PS Tips for making Portraits look professional

Tamron SP AF 28-75mm f/2.8 XR Di for Canon

04/08/2006 02:58:28 PM · #1

Hi
Can some one give me tips or links to make my portraits look more professional.
Professional looking portraits i mean, the skin tone, the glow etc. I can handle lighting just that skin tones of my Subject is not that great.There is no glow. I do retouch i.e. using blur and layer technique but some how not enjoying the end result

rblanton

Canon EOS-10D

04/08/2006 03:06:20 PM · #2

Samples would help, then specific recommendations can be made. Post a couple of examples.

faidoi

Pentax K10D

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

04/08/2006 03:10:44 PM · #3

Maybe a soft filter, or panty hose over a UV filter. Tough to suggest without samples.

fotomann_forever

04/08/2006 03:10:46 PM · #4

Not sure exactly sure what you are talking about when you say glow, as it can mean many different things to different people.

A few things might help though.
Diffusion - Try the glam blur action here. - //www.atncentral.com/download.htm

Also, if you are using Photoshop CS(2), you may want to try a warming photo filter adjustment layer.

One thing I've been experiemnting with is a gothic glow action (also, on that downloadn page). I've been using the gothic glow output as a second data layer and fading it a bit.

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

04/08/2006 03:24:28 PM · #5

Sample Portrait this is casual portrait i shot, i have retouched it i.e. soften the face by cutting the face and than creating a new layer and using gaussian blur filter than taking the layer to 50%

What do i have in mind?

I havent found that sample snap on net that i could show you. I will try

Message edited by author 2006-04-08 15:26:05.

Brad

Olympus OM-D E-M1

04/08/2006 03:28:25 PM · #6

wet skin
That Soft Dior Look for Portraits
So so sexy

Couple go a bit too far, but should give some ideas.

Beetle

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

04/08/2006 03:32:54 PM · #7

General, there are a number of things you could do to improve the portrait before you even worry about post processing.

Your model is standing very close to the background, which is glary and distracting. If you moved her away from it, avoided the glare and the picture, plus blurred the background , it would already look much better.

04/08/2006 03:33:12 PM · #8

Originally posted by BradP:

wet skin
That Soft Dior Look for Portraits
So so sexy

Couple go a bit too far, but should give some ideas.

You have hit the nail right on head. This was exactly what i had in mind, thanks alot

04/08/2006 03:35:58 PM · #9

Originally posted by Beetle:

Beetle you are absolutely correct in your observation. i am working on different departments but no matter even with a better background i could not have achieved what i found through brad p 's link.

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

04/08/2006 03:38:12 PM · #10

Any more links like the ones Brad P has posted, i liked them as they were exactly what i had in mind.
Incase no new link can some one tell me which web site to find them on

Message edited by author 2006-04-08 15:42:19.

Beetle

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

04/08/2006 03:54:50 PM · #11

Here is another portrait tutorial

Brad

Olympus OM-D E-M1

Olympus 40-150mm f/2.8 PRO M.Zuiko

04/08/2006 03:56:16 PM · #12

--to-->

Initially used a soft brush, manual blur at about 40% on her skin, then used a light diffuse glow with no grain in a new layer, erased back the background. Did some other basic hue, saturation, levels & contrast adjustments, ran through a custom-written action I wrote for the Virtual Photographer plug-in (basically softens and adjusts colors). Took about 5 minutes to do this (if that).
There is another action called Glam Blur avalable on the atncentral site.

Message edited by author 2006-04-08 15:58:30.

Beetle

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

04/08/2006 03:58:59 PM · #13

Good job as usual, Brad!

vadvirag

Canon EOS-350D Rebel XT

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

04/08/2006 04:11:33 PM · #14

This is great, Brad! As I am not using my PC now, I need to keep a mark here to have a try on your ideas tomorrow, when I get home. :-)

04/08/2006 10:12:00 PM · #15

Thanks alot