Shall we talk about editing images in this post?
Something I added to my editing toolbox is a Wacom tablet. I use this mostly for skin retouching because of the pressure point use of the pen versus the mouse. And my mouse is not the typical apple mouse. I use a gaming mouse I found on amazon. This allows for faster use and more buttons to use. I happen to be a lefty and use the mouse with my right hand. So I’m sometimes faster than the computer renders what I’ve done. Being ambidextrous comes in handy here.
Of course I have a few favorite buttons in Photoshop I go to first off. But before that I use Lightroom as much as I can to avoid pulling to many images into photoshop. I use command 5 to bring a photo into Photoshop from Lightroom. Memorizing the quick keys is super fast and one less button to push. So I highly recommend doing this. I’ll share a few more tips today and then on later posts go more in depth with Lightroom and then Photoshop.
So if I take an image into photoshop it’s for a few reasons. There is acne to retouch, an obscure object that needs to be removed, clothing that needs retouching that would involve the liquify tool, or I envision a creative tweak. So first I would start with the hardest adjustment which is usually the skin. I have actions and tools I use depending on the amount of retouching that needs to be done. For heavy retouching I purchased a separate software that I use.
But for today we will talk Photoshop tools. The spot healing brush works like a charm with my pen and Wacom tablet. And I do a ton of backlit photos so I adjust the light coming through a person’s ears. I don’t like a red ears. Just a preference of mine. So I take the time to correct that. Then I take the lasso patch tool and lasso around an object I don’t care for and hit fill and content aware and viola it’s disappeared and the background is replaced with the other background next to it. It’s pretty magical.
The best tip I got starting out with the liquify tool is whatever you are wanting to fix, start off by adjusting the brush size to match the same size as the spot you want to move. This you will figure out by playing around with the tools. They take time to practice and to master.
When I’m all finished editing in Photoshop I hit command s to save the image. If you are highly distracted like me, make your work flow and stick to it. If an image is taking too long to edit I look it over again and make sure it’s really worth the edit. Sometimes you end up trashing one you thought might originally think worthy of the retouch.
Now onto this awesome guy. We added some family photos at the session and were surprised with a hot air balloon in the sky. It was breathtaking.
Amber Lee Photography 