Save time:

Portrait retouching is the process of enhancing and correcting a portrait image through software tools, such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, to achieve a desired look or to correct flaws in the image.

Common portrait retouching techniques include skin smoothing, blemish removal, teeth whitening, eye enhancing, color correction, and background removal.

It is important to use a light touch and avoid over-processing the image. Also, be sure to maintain the subject’s natural features, such as skin texture and skin tone, and avoid creating unrealistic or overly polished images.

Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom are popular software options for portrait retouching. Other options include Capture One, Affinity Photo, and Corel PaintShop Pro.

Common mistakes include over-processing the image, creating unrealistic skin tones, and not paying attention to small details such as stray hair or clothing wrinkles.

Create a preset or action that applies your desired retouching settings consistently across multiple images.

Use the healing brush or clone stamp tool to remove blemishes and imperfections while maintaining the natural texture of the skin.

Use the dodge and burn tool to selectively lighten and darken areas of the eyes to create a more dramatic effect. You can also increase the saturation and contrast of the eyes.

Use the dodge and burn tool to lighten or darken specific areas of the image. You can also use the clone stamp tool or content-aware fill to remove unwanted shadows.

Frequency separation is a technique that separates the high-frequency details of an image, such as skin texture, from the low-frequency details, such as color and tonality. This allows for targeted retouching of specific areas of the image.

Use the dodge tool to selectively lighten areas of the teeth. You can also use the hue/saturation adjustment layer to desaturate any yellow or brown tones.

Use a Gaussian blur or a soft focus filter to create a soft, dreamy effect. You can also reduce the contrast and saturation to create a more muted look.

Use the color balance or selective color adjustment layers to adjust the skin color. You can also use the hue/saturation adjustment layer to adjust specific color tones.

Dodge and burn is a technique that selectively lightens or darkens areas of an image to create a more balanced and dramatic effect.

Use a color lookup adjustment layer to apply a vintage color grading effect. You can also add film grain or texture overlays to create a more vintage look.