Week #8: 10/27/11 Critique A2 + Compositing

"Retouching had become controversial ever since Franz Hanfstaengl of Munich showed at the 1855 Exposition Universelle in Paris a retouched negative with a print made from it before and after retouching. It was, Nadar recollected, the beginning of a new era in photography." - Beaumont Newhall, History of Photography by Newhall, Beaumont Newhall

Critique of A2: Retouched Portrait

A3 Composite Project Discussion

Paths???

Week #7: 10/20/11 Advanced Portrait Retouching

"If you want reality take the bus." - David LaChapelle  
 

"I do not object to retouching, dodging. or accentuation as long as they do not interfere with the natural qualities of photographic technique." - Alfred Stieglitz

  Even more advanced retouching on our portraits!  On today's agenda is the following:

• Instead of liquify... Puppet Warp, Warp Transform, or Simply Transform a selected area
• Color and tone on select areas (eyes, lips, teeth, eyebrows, etc.)
• Hue/Saturation adjustments
• Skin Smoothing
• Sharpening  

I would also suggest you take advantage of the free Lynda.com tutorials offered to FIT students via the myFIT webpage under Web Resources.  Of particular interest should be Photoshop CS5: Portrait Retouching by Chris Orwig.  

 

Week #6: 10/13/11 Portrait Retouching Continued

"The painter constructs, the photographer discloses." - Susan Sontag                      "People say photographs don't lie, mine do." - David LaChapelle  

Portrait Retouching Continued!  

 

A2: Portrait Retouching (due 10/20/11)

Assigned: Week #5 10/6/11

Due Date: Week #8 10/27/11

Images Due:  One 11”x14” (minimum) Print

This assignment will introduce you to advanced retouching techniques that specifically relate to retouching portraits.  You will be supplied a photograph of your own self-portrait to learn the skills on.  I think you are all absolutely perfect the way you are…but, thought this may be a fun way to push the envelope without offending anyone other than yourself! ;)

You will be given three full weeks to retouch this file so I am expecting a professional level of retouching on this image. While it may not be practical for your style or taste of photography, this portrait is to be absolutely polished - It should involve multiple hours of time and practice to produce an image that showcases all the techniques I will share with you.

Below is a list of steps, layers, and techniques that are to be applied to the image (among others): 

• Properly processed raw file opened as a Smart Object base background layer
• Duplicate layer that showcases the Liquify Filter (Sharpen Tool on areas if necessary)
• OR Puppet Warp tool, or Warp Tool, or simply use Free Transform on a selected and copied image area
• Dodge and Burn Layer
• Blank Retouching Layer
• Blank Color Layer
• Selections (eyes, teeth, etc.) for color and tone adjustment layers
• Possibly some Advance Smart Filters for skin smoothing
• Defining of eyebrows, lips, etc.
• Resize by Cropping to 11x14 @ 300dpi
• Stamp Visible a top layer that you will convert to Smart Object and add a Sharpening Filter to
• Save the Layered PSD file for submission to the class server
• Output an Digital C-Print or Inkjet Print on Photo Quality Paper (surface of your choice) 
• Utilize a proper color management workflow with correctly assigned profiles

Week#5: 10/6/11 Portrait Retouching

"There are 3 key things for good photography: the camera, lighting and... Photoshop." - Tyra Banks

© Scott Nobles Photography - Portrait Retouching

The next couple of weeks will encompass the wonderfully unethical world of portrait retouching!


Attached below please find some helpful handouts that relate to the following:

• Portrait Retouching Checklist
• Adding a Curves Adjustment Layer (this should be a refresher on how to properly correct for color and tone!)
• Adding a Clipping Mask
• Adding a Blank Retouching Layer to record your clone stamp and healing brush strokes
• Adding a Dodge and Burn Layer to record your dodge and burn strokes