HARD-LIGHT PORTRAITS, LIKE THOSE SHOT IN SUNLIGHT, OFTEN BENEFIT FROM SUBTLE RETOUCHING Boost your sunlight portraits

Retouch the skin 1

Hard-light portraits tend to require more retouching, because the hard light can show pimples and rough patches of skin. Open your image in Photoshop and make a new layer, then grab the Spot Healing Brush tool, set it to ‘Sample All Layers’ then paint to remove small blemishes, using ] and [ to resize your brush.

Reduce hotspots 2

Direct sunlight can create oily-looking hotspots on skin. Make a new layer, then grab the Brush tool, hold Alt and sample a nearby skin colour. Hit 3 for 30% brush opacity, paint over the hotspot. Try reducing the layer opacity slightly, set the blend mode to Darken, and add a touch of noise with Filter>noise>add Noise.

Try a mono conversion 3

Portraits in sunny conditions tend to work really well in black and white, as there is usually plenty of bold contrast and texture, features that both lend themselves well to the monochrome look. Convert to mono in Camera Raw or Lightroom using the B&W Mixer panel, then try darkening the blues for a bolder sky.