Customers sometimes request that all facial wrinkles and lines be removed from their portraits. I smile when I get these retouching requests because I know the outcome: when the customer sees the retouched image, they’ll say it appears unnatural, with their face looking like plastic.
Wrinkles and lines are a natural part of aging. Everyone has lines on their face, except young children and magazine cover models. When a person’s face is completely wrinkle-free, it looks unrealistic. A smooth, line-free face appears artificial because it doesn’t reflect the beauty of aging.
For better or worse, our appearance continually changes throughout our life. Photo retouching isn’t about erasing all signs of aging, but rather it’s enhancing the image while preserving authentic features. Instead of removing lines entirely, the goal is to subtly lighten them while keeping the character and texture of the face, allowing the person to look their best.
Similarly I also get requests to eliminate every grey hair from a person’s head. But just like with wrinkles, the result will end up looking fake. Once you’re past your late forties, grey hairs are completely natural and expected.
When retouching hair, the focus should be on enhancing it, not transforming it. This could include removing flyaway hairs or tucking in loose strands. Adding a few highlights or shadows can also provide depth and dimension. Subtly boosting the colour is fine, but going beyond that, such as eliminating all grey or making the hair appear unnaturally uniform, will always look unnatural.
Portrait retouching is about balancing enhancement with authenticity. It’s about showcasing the true beauty of the person, wrinkles and grey hairs included, rather than trying to make them look like someone they’re not. The best retouching is unnoticeable.
