Skin softening techniques ??

**bigdazzler** · 27-07-2009, 8:37am

For all the portrait photographers, what skin softening techniques/software do you use ??

Im having some trouble with this in PP and need some help ..

**ricktas** · 27-07-2009, 8:58am

what software Daz?

If PS, head over to www.atncentral.com and check out some of the actions, glamour glow etc. Just a trick, run your action, then place over original photo as a layer and mask out the glow/soften layer around the eyes and lips, and even some of the hair, and any jewellery, to bring back the sharpness to those areas of your portrait.

**bigdazzler** · 27-07-2009, 9:22am

Yea im kinda doing something similar with guassian blurs but its not working out too well

Ive been using GIMP (casue i ran out of money after buying a couple of Apple computers

) and i guess its a little bit limited .. maybe its time I coughed up for some decent software

**I @ M** · 27-07-2009, 10:26am

Nik Software make a set of filters that include skin softeners, glamour glows etc. There are 52 filters that intergrate with PhotoShop, Lightroom, Aperture and Capture NX that have a great deal of "adjustability" incorporated.
Reasonably pricey but I find I use many of them very regularly.

Link to a page that lists them and provides sample shots by hovering your mouse over the particular filter.

http://www.niksoftware.com/colorefex...ters.shtml&re=

**kiwi** · 27-07-2009, 10:36am

Very simple answer here, makeup

No, seriously, I am now just using the "skin soften" brush in Lightroom, works an unexpected treat actually

**Bill44** · 27-07-2009, 11:08am

Originally Posted by kiwi

Very simple answer here, makeup

No, seriously, I am now just using the "skin soften" brush in Lightroom, works an unexpected treat actually

Yep works a treat, especially if you use the normal sharpening functions in Lightroom for the edges and then use the mask to remove the sharpening from the facial surfaces.

Kiwi, are you familiar with the use of the Alt key while dragging the three sharpening sliders?

**kiwi** · 27-07-2009, 11:12am

umm, Bill, no, not sure that I am

Another tip, get Gavin Seim's brushes too, extra goodness

**ving** · 27-07-2009, 11:30am

PSP12 has a bunch of brushes and tool for this sort of thing built in... dont know how they compare but they work for me.

**Bill44** · 27-07-2009, 11:33am

Originally Posted by kiwi

umm, Bill, no, not sure that I am

Try it, you'll be very surprised.
Tip, for portraits get the mask slider up around 70, it masks the sharpening on the facial surfaces. Hold the Alt key down and play around with the slider, it shows the amount of masking. Try holding down the Alt key with the other two sliders as well, at 1:1 you can really see what is happening.

**Jimbo** · 27-07-2009, 11:55am

I'm interested in this subject too, especially any general techniques that don't resort to pre-fab actions. At the moment I just do a gaussian blur at 0-5pixels and mask it in with a soft brush. Maybe play with the opacity too. Clone stamp/healing brush for blemishes.

**TOM** · 27-07-2009, 2:34pm

Dazza, I expose 400h @ ASA200 and this works fantastically well. But if you shoot digital, then not sure, probably hours in PS

**bigdazzler** · 28-07-2009, 9:20am

Originally Posted by I @ M

Nik Software make a set of filters that include skin softeners, glamour glows etc. There are 52 filters that intergrate with PhotoShop, Lightroom, Aperture and Capture NX that have a great deal of "adjustability" incorporated.
Reasonably pricey but I find I use many of them very regularly.

Link to a page that lists them and provides sample shots by hovering your mouse over the particular filter.

http://www.niksoftware.com/colorefex...ters.shtml&re=

^^^^^^^ Bought it. Love it. Nearly $400 poorer but who cares

Originally Posted by TOM

But if you shoot digital, then not sure, probably hours in PS

^^^^^^^^ not anymore

**ricktas** · 28-07-2009, 9:29am

Yep, the Nik Software series are great, you will get hours of fun out of using them. Watch the video tutorials on the Nik site, there are some features that are not obvious when playing, but are really valuable for your PP work

**I @ M** · 28-07-2009, 9:35am

Originally Posted by bigdazzler

Bought it. Love it. Nearly $400 poorer but who cares

Exactly, never let $$ stand between you and photographic nirvana

Now if I can only convince someone else around here to see my way of thinking ------------------------

**bigdazzler** · 28-07-2009, 9:35am

yea i downloaded and played with a trial version a while back (when i had even less of an idea than i do now) and had some fun with it. I see myself heading in the posed portraiture/glamour direction hopefully so it will be an excellent tool for me for sure. Now just gotta learn to use it.

**bigdazzler** · 28-07-2009, 9:37am

Originally Posted by I @ M

Exactly, never let $$ stand between you and photographic nirvana

Now if I can only convince someone else around here to see my way of thinking ------------------------

seriously its killing me .. i may need to gigolo myslef out soon ..

... im supposed to be saving for a trip to Europe ... my missus hates me .. i even have to get my online receipts sent to a secret gmail account .. hehehe

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