Rarely does a shot come out exactly the way that you intended. There are usually some things that could have been better. Perhaps the imperfections were due to the limitations of your camera, the conditions in the environment, or your inexperience with photography techniques. Whatever the case, it is possible to make improvements after the fact so that the image can serve you better. Many of the photo retouching methods are easy enough to implement, especially with modern software. However, most people tend to overdo it only to end up with pictures that look clearly unnatural. Avoid the following photo retouching lapses for better results:
1. Oversaturating Colors
There are some artistic styles that may call for exaggerated effects but this is rarely called for. In most instances, you want the photograph to look as natural as possible. It should not be obvious that it went through an editors hands. One telltale sign that it did is oversaturated colors. Sure, a bland photo can be boring to look at but turning up the dial to increase saturation must be done with finesse. You cannot simply boost it up to the point where reds, greens and blues are jumping out of the page or the screen. It will simply look wrong and over-processed. Subtlety is a virtue.
2. Pushing the Contrast
The same is true with regards to contrast. If a picture came out looking a bit washed up, then you might be tempted to increase the contrast between the dark and light areas. This is a common step in editing and is usually not a bit deal. However, one must be careful not be push the contrast setting too high that the dark regions become too dark and the light areas become too bright. They will suffer from a loss of detail that will not be pleasant to look at. Always check the histogram to see if the levels are still within a reasonable range.
3. Chasing Perfection
This is a controversial subject with countless examples in the media. Magazine covers are notorious for airbrushing their models in the quest to attract more buyers. Some celebrities have pushed back against the practice saying that the cover barely resembles them anymore. Critics are also worried that this makes impressionable young people chase an impossible standard of perfection. It can be difficult to determine where to draw the line so it’s better to defer to the judgment of an experienced professional that you see eye-to-eye with. Contact an expert in photo retouching in Los Angeles to discuss how you would like your edits to proceed.
