Group (more than 3 people) portrait retouching question

[canoflan]

I am not asking how, but I am asking how much relative to the number of people in your portraits.

After a portrait shoot this weekend, I have group photos ranging from 16 people to 3.

I figure on the group photos with more than 6 people, retouching is more left to capture sharpening eyes and glasses, etc... and removing any major problems (i.e. ink on a shirt for example) and on those with less than 6, a bit (and I mean a bit) of skin smoothing technique and a bit more sharpening of the eyes because when there are more in a picture, the details are smaller and less noticeable (even though we want the overall pic to be sharp), however, with 4 or less in a picture, the eyes, glasses, skin wrinkles really become noticeable because they are quite larger in the same size print; therefore, more attention is required.

How do you approach it?

Thanks,
Pat

[Grace]

I'm not exactly sure...but your talking about really processing every person in the pic? .?

I either wouldn't do it or I would charge per hour..unless you don't have anything better to do and you like playing...;) :)

[xmacvicar]

I photoshop and retouch all people in my photos because it's my name attached to the final print - when they or anyone else sees it. If I am able to remove blemishes or unsightly things from the photo, I will do it - and I won't charge extra; whether thats 3 people or 30. In fact, I have a 30 person shoot this saturday, and I plan on retouching the whole picture - each person included.

[canoflan]

What I decided to do last night while beginning the editing of the photos was to adjust and capture sharpen in Lightroom, then bring into PS for some selective sharpening and a touch of surface blur for the ladies, then output sharpen and print. The prints are very nice and the ladies' skin looks smooth but still has character. I think they are very good.

Pat