Pro Retouch on a Member-Submitted Image | Part 2

Comments

  1. A pity that you inherited those lips. I think the clone + soft brush feathering can introduce unsharp pixels. That was a lot of work to bring back the contrast on that top lip. Zoomed out was not really noticeably bad after the edit.

  2. Felice

    Hi Karl
    Thanks for the continuation. Learned a lot in a short time.
    Could it be that the shot was taken with a parabolic light shaper? Para 133?
    Was that the right choice for this subject?
    Felice

    1. Hi Felice, thank you. Yes it certainly looked like a parabolic reflector from the reflection in the eyes but I’m not sure it was in the softest position which would have been better, also whether it was used at the correct distance depending on its size. All of these factors will have an impact on the results. It would still be my first choice of modifier though for beauty photography.

      1. Felice

        Thank you, Karl.
        In your experience, what do you think would be the ideal distance to this headshot with a Para 133 in defocussed position?

        Thank you again for these lessons, which help me so much.

        1. Hi, that’s a trick question because there are variables but if we take the very basic option first similar to the example in this video at 4 mins 48 secs https://visualeducation.com/class/testing-and-comparing-25-lighting-modifiers/ in that video I’m using the Para 133 about 1.5m from the model and you can see the comparison results in this tool: https://visualeducation.com/lighting-comparison-tool/ as a baseline rule a Para should be used at a distance that is approximately the same as it’s diameter so for example with a 133 then about 1.3 / 1.4m away but this is widely variable depending on the subject and how much you need to fit in etc etc. In the comparison results you’ll see that with this particular model (Brittany) she actually looks better with the Para 88 in my opinion which is often the case with extremely attractive models with good bone structure and skin because they can often look better with the higher contrast. There are also different ways of using a 133 for example in these classes I use another technique by adding a harder light with the 133:
          https://visualeducation.com/class/using-the-para-133-for-portraiture/
          https://visualeducation.com/class/01-falling-girl/
          https://visualeducation.com/class/clean-cut-fashion-shoot/

          1. Felice

            Hi Karl
            Thank you very much for the differentiated answer.
            Learning and progressing is a real pleasure with your support. Thank you and your team!

  3. Great stuff as always. I appreciate getting to see how you approach the edit and experimenting with tools and techniques that aren’t always the right choice. Too many educators edit out that part and make it seem like everything always works all of the time. It’s much more valuable to see the whole process. Thanks!

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