need to look at how you have your stuff set up. ineffective setups can make it really suck in terms of time spent, quality, and frustration.

[John Wheeler]

If you are seeing a dramatic slowdown at those image sizes you are probably bumping up against the allotted Photoshop memory limits. First question I have is how much memory does your system have and how many images and programs do you keep open simultaneously. If you don't have 8 or 16 GB that is often the most cost effective way to boost performance after efficiency tricks

[Lithodia]

It could be that. I only have 4gb of ram at the moment and have the internet on at times. But my main problem is I guess when an image is that large...you see everything even hairs on the face..my question is..as a "high end" retoucher do you go in and dodge and burn each little hair?? Do you clone it out...do you use a sufaceblur after d&B and bring back texture later on? I did work previously for print and knew that certain things would not be visiable...but when EVERYTHING will be visable I am finding it hard to manage my time...How long should a high end image that will be printed lets say 5 feet by 5 feet should take? Am i beating myself up over nothing? I know the 'tricks' for small scale prints but I wish I could see what people were doing for the large ones.

[kav]

I'll try simple answers this time.

Small hairs /fuzz clone in darken or lighten mode on the really bad ones. It's ok to dodge/burn to tone some down but when you really need to remove it you'll mostly end up cloning. This doesn't mean you need to remove every bit especially if it's really thick. Just make sure it's not readily apparent. For example remove anything that makes you think of a beard or mustache.

Don't surface blur it looks terrible at any size.

Regarding time there's no set time. Commercially budgets could be anything between a half hour and 4+ hours "depending on the image and what is being done". At the latter end it means some serious work.

I think your problem right now is you're feeling overwhelmed by it. Try starting off with just getting rid of the facial hairs that are bothering you. If you do it properly you can clone any really offensive ones out on lighten or darken mode first. Tone down the rest with dodge/burn on a separate layer, and check your work after each of these steps. If those look good you have at least made progress. Sometimes once stuff like that is done the rest doesn't look as bad.

[Boneappetit]

I'm not going to say that no pro-retoucher uses surface blur to retouch, but as far as I know, I haven't seen one using it, even less at the final part of the retouch... What "Color settings" (in Photoshop) are u using? 4gbs of RAM is more than enough to handle things around, although, when you are retouching, it is a good practice to use only the program. And BTW, Pro - retouchers use RAW files, and I guess they always lose detail when they downsize the picture, at least the ones I've made, do... (I'm not a pro-retoucher) but perhaps there's a trick to not lose detail when one downsize the image...

[DJSoulglo]

If you're doing a 4 hour retouch on an image, most likely, you're going to go into color in RAW, some quick cloning/healing, some color work and then that's that really. Not much time for anything else. Hi-End retouch takes time. Lots of it.

[lurch]

What's the resolution your final will be printed at? If the output is sized at five feet by five feet, it's often meant to be viewed at a distance, and resolution will be low enough so you won't see all the detail that's there.

[kav]

Originally Posted by DJSoulglo

If you're doing a 4 hour retouch on an image, most likely, you're going to go into color in RAW, some quick cloning/healing, some color work and then that's that really. Not much time for anything else. Hi-End retouch takes time. Lots of it.

Sorry but this is clueless. No one in their right mind spends 4 hours primarily on cloning and healing. Even if it was a hair ad and the hair stylist fried it so you were having to go in and remove a thousand little cross hairs along with bits of facial hair, you would not spend 4 hours cloning. If you consider your work high end you wouldn't touch the healing brush because it can profoundly displace the texture.

[Lithodia]

I guess its just clone and d&b all the way then....any one else have any tricks for large scale skin images...Thanks for the advice Kav..you are right I am getting overwhelmed....especially since these images are given to me for retouching tests (which my test anxiety does not help) and Im given a 4 hour time limit to complete them... Honestly if you love my portfolio just get me in there and have me work...why do these tests have to mean so much....

[DJSoulglo]

Originally Posted by kav

Sorry but this is clueless. No one in their right mind spends 4 hours primarily on cloning and healing. Even if it was a hair ad and the hair stylist fried it so you were having to go in and remove a thousand little cross hairs along with bits of facial hair, you would not spend 4 hours cloning. If you consider your work high end you wouldn't touch the healing brush because it can profoundly displace the texture.

I said 4 hours would include: raw conversion, cloning/healing and color work.

I use the healing brush, so therefore my work is not high end? Thanks for the heads up.

[LloydM]

Originally Posted by kav

If you consider your work high end you wouldn't touch the healing brush because it can profoundly displace the texture.

Tell Godmother that...........

[kav]

Originally Posted by DJSoulglo

I said 4 hours would include: raw conversion, cloning/healing and color work.

I use the healing brush, so therefore my work is not high end? Thanks for the heads up.

Stop making my statements into something completely one dimensional. Your work could be amazing but it still does displace texture which is why I don't really care for it. The OP just wasn't used to seeing what sounds like it was probably a digital back file. You can look at the site he linked for reference. None of that should take 4 hours especially just to the point you referenced. Raw processing shouldn't take terribly long even if you're using masking there. Color work might take a little while but not hours for a first pass. If you're having to remove just tons of cross hairs, flyaways, and peach fuzz that could take a while but still not sure about 4 hours on that stage, and the image would have to be in bad shape.

[kav]

Originally Posted by LloydM

Tell Godmother that...........

That really doesn't mean it adds anything to the discussion. I never said good work was divided along the lines of a single tool. It really isn't easy to control, and if you toggle a layer with heavy healing brush use on an extremely on an image with extremely pronounced texture, you will see the effects I just mentioned. It isn't something you can just tap with either. You have to fully encompass whatever blemish in one stroke so it won't create any really weird behavior.

[Adrianr]

Originally Posted by kav

Stop making my statements into something completely one dimensional. Your work could be amazing but it still does displace texture which is why I don't really care for it. The OP just wasn't used to seeing what sounds like it was probably a digital back file. You can look at the site he linked for reference. None of that should take 4 hours especially just to the point you referenced. Raw processing shouldn't take terribly long even if you're using masking there. Color work might take a little while but not hours for a first pass. If you're having to remove just tons of cross hairs, flyaways, and peach fuzz that could take a while but still not sure about 4 hours on that stage, and the image would have to be in bad shape.

Dude did the healing brush do something to you when you were younger? You seem almost angry at the suggestion of it's use!