How much touch up is really done on model pics?

[nat869]

While I was looking at some of the share photos, I saw somebody remark that they may have airbrushed a model's pic too much. That got me thinking, when we see pics of models in magazines, catalogs, etc., how much touch up really happens. Do most models have perfect blemish free porcelain skin? When I touch up, it is usually just a few obvious blemishes, maybe soften a wrinkle here and there, but I have never "airbrushed" a face smooth. What do you think?

[ChrisN]

I think getting rid of visual distractions is going to be key.

If you look around the picture and see big red spots on the face, then that can throw off an image.

If you start with a crisp picture and then "airbrush" it to the point of it looking soft and like they have too much makeup on then that is going overboard, I think

[FlipsidE]

To the best of my knowledge, a lot of those airbrush-like effects can be created by creative lighting. Most model photos do require some touch-up afterwards. But, just look at charlesu's shots. I remember him saying the he did touch up the photo, but very little. He mentioned that lighting was everything.

FlipsidE

[evilenglishman]

i dont think that much retouching goes on.
As has been said it is more to do with good lighting and good make up.
Of course obvious things are removed like warts, boils and zits but I don't think it goes much further unless its a specific thing.

I worked in the retouching area of a design firm that was respnsible for mail order catalogues and most of the work was changing the colour of garments and over saturating them.

[Mark Kemp]

The basic fix up list for most magazine glamour shots, calendars etc. is

remove all skin blemishes including crows feet, wrinkles spots etc. etc.
remove any stray hairs - head and eyelashes
make the whites of the eyes white - no red veins
make the irises of the eyes larger
remove or reduce harsh shadows
soften everything except eyes
lengthen legs if a full body picture
expand lips and add shine

As I understand it his is pretty routine work for most magazines, newspapers etc etc these days and virtually every model or celebrity 'photoshoot' or 'glamour' picture is subject to most of this list as a minimum. Obviously not general news or papparazzi stuff, but its true of most studio work.

[IanBMW]

I would think soften everything but eye's is a little misleading. There are a number of things you want sharp, like lips, eyebrows, and hair. This is coming from what I've read in various mags. Also most pro's want as little post editing as possible. So as far as models go there probably is vary small amount of post-editing, as they are near perfect after make-up and what not. But when we see photo's of not so perfect people, like certain celebrities, the post-editing can be extensive. Just my 2cents. 8)

[Ben]

Sorry to dig up an old thread - but this picture may show just how much touch-ups can affect a picture:

(Look at the tiles around her waist)

http://img90.exs.cx/img90/3048/katadobomaxim5tk.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

[sinister]

Hello all
I have done tons of touch up work on photographs for publication. The amount usually depends entirely on the client. As an example, we had a load of underwear shots for a catalogue and point of sale promotion. The specific requests were to remove any crease lines from around the armpits (completely unatural), make the sternam area above the breasts less pronounced and to hide any nipples or labia visible through the "see through" range. Other requests are to remove bags from under eyes, visible veins, etc etc.

It's usually down to an indevidual clients personal preference though.

martyn

[cmM]

it depends on the kind of shot, it depends on the kind of model, it depends on the light, makeup, etc... Whenever a model's face/skin is quite visible in the image, I usually either clean it up in neat image or use some selective gaussian blur to smoothen it out.

[BayAreaPhotog]

Just food for thought . . . check out this retouching expert and his work. . . It is amzing what can be done.

http://homepage.mac.com/gapodaca/digital/bikini/index.html

[nat869]

Sorry to dig up an old thread - but this picture may show just how much touch-ups can affect a picture:

(Look at the tiles around her waist)

http://img90.exs.cx/img90/3048/katadobomaxim5tk.jpg (http://www.imageshack.us)

Thats cool, I am glad to see this thread back. I never would have noticed the tiles had you not said something. I guess that was to make her waist smaller.....not sure I agree with that type of editing. For me, I still just remove blemishes and don't do much else. Well, I don't know how to do much else actually........lol.

[nat869]

Just food for thought . . . check out this retouching expert and his work. . . It is amzing what can be done.

http://homepage.mac.com/gapodaca/digital/bikini/index.html

That is pretty trippy.

[Skitzy]

Wow thats weird.

[PacAce]

I saw a documentary on TV one time where they featured a famous model (I think it was Cindy Crawford or somebody equally well known). She was doing a shoot for a major magazine (I forget if it was Vougue or Cosmopolitan). But anyway, they showed the whole process of what an image goes through from the photo shoot to the final layout of the magazine. Besides the standard airbrushing to remove "skin blemishes" they also airbrushed the wrinkles and the "misplaced" skin folds and creases out of the picture. And, on top of all that, they also performed cyber surgery on the model's upper arms and thighs to make them look thinner than they actually were. And the final touch was the removal of stray hair from the image.

[Persian-Rice]

Depends, if the model is natrually in very good shape and has nce skin, they dont touch it as much. But I know they sometime even stretch the legs or do whatever they have to to make her look good.

[Avalonthas]

In professional photography, alot of the airbrush stuff and touch up is on the models actual body and so very little touchup has to be done on the computer as the shot is near perfect to what the client needs with all the makeup/lighting and other factors. It all depends on resources and experience when it comes to decreasing post processing.

[PhotosGuy]

Just food for thought . . . check out this retouching expert and his work. . . It is amzing what can be done.
http://homepage.mac.com/gapodaca/di...kini/index.html :D:D:D Bigger boobs & smaller waist & hips! If he could put that into a pill, he'd be a billionaire in a week! ;)