A photographer always does his best to capture a photo that can bring a new perspective of life. Not only do they capture images, but they also have to polish them up or as we call product photo retouching. Are you familiar this process? What is the difference between photo editing and photo retouching? Let’s find the answer in the explanation below!
What is Photo Retouching?
Photo retouching is the editing process of photography. The purpose is to improve image quality by omitting flaws and increasing the quality of aesthetics. In addition, this process is an important part in graphic design, commercial photography, and modeling.
You can retouch a photo on people or objects in order to look better. Moreover, the act can change an appearance for a particular purpose so that the retouched photo will come out still in its natural image while maintaining a pleasing tone aesthetically.
Some photographers use this process using various design tools. As a purpose, it is a great innovation for skin smoothing, eye glow, teeth whitening, etc.
Techniques of Photo Retouching
To polish up an image, it can be achieved through particular techniques. There are eight of them and let’s dive right into it.
1. Spot Healing
Spot healing is commonly used for model photography. The aim of this technique is to remove blemishes on the face or body of the model. Moreover, it is a primary technique in software for photo editing and retouching.
As a result, the photo is perfect and blemishes are all gone away. Novices should often exercise this technique in order to produce excellent images.
2. Frequency Separation
Skin texture is a part of the image that is hard to portrait. With every model has a different skin texture the photographer must use frequency separation. It is a process to adjust skin texture on images.
If the skin texture of the model is too blurry, you can use this technique. This process is beneficial for retaining skin tone without damaging image’s quality
3. Dodge and Burn
Lighting is essential in photography. If you want to adjust lightness or darkness on your image, use dodge and burn immediately. This process allows you to adjust brightness in the photo retouching process.
However, make sure that you are using this technique sufficiently. Too much adjusting will cause the image to look unnatural and decrease in quality. You surely do not want that to happen.
4. Eye Retouching
There are many objects that focus on the eye. Therefore, eye retouching is vital for photographers. They can adjust the shadow, change eye color, or even remove an eye bag.
5. Toning with Color Balance
The purpose of the following technique in photo retouching is to adjust the image tone. As you know, colors and filters will make a new perspective, so using toning with color balance process will help you to refine the tone.
Warm tone will radiate an inviting and friendly portrayal, the cool one will radiate a distant atmosphere. Choose wisely the suitable toning according to the image and the message you are trying to convey with the image..
6. Resizing
Resizing is a vital process while retouching a photo because it is a tool that is specifically taking care of the image ratio. You can adjust it so that the picture is proportional. Whether rule of thirds or golden ratio, it is up to your liking. As long as the result is according to your purpose or your client’s request, resizing technique should never be underestimated.
7. Clone Stamp
Next technique is clone stamp – a tool to use on the background or on the model. In addition, it is a basic but not well-detailed process yet somehow many photographers prefer this technique rather than using frequency adjustment.
You may increase the natural light on the background and this technique comes in handy to create sky blending transitions. Clone stamps are worth trying because it does not require a lot of time and the result is clearly more natural.
8. Highlights with Curves
The last technique in photo retouching is highlighting. This process requires curved adjustment layers. Once you find the tool, you can immediately add contrast on the image. Because the curves are different for each image type, it is recommended that you spend some time exploring the most suitable curves for the image.
The Importance of Photo Retouching
Photo retouching is an essential process for every photographer to enhance photos quality. Not only to produce a pleasing and visually aesthetic product, but also to eliminate imperfections.
Photo retouching will also demonstrate professionalism of the brand. This purpose is most suitable for product photography. Every product image demonstrates how the brand works so it is essential to bring out the highest quality to the image.
Lastly, photo retouching can engage maximum viewers. People will always find it attractive and certainly pleasing to the eye in the best quality images. Therefore, in order to gain as many impressions as possible, one way to do it is to show your product image in its best possible quality.
Photo Retouching vs Photo Editing
Many people are confused between the differences of photo editing and photo retouching. However, you must know that photo editing is a basic process in adjusting images. Some processes happen in this act are brightening, cropping, and straightening the images.
Photo retouching is however an advanced process for making a pleasant visual on image. It requires techniques and a particularly complicated process of retouching and quality enhancing.
Let’s Start Retouching Your Photo!
Every photographer’s goal is to capture a perfect image. However, it is not enough to make it a pleasant and engaging image. Therefore, photo retouching is required in order to produce an excellent portrayal.
In addition, you can show professionalism on the perfect image. Not only is the process vital, but also it helps to catch more viewers. There are eight techniques you can use for photo retouching. So, among them, which one is your favorite?
Photo retouching can seem very difficult and time consuming for many people. Considering using a professional team to do it for you is also a great option. Dropicts is here to be the photo retouching service you can use for your images. Let’s check the website today and you may find the best photo retouching solution!
