Skin softening - is it always necessary?

Define "skin softening" - retouch? Always! Use a plugin to soften the skin? NEVER

When i see someone saying that they never do something, that usually means they can't do it.

nathancarter wrote in post #18430136
Also, as mentioned above, "skin softening" implies that you're just tossing on a heavy Gaussian blur, and obliterating all skin texture. That falls under "almost never." I'd like to think that a retoucher of any skill would not be doing that. (but I just saw one yesterday that was surprisingly overdone, from a photographer I respect - so maybe it's what the client wanted)

That's not really an implication, that's a presumption. I don't know of anyone who actually does "skin softening" who implies by the term "just tossing on a heavy Gaussian blur, obliterating all skin texture."

There are people who don't do it who make that blanket presumption about people who do.

And that's just a prejudice born of ignorance, because anyone using Photoshop knows that everything can be used heavily or delicately nuanced.

JJConstantine wrote in post #18456910
Define "skin softening" - retouch? Always! Use a plugin to soften the skin? NEVER

Hosted photo: posted by JJConstantine in
./showthread.php?p=184​56910&i=i27247781
forum: RAW, Post Processing & Printing

It's obvious no retouching was done here. That often means it was done well.

Thank you - this photo was retouched quite heavily

I've mostly done portraits for friends and family thus far, and I always do what I can to make the person look their best, no matter what it takes. Now, if I ever get around to shooting photos daily and having to keep up with crazy turn-around times, I may develop a generic preset for different skin types and try to apply that.

tim wrote in post #18430153
10+ years as a professional wedding photographer, I've never done skin softening. However brides tend to have fairly heavy makeup which is the real world version of skin smoothing.

Yea, I just did a 'mini shoot' for a homecoming and on looking through the shots I was surprised how good the makeup was. Definitely didn't need to smooth any skin there. Of course they are 15yo, but I'm not sure that makes all that much difference. Models are often teenagers and I don't think making a 40yo look like they have the skin on an 18yo is portraiture.

Personally I always do some re-touching, but as a default I never remove or change permanent features like scars, moles etc...

I would stay away from actions/plugins - and if I can say anything never use smoothing of any kind...
How much retouch do you think

Photo from JJConstantine's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (880224)

what do you mean? retouch or smooth?

If you do any post processing manually, there can be a filter written to do that as well, i see no distinction between the purported manual methods vs filters you can use.

TeamSpeed wrote in post #18469547
If you do any post processing manually, there can be a filter written to do that as well, i see no distinction between the purported manual methods vs filters you can use.

I agree. An action is nothing but a recorded series of Photoshop steps. Even if you buy someone else's recorded series of Photoshop steps, you can always open it up and change it to your own tastes.

And if you have your own favorite series of steps, it's silly not to record them into an action instead of doing them manually every time.

JJConstantine wrote in post #18469469
I would stay away from actions/plugins - and if I can say anything never use smoothing of any kind...
How much retouch do you think this picture had?

I wouldn't know--it's a small digital image that I'm seeing on a laptop screen. I'd be more impressed, perhaps, if I were looking at it in hardcopy at 30x40.

I do wall portraits, normally and ideally reproducing my subjects at close to life size. And my subjects are frequently middle aged or older people who don't necessarily want every age spot and wrinkle frozen in time and space to be closely examined (unlike how a person is experienced in real life: Constantly in motion and influenced by personality).

Raising the act of retouching or skin softening to something like an ethical rule is silly.

JJConstantine wrote in post #18469469
I would stay away from actions/plugins - and if I can say anything never use smoothing of any kind...
How much retouch do you think

Gallery photo (hosted):
posted by JJConstantine originally in forum: People

this picture had?

I'd say not quite enough because of the left-hand sweater thread. <G>

no there can't be a "process written" to encompass a manual retouch... explain how would you accomplish that? I think you are confusing "retouch" with "smoothing"

do pixel peeping - lol, this image size is 1400px on a short edge - big enough to see all detail