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All the time people tell me "I don't photograph well", or "I'm not photogenic", or my least favorite: "I don't like how I look... it's impossible for me to look good in any photo". Almost nothing waves a red flag in my face faster than one of those three "excuses" for not sitting for a photo shoot. My opinion? Maybe you just haven't found the right photographer to help you relax and feel beautiful about your self. Making people look their best... it's a multi-step process (from communication, to attitude, to trust, to posing, to camera technique, to post-shoot developing, to retouching, to printing). I've spent over 20 years learning not only how to get even the most reticent "model" to relax and have fun, but I've also fine-tuned my post-shoot developing techniques to compliment the person I've photographed. Another thing I often hear from people who have posed for me... "You are the only person who is able to make me look good". Comments like that, and seeing the excitement on someone's face when they see their finished images... absolutely nothing better than seeing that expression of joy and wonder!
The key to making people look good... the photographer must be able to capture the model's inner spirit. This is an intangible skill... one either has the ability, or they don't. Retouching is simply the final step in creating a breathtaking photograph of someone. My most common retouching techniques: smoothing worry lines and skin tones, healing sun damage, adding make-up, full glamour, sharpening eyes, changing hair color/tones, removing backgrounds and adding backgrounds, compositing, special effects, etc.
Please take a moment to look through some of my retouching jobs, below, to see samples of post-shoot production editing.
