Pixel level D&B question and favour

[CKAJCA]

What zoom level do you typically pixel level D&B? I am new to retouching and find that I keep going to higher zoom levels (typically 700 to 1000% on Nikon D700 15Mb RAW file) in order to smooth out skin. I am guessing this is excessive but having never done this before I do not know if what I am doing is correct or not.

Secondly could someone who has retouched skin to a high standard e-mail or send me a link to a small PSD file of skin that has been retouched using D&B. I do not want the entire image just a patch of skin that I can look at. If the D&B layers (2 separate curves adjustment layers and masks) could be included then that would be a big help

Colin

[amica999]

Hi Colin, good question, I hardly ever zoom higher than 200%, I believe you zoom in much to high and lose the big picture, further you risk smoothing too much which will cost a lot of time and will looked blurred afterwards. You can see some high res retouches on my flickr, or here http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/j...1-animated.gif

[pellepiano]

There is an interesting thread here ... http://www.modelmayhem.com/po.php?thread_id=802450 where people show there D&B layers among other things.

[Eikon]

that model mayhem thread is interesting, but after i saw this one side by side image, i had to do this...

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g1...3uu4dicopy.jpg

[Mike Needham]

lol @Eikon

[mistermonday]

@Eikon, +1

[Acid.Drop]

First of all, correct is what feels correct.
In my Opinion there's no right or wrong zoom level. It's all about a good and productive or bad and overdoin' level. At 1000% you meight see and dnb all spots very presice but this will take you years. You could ever see more detailed areas and reach a much higher presicion, but for what? Perfection is a nice goal but at some points, no one ( except us retouch geeks ) will see any difference anymore and hours of your working get "lost".
Me personal started as you do now, zooming till insanity. After a few images you'll see that less is more... sometimes
Max I zoom up to 400% or 500% and sometimes stay at 100% or less, it depends on the image ( quality, size, look ), how detailed or difficult the area is and if I have a good or bad day.
Nevertheless, most of the time I try to stay below or at 200% but because of an additional window for the whole image, it's hardly to over- or underdo areas and because of that, higher zoom levels aren't as bad and time consuming as usual.

[CKAJCA]

Thank you all for your replies and opinions, much appreciated :-)

Colin