skin problems

[rascal64]

I have attached a pic from a recent shoot. I am having problems with her skin. The forehead in particular. I shoot

JPEG fine and I process in ELEMENTS 5.0. I have read about software to fix skin problems but they cost too much

for me. I can touch up wrinkles and blemishes and do a little airbrushing with Elements but this is a bit beyond my

capabilities and knowledge. Any suggestions?

[pankaj purohit]

If your issue is about the skin softness, than I think Noisa-Ninja will work good for you. Try the demo version, and try

with different combinations. It not only will remoove the noise or tinny spots, it will add sharpness too.

 

If you can spend time with phtoshop, it might also can help you without spending money on other software. Try some

editings with layer overlapings, and same can be done on Element too.

 

You may find some photoshop techniques on the internet, and many of those can be played with Elements too.

 

If you can expertise Element or Photoshop, than I don't think, any other software is needed for imaging work. All

other softwares are just set of some commands and action, and will not work with your every picture.

 

But if we come on to your posted picture, than I don't find anything wrong with that, some very small 'pimples' are

visible but exposure and shadows are so good. I would like to keep the picture as original as possible, this is

different nowadays when every digital shooter do something with every picture, and as per me that looses the life

from the photograph, and that edited stuff becomes only a Image.

[MichaelChang]

Tiffany, you can try duplicating the image as separate layer, apply Gaussian Blur, reduce opacity to taste, then selectively erase areas you wish to preserve sharpness. I'm sure others will chime in with more elegant ways of doing it better.

[tommyinca]

I use Picture Window Pro. Mask out the eyes and hair high-light so it retain sharpness. Apply 4 layers of different

gaussian blur with image stacking (Layer in Photoshop). This is how it look aftward. I kept the effect mild to avoid the

over process look as her skin just need a liitle light touch IMO.<div></div>

[photomark]

Tiffany, I can see why you want to save this one. But not for the skin problems, it is a lovely portrait. I don't know what

Elements can do--do you have layers and masks? If you google: "high pass" skin you will find a lot of tutorials that show a

technique for eliminating certain details while saving others. It's a nice trick because it allows you to preserve skin details

with a level of control that varies from a slight touch up to a cover-of-Maxim-look-mom-I've-got-plastic-skin look. Combined

with masking techniques it can fix your problems, but with skin this problematic it will take a little while. I've attached a five

minute work up to give you an idea, but you could do much better than this if you are patient.<div></div>

[JTG1]

Heres my try...<div></div>

[jay a. frew]

Hello Tiffany:

 

I am still creeping up the "digital darkroom" learning curve. It takes a lot of work to learn this stuff, but,

it is worthwhile if you want results.

 

One of my main problems was the cost of the software. I simply cannot afford Photoshop!

 

I use a programme called Picture Window 4.0 from these folks:

 

http://www.dl-c.com/

 

It is about $90.00, it is a 16 bit/channel system, has extensive masking and sharpening tools, it is colour

managed, uses non-destructive editing and it has many of the features found in Photoshop (although, it is

completely different from a user's point of view).

 

I have been using PWPro for years. The only downside I have found is that it doesn't have the massive third-party

support available to Photoshop Users (which is a huge industry all by itself). PWPro does have very good support

available on their message board. You can speak to the creator and to many Power Users when you have questions

(and...you do get answers).

 

I have attached a 5-minute edit of your photo where I used a mask over the eyes and then a blur effect to "smooth

the skin. I could vary the blur effect to select the amount of skin smoothness. With more time I could have

masked the hair (or any other part) to do selective highlighting etc.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Cheers! Jay

[richsimmons]

You can look at Paint Shop Pro or PhotoImpact from Corel.com. If you're using a PC. I'm surprised they sell both. They bought two companies and kept both products even though they kind of do the same thing. PSP is about $80. PI is about $70.

[wogears]

You need only minimal softening here; her skin is very good. Just google 'soften skin photoshop elements' and you will get dozens of tutorials. Try until you find one you like. You do NOT need additional software unless you WANT it.

[rascal64]

Thank you all! Pankaj...thank you for the software tip and the comments on the image. I agree...I don't care for the ultra smooth airbrushed skin unless it is an art piece. I like portraits pretty straight forward. Michael...I do use the blur quite a bit. In fact...I use it (virtually) on every image I do now. I haven't used it in the matter in which you described. I will give it a shot. With 80 shots to edit...that may be a good solution. Tommy...thank you. I will check it out. I like your version but I think I like more details in the shadows....not sure yet. Mark...awesome fix. Thank you. Can I send you the other 79 to work on 8>) ? Jack...thank you for your input. A nice image but I would like to keep more detail in her face and I definitely don' t want to turn her into a white girl 8>). Jay...Thank you. This is the second time in this thread I have heard the name...I will check it out. Your touch up looks great! Thank you Rich and Thank you Les. For $ and space reasons (I work on a laptop)...I don't have the full version of PS. Elements has some limitations but for the most part...it serves me well. I definitely have not mastered the program yet.

[nathan_stiles]

Tiff, for something like this, I often duplicate the layer, use the Dust and Scratches Filter to get rid of the bumps. Sometimes that may require a 0.5 pixel Gaussian blur afterwards. And reduce the Opacity to taste.

 

Jack... you made her white?

[jeff_moon]

Something like this?<div></div>

[nathan_stiles]

Jeff, I think she wants the bumps taken out-- your picture they are more pronounced.

 

Sadly, the attached picture is gif, which is worse to work w/ than jpg. So I couldn't do a lot of eidting w/o banding happening.<div></div>

[terry_spade]

My effort<div></div>

[nathan_stiles]

I like Tommy Lee's and Terry's above.

[rascal64]

Nathan...I agree with all that you said. I will have to try your remedy. My apologies for the GIF...it snuck out of my program. I am reloading the JPG for anymore takers. But I think that I am looking at some terrific fixes to try.