Deciding whether or not to retouch your family portraits follows a similar thought process as for individual portraits. But there are a few added considerations since a family portrait is usually a group photo. Here are a few things to consider:
Purpose of the Portrait
If your family portrait is for something formal like a holiday card, a website, or a living room wall, a little retouching can help enhance the image while maintaining a natural look. Common adjustments might include softening harsh lighting, evening out skin tones, or removing temporary blemishes.
For a family portrait that’s for personal use, retouching isn’t usually necessary. A family photo is more about the moment captured than perfection.
Overall Photo Composition
If certain areas of the image have unflattering shadows, overly bright spots, or colour casts, retouching can improve the overall look of the image.
If there are background distractions, such as clutter, passersby, or items you don’t want in the image, retouching can clean up most distractions. Depending on the style of the photo, it may not be a good idea to have the background look too perfect.
Individual Skin Flaws
If someone has a temporary blemish or skin irritation, a small amount of retouching can smooth out those imperfections. This is the most common reason for retouching family portraits, making sure no one feels self-conscious about a pimple, temporary skin issues or stray hairs.
In group shots, you might have a variety of ages. While it’s totally fine to have natural wrinkles, sometimes the lighting or pose can unintentionally emphasize lines in the face and neck. Retouching can counteract this by minimizing wrinkles, but not removing them.
Emotional and Natural Expression
Sometimes, in group photos, someone might not be smiling or looking their best in the shot. Retouching can help brighten a smile or open the eyes, but be careful about overdoing it. You want the expressions to stay authentic.
Note that if you need to have facial expressions changed, eyes opened, or body posture changed, for best results, another photo(s) of the same group will be required. It is a very common practice to take a good expression or better posture from one photo and blend it into another.
Family portraits often capture the personalities of each person, and their individual quirks can be a key part of the image. Be cautious about making major changes to the way someone looks.
Keeping a Balanced and Authentic Look
One of the main considerations is not to make the family look like they’ve been overly edited or artificially altered. Family portraits should still feel real, even if small imperfections were smoothed over.
It’s important to ensure that any retouching doesn’t erase unique features or expressions that make each person who they are. You don’t want to lose the warmth and individuality of your family members by over-retouching.
Your Own Preferences
If your family enjoys a more polished, styled look, you might lean toward some additional retouching and effects. If your family prefers a natural approach, you might keep retouching to a minimum.
It’s a personal decision. If you’re happy with the family portrait as it is, there’s no need for retouching. However, if there’s something that stands out to you or that you feel could be improved, don’t hesitate to ask for retouching.
Retouching Specifics
Light retouching to even out skin tones is very common in family portraits. It’s typically done in a way that keeps the texture of the skin intact, so it doesn’t look artificial.
Brightening the eyes and teeth slightly is often done in family portraits to enhance everyone’s smile without making them look fake.
Sometimes stray hairs or wrinkled clothes can be fixed easily to improve the appearance of a portrait. These changes are usually subtle but can make a difference in the overall presentation of the image.
Feedback from Others
Consider asking the rest of the family what they think about retouching. If they’re comfortable with a more natural look, you can skip retouching. But if someone wants a little skin smoothing or blemish removal, that’s an easy adjustment.
Professional vs. DIY Retouching
If you’re working with a professional photographer, they can help often do some retouching. They know how to balance subtle edits to make the photo more polished while keeping the family’s natural essence. However few photographers are capable of in-depth, comprehensive retouching. For this, you would need a professional photo retoucher.
Sometimes you can do the retouching yourself. Simple adjustments (brightness, contrast, blemish removal) can make a photo look more polished, but you want to avoid making it look too perfect or artificial. It’s critical that you always work on a copy of the original photo.
Conclusion
The decision to retouch a family portrait depends on how polished you want the final image to be, how the individual members feel about their appearance in the shot, and the intended use of the photo. If the photo captures your family in a moment you love, professional retouching can enhance the image while maintaining the authenticity and emotional warmth of the moment.
