ROSSELLA’S RETOUCHING WORKFLOW

1 Raw image

I start by assessing my shot and identifying any problem areas. I always start from the most problematic area and then work my way towards the more subtle, creative adjustments.

2 Hair

I have assessed that hair is the problem area in this image, so I tackle that rst. I use a mix of compositing, Frequency Separation and Dodge and Burn to both ll in and tidy up the hair, and then nish off with a subtle use of Liquify to enhance volume and shape.

3 Skin

Next, I focus on the skin. I use the Healing Brush to even out the texture and remove imperfections. After, I Dodge the skin to eliminate any dark blotchy areas to make the skin appear smoother. I treat lips at this stage with the same process.

4 Eyebrows and contouring

I like to nish skin by balancing Dodge with some Burn. I add some contouring to the face in oder to enhance bone structure and contrast. I use Burn on the left eyebrow too, to make it look thicker and more similar to the other brow.

5 Eyes

I clean up the whites and subtly brighten up the inside of the eye to enhance presence. We want to be subtle with this step to avoid the image looking over-retouched. A little brightness in the eyes will go a long way.

6 Colour grading

A few layers of tailored colour grading allow me to nd the perfect toning for this image. In beauty shots, skin tone is always my starting point for colour grading. I choose tones that enhance skin tones by removing some of the redness but maintaining a natural look.