Before & After / Senior Portrait

Okay, I have limited experience in Photoshop. However, I was asked to do a Senior Portrait for a friend's daughter and I decided to use it as an opportunity to gain some experience.

Please let me know if I'm on the right track. I did the following retouching:

• Gaussian blur layer
• Contrast smoothing using gaussian blur
• Eye layer to adjust luminosity / levels
• Left Eye layer to correct color
• Healing Brush on forehead (and elsewhere)
• Unsharp Mask layer
• Levels layer
• Curves layer
• Teeth desaturation / Whitening layer

Following is the the RAW rendered image followed by the Photoshop edited image:



Is there more I should try or anything I should redo?

Thanks!

Did she like it? Has she seen it?

First, I want to be gentle and tell you that I don't know this young lady, but, while I like the attempt, I don't think that it's the most flattering photo of this budding young woman. My idea of senior portraits is to show something of their likes, personality and interests and make them look their best at time when they are going through a lot moving on to their unsure futures.

Teens are pretty self conscious and I can say this because I am not petite, but the angle is just making her look very large. All the white and exposed skin causes your eye to go towards her figure. Her bra straps are showing - and are prominent. Her hair is orange in the retouched version and the angle of her glasses hide her eyes - the window to her soul. Her expression is relaxed and happy. Maybe she sees herself like this, but, I think I would try for different angles and wardrobing first.

I was really looking for retouching tips, but thanks for the other input as well.

My first reaction was that I am not responsible for her weight nor the way she dresses herself! However, I did think this angle would flatter her, but I didn't anticipate the way it makes her arm look.

Also, perhaps I could've guided her through wardrobe choice. She did seek my assistance a few times but I did not engage in that process with her. Is that a usual part of this kind of portrait?

Finally, I don't see any color tint in the photograph, so I assume it is properly white balanced. Perhaps the lelvels adjustment combined with the warm tone of the sun brought out an orange tint in her hair. How would I adjust that without throwing the rest of the photo off?

Hello Ed

I think you have made a valiant attempt with your re-touching and applaud you for that, you have made big improvements to her skin, but generally I agree with Kathy, her hair does look to have taken on an orange colour cast in the re-touched version... (sorry)

Yes, I would always tell someone if there was a problem with their clothing, as generally they would not be aware of how it could look from unusual angles such as the one you have used, and more than likely would not be happy with the result.

I would have approached this by informing the young lady of her exposed bra straps and asked if she was happy with that, or, would have suggested taking photos in several outfits, so she could choose from the photographs which one she preferred, and can be a nice gentle way of getting her to change without saying anything negative about her appearance or her clothing.

The empty area above her right shoulder, as she is not central in the frame further emphasises the problem of her bra straps, and she is stooped forwards which is generally unflattering.

However, the young lady has a very natural happy expression which you have caught nicely. If you are unable to re-shoot have you thought about cropping it very tightly? Hope this is of some help.

I did take other poses with other clothes, and I've retouched some of those now.

Although I was looking for retouching tips, I appreciate the other comments as well.

I will take another look at this one and try some other cropping and try to correct that orange tint!