RETOUCHING PERSONAL BRANDING & HEADSHOTS

Ultimately, Good preparation is the best way to insure that your portrait/headshot session is a success.

With plenty of rest, the right wardrobe, and the right artistic direction, we should create images that are 95% the way we need them to be when we press the shutter. Then we edit to enhance your look. Try not to think of retouching as a way to fix mistakes, think of it as a way to enhance an image for maximum impact. 

I offer professional headshot retouching as an available add-on to all of our sessions. I almost always recommend it, however there are certain cases where you might not need it. If the primary usage of a headshot is for an email signature photo, you may not need retouching. Because of the size of email signature photos, you may not be able to see the difference retouching makes. However, any image that you plan to use for auditions, marketing, websites, or social media should have at least basic retouching.

Retouching : What We do and Don’t Do

Basic Retouching:

I Do:

• Reduce the appearance of dark circles under eyes

• Remove  yellow and red from eyes and teeth

• Reduce the appearance of wrinkles

• Eliminate distracting stray hairs

• Erase temporary blemishes like acne and razor bumps

• Enhance the color and contrast for more impact

I Don’t

• Use skin softening filters

• Distort or shrink natural features

• Change hair styles or color

• Fix wrinkled or disheveled clothes

• Remove logos or graphics from clothing

• Remove permanent facial features

• Head swap or body enhancement

Headshot retouching has been around since long before digital photography. I employ digital versions of some of the classic film techniques in order to enhance your images, but the goal is always to capture as much as I can in-camera. Authenticity and approachability are a huge part of marketing a business and I believe that your headshots and professional images should reflect that.

If you are looking for filters to remove your pores and blur all your features, there are plenty out there for you to take advantage of with a quick swipe of the finger. Keep in mind that every person with a phone can do the same. If you want your images to stand out, hire a professional photographer who will help you prepare to succeed in the session in addition to using professional hand-retouching techniques to highlight your best features.