Your Ideas Have Once Again Changed My Next Project!

eyesclose.jpg

Last night I read through all 120+ ideas you all came up with from yesterday’s post regarding my upcoming Online Portrait Retouching Class, and they were just spot on!!! There were so many angles I hadn’t thought of, and you guys totally came through for me (once again!). :-)

Here’s what I learned:

(1) A lot of folks posted similar ideas, which is great because it means a lot of folks needed something I would have left out.
(2) A number of things that were posted were already part of my outline (which is cool), and there were others that would have been covered under my existing outline, but that may have been hard to tell with just the short descriptions I provided yesterday.
(3) Many of you are as concerned as I am about “overdoing it” when it comes to retouching. Over the past few years, when it comes to retouching, I’ve been embracing the “less is more” idea, so this class isn’t going to be an “Extreme Makeover,” but rather a collection of subtle retouches that, when they all come together, make your retouches look real (in other words; the goal is that the final photo doesn’t look at all retouched).

So, I’ll be staying away from the “Porcelain skin with super sharp eyes” look or any of that over-the-top retouching you see so often. Instead the class will focus on topics like skin smoothing while maintaining realistic detail and texture, and retouches that look natural and flattering, not fake and plastic. A special signed book goes out to Chris Joyce for her (his?) post called “Don’t lose the reality.” She/he said just what I was thinking.

(4) I also found that you asked for some retouches that I simply don’t know how to do. Well, not yet any way—but I soon will (and soon so will you). :)

(5) I found that you had some ideas that are really outside the confines of this class, but would make a great separate class (a lot of requests about removing, limiting, and editing backgrounds, and group shots, and shadows, lighting, posing, and more.).

The following people had ideas that I loved, and I’ve added them to my class outline. Sadly, not all of them will actually make it into the class because I have to find (in my archives), or shoot, a photo for every single technique I add to the class. And I’m not sure I can find all these people, with all these problems, and shoot them in the next few weeks. Plus, each image has to be model released, because I’m making the images downloadable for every technique, so my students can follow along using the same images.

So….we’ll see how many I can come up with, but of the following list, I’m going to at least attempt to add them all. The winning ideas (and the signed book winners) are:

⢠Removing Tan Lines (Richard Murray)
⢠Fixing gaps between teeth (Bill Chinn)
⢠Crooked or chipped teeth (Edwardson)
⢠Neck one color; makeup on face another color (Tom Vollick)
⢠How to remove a double chin / Five o’clock shadow (Bruno Waes)
⢠Removing hair over your subject’s eyes (Thomas)
⢠Reducing the size of ears (Joe Stone )
⢠Glossy look on women’s lips (Steve)
⢠Touching up Hair Roots (Martin E. Morris)

NOTE: The post popular ones were removing tan lines, double-chins, and reducing ear size. Touching up roots was right behind.

Also Penny gets a signed book because I really wasn’t planning on doing a skin color correction thing, but her post made me change my mind.

My humble thanks to everyone who participated, and took the time to share their ideas. I consider it an honor that I get the help and input of so many talented people like yourselves, and that you give so willingly to help make the course better for everyone. That means a lot, and it says a lot about you all, and about this community we’ve created together. My sincere thanks.

Hey, one last thing: scroll down to catch one more post from me today. :)

Total
0
Shares
Leave a Reply
Previous Post

I’m On This Week’s “Layers TV” Showing My 10 Favorite Adobe InDesign Tips!

Next Post

A Look Back at 2007 in Photoshop, Photography, Adobe, and More