Retouching a Studio Portrait
Retouching a Studio Portrait
byDenny Tangon October 17, 2008Home
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Before and After
Retouching a Studio Portrait Photoshop Tutorial
Retouching the background
Here is the original image. As a photo it looks fine but it
looks flat and boring. This Photoshop tutorial will show you
techniques used to make the photo have a stronger impact. You can
follow this tutorial with one of your own image or you can use the
image below:
Creating the mask
The first step is to isolate the model from the background. I
used the extract and color range tool to create this. First I used
the extract tool (Filter > Extract) but it didnt work very well
for the hair.
I then use the color range tool (Select > Color Range) to
select the areas that were hard to extract using the extract
tool.
Now we have a mask in its own layer.
Adding a gradient to the background
With the mask created, I can add a gradient to the background.
Adding a gradient to the background is a simple and effective way
to enhance a boring background. Here is a preview of what the
layers will look like in the end.
To create a gradient background, well be adding a gradient fill
layer using the mask that we just created. To do that, hold down
the Ctrl key and click on the layer thumbnail of the layer Mask. It
will load the selection of the layer. Choose Select > Inverse to
inverse the selection. Then, choose Layer > New Fill Layer >
Gradient.
In the Gradient Fill tool, move the center of the gradient
behind the head. You can do this by clicking and dragging on the
document window.
advertise hereTo increase contrast, you can change the gradient
so that it is like the image below.
Finally, adjust the opacity of the Gradient Fill layer. I set
mine to 50% opacity.
Tone
Begin by creating a new layer for dodging and burning. Position
the layer above the gradient fill adjustment layer. Then, change
the blending mode tosoft light.
Choose Edit > Fill and use the settings below.The layer
should now be filled with a 50% gray.
Add a layer mask using the shape from theMasklayer. Hold down
the Ctrl key and click on the layer thumbnail of theMasklayer .
Then, click on thein the layers palette to add a layer mask.
advertise hereClick back on the 50% gray layer thumbnail and use
the dodge and burn tools. For the image below, I used the burn tool
to darken the models right side of the face, hair, top, and her
arms. Then, I use the dodge tool to brighten the other side of the
models face.
Here is a before and after effect of the dodging and
burning.
Eye Brightening
Brightening the eyes will have a dramatic effect. It can be
easily done by using a Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer. Choose
Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Brightness/Contrast to add a
new Brightness/Contrast adjustment layer. Rename this layer
toBrighten Eyes.
For now, set the brightness to 50 and contrast to 33.
Select the layer mask and choose Image > Adjustments >
Invert. This will invert the layer mask from white to black.
Using the brush tool, paint the layer mask where the eyes are.
You should see the eyes brighten as you paint. Then, go back into
the Brightness/Contrast settings and readjust the settings.
Hair Shine
Finally, well add a shine to the hair. Start by using the quick
selection or magic wand tool to create a selection of the hair
around the area where you want the shine to appear.
With the selection, choose Layer > New Fill Layer >
Gradient. Position the layer above theBrightenEyelayer. Change the
blending mode of theHair Shinelayer to overlay. You should have a
layer like the image below.
Go back into the Gradient Fill settings. Set the gradient to
white to black and style to reflected. Checkmark the reverse option
then click and drag on the document window and position the
gradient where you want the hair shine to appear. Adjust the
scale.
In the Gradient Fill window, click on the gradient to edit it.
You should have a window like the image below. Create a gradient
like the image below. To do this, click and drag the top left input
slider to the middle of the gradient bar. Do the same with the
bottom left input slider. Then, click on the individual input
sliders and adjust the settings as shown in the image below.We now
have a hair shine but it does not match the color of the hair. Well
add back a little of the hair color to the shine.1. Click on the
bottom left input slider.
2. Click on the color setting and a color picker window will
appear.
3. Click on the hair to capture the color of the hair.
4. Move the color picker towards the top left until the hair
color looks natural.
5. Click OK three times to exit out of the gradient
settings.
We have added the hair shine but if you look closely, you can
see some artifacts.
We can easily fix this by blurring the layer mask. Select
theHair Shinelayer mask then choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian
Blur. Adjust the settings until the unclean edge fades.
If the hair shine is overlapping the skin, use the Minimum
filter to hide it. Choose Filter > Other > Minimum and adjust
the slider.
Here is the before and after effect of adding hair shine. You
can add emphasis to the eyes by aligning the hair shine with the
eyes.
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