Is resolution adequate for output needs? Ie: Inkjet printer, Dye-sublimation printer, 4-color press, Web etc.
Crop your image
Using the crop tool:
Remove unnecessary borders
Improve composition
Adjust tonality
Does the image possess rich blacks, bright whites, as well as good shadow and highlight detail?
Yes. Move on to Step 5
No. Choose Image>Adjust>Levels and adjust highlight and shadow sliders. Lighten or darken image with middle (Gamma slider.
Consider making overall tonal corrections as well as localized corrections using selections.
Correct the color
Are skin tones believable?
Are known grays neutral?
Yes. Move on to Step 6
No. Choose Images>Adjust>Color Balance and adjust color sliders.
Consider making overall color corrections as well as localized corrections using selections.
Photoshop Magic-Using Layers for each step!
Remove flaws on:
-skin; clothing; overall image
Use Portraiture Imagenomics : used for skin softening, skin warmth and contrast are also adjusted. It only affects the skin and nothing else if you wish.
Eyes: apply eye shadow, add lashes or make longer ones
Eyes: Changing the color of eyes- use the lasso tool and encircle both iris of the eyes. Feather by 3. Open Hue and Saturation and move sliders. If you don’t get the color you like try clicking the colorize box. You can also add selective color to the mix. Many times you may need to dodge the color portion of dark brown colored eyes to lighten them up so that they accept a color change. A 50% gray layer with blending mode on overlay should be used to do your dodging no matter what type of dodging you do.
Eyes: remove small light reflections in corners of eyes (not catch light)
Checks: apply blush to the cheeks. Fix Hot spots on cheek using clone stamp in blending mode darken. Select 30% opacity. Adjust the opacity on a layer if you need to and then merge it down when it just right.
Lips: change the color of lipstick
Lips: fill in unwanted gaps/spaces. Zoom in very close, use the patch tool in very small pieces working your way across the lips. Zoom out to check your works.
Teeth: whiten up the teeth
Hair: Adding Hair- add several pieces of hair image. Using the lasso tool encircle a piece of hair. Feather the radius by 5 pixels do a control copy clear the “ants” and do a control “v.” The piece of hair will now show up on a new layer. Now do a File new making sure it is going to open up on a transparent layer. Open and drag the layer over onto the new file. Cleaning up the images is easy on the new layer. Drag the hair to models head then use transform warp to help ease it in place. The hair can also be reversed, erased to be shortened or opacity reduced to fit in. Remember, each piece of hair needs to be on one layer.
Sharpen
Is the image sharp enough?
Yes. You’re finished.
No. Choose Filer>Sharpen>Unsharp Masking and adjust Amount value.
OR Use Smart Sharpen - 150% Radius 1.5 set Gaussian Blur, Basic checked, & more accurate unchecked
Two last things to do!
Check your levels. Decreasing the mid-tones make a big difference. If you feel you need to add Hue & Sat to boost your colors this is the place to do it.
Last but not least do a double hit of the “F” key to view the image on a black background. This way you can check the cropping and make sure the image has that “POP” you are looking for!
Save your work
Are you satisfied with your new and improved image?
No. Return to the appropriate step.
Yes. Choose. File>SaveAs.
In the Save As dialog box name your image and choose a format. Click Save.