Digital retouching is an essential step in post-production work. It allows you to intervene on a photo taken with a digital camera, removing imperfections, balancing or saturating colors, applying filters, reworking the light, and so on. Today, post-production is an essential part of the photographer's craft, and an indispensable step in the development of good photography.
Photo retouching involves reworking photos in digital format using computer editing software. I work with Lightroom and Photoshop. Digital enhancement is a process of altering the original image. Photo retouching isn't just about turning models into anorexic bombshells or smoothing out wrinkles. Retouching a photo from a RAW file (raw from the sensor) is first and foremost a matter of starting from the original material and then taking control of every artifice that is added to it (i.e. whether or not to add touches of color, masks, work a selection on the photo...).
Here's an example of a raw and retouched photo :
Digital retouching is now an integral part of a photographer's work. To achieve this, it is imperative to undergo training that includes mastery of computer software.
So how do you go about digital retouching?
- Tip 1 : Work with a high-quality photo, preferably RAW.
- Tip 2 : Crop the photo to enhance it.
- Tip 3 : Adjust light and contrast in your photo.
- Tip 4 : Work on the photo's color and saturation.
- Tip 5 : Remove unwanted elements.