Elderly people

[Metalstrm]

I'm new to portraits, and would like to get a few tips on how you guys process pictures of elderly people. I guess it really depends on the final use of the finished image such as whether they are paying for a photograph that makes them look younger or maybe you're making a picture that shows the character in their wrinkles. But in any case, would you heavily reduce skin tone unevenness/wrinkles from an elderly person's face, expecially if they want their portrait made? Or is it simply a case of "it depends"?

Thanks for the help.

[RDKirk]

I always roll back "the last five years." People not to see the newer age blemishes when they look at themselves in the mirror, but will have come to terms with those blemishes and wrinkles that are more than five years old.

That means removing the smaller lines and softening the deeper ones. I usually remove age spots that light-toned people get and the smaller age-related moles that dark-skinned people get.

Softer lighting normally lessens the appearance of wrinkles, but sometimes light that is too soft also diminishes character. The nice thing about digital is that you don't have to compromise one for the other.