Start here.
Start by saying what must stay. Keep the person’s skin tone, features and real texture. Ask for small, clear fixes to the details that distract from the portrait.
Your three next steps
- Name the details you want to keep.
- List the few things you want changed.
- Check the finished face at full size and at normal viewing size.
In this lesson
Keep the person in the portrait
Retouching should follow the brief you agreed with your client. Freckles, moles, lines and scars may matter to them. Do not assume that every mark is something to remove.
A useful note is: “Keep my freckles, skin tone and face shape. Remove the new spot on my chin.” This is much clearer than “Make my skin perfect.”
Fix light and color first
A face can look rough because one patch is too bright or too dark. A color cast can make skin look orange or green. Fix those issues before adding lots of blur.
Small changes to light and color may be all the photo needs. Zoom out after each step. A close view helps you spot a mark, but the full photo shows whether the change helps.
Ask for texture, not a smooth mask
Pores, fine lines and small shifts in color make skin look real. Too much smoothing can wipe those details away. Hair and the edges of eyes can also turn soft.
Tell the editor how natural you want the result. You can say: “Keep skin texture. Reduce the shine on the forehead a little. Keep the makeup as it is.” There is no single slider value that works for every face.
Know when the request becomes a new look
A small spot cleanup is different from changing face shape, clothing color or a whole background. Big changes need a clear creative plan and may need a separate quote.
Portrait Polish starts with a free assessment. It checks which small fixes may help. You see the proposed plan before any paid work can begin. A creative finish is a different choice.
Check the result in two views
View the face at 100% to check texture, eyes, hair and edges. Then view the whole photo at the size people will see it. The goal is a strong portrait in both views.
Where a proof is available, compare Original, Corrected and Finished in My Studio. These views show the basic fix and the final look. An automated check helps catch faults, but you should inspect the photo before you approve it.
Remember this
A good brief says what to keep as clearly as what to change.
A natural finish starts with a clear plan.
Upload your portrait. Tell us what to keep and what you want fixed. A reference photo is optional.
Start my free assessment →Sources & further reading
These are original lessons with our own examples. The links below explain the related principles.
Published by DNA Premium Portraits with AI assistance. This lesson is educational; a suggested setting is not a tested result for your exact setup.