I’m gonna be brutally honest here…I absolutely hate when a client copies and saves an image from their online gallery then uses that low resolution, unretouched image on Facebook or somewhere else online. The big problem here is that the image has not been retouched. Not retouching a headshot is like peanut butter without jelly, meatballs without spaghetti, mac without cheese, Tom without Jerry…fries without…ok, ok, so you get what I mean here — digital photography and retouching just goes together!
You’re probably thinking how you never retouched your photos in the past when using a film camera. Well, there is a big difference in film and digital quality. The different characteristics of film, for the most part, produce grainer and more forgiving images. So, you could very well skip retouching and still have a pleasing photo. Digital, on the other hand, records more detail and magnifies it, making images extremely crisp and clear. What you see in a digital photograph (every line and wrinkle) may not even be visible to the naked eye in person . Therefore, retouching IS needed.
“But I want to look like myself” you say. And you should! Headshot retouching should be natural. The idea is to soften, enhance and polish the image, not give you plastic surgery. But, beyond the face, retouching can fix wrinkles in clothing, flyaway hair, correct or change makeup and backgrounds, enhance overall color and so much more. So, don’t ruin your photo shoot by using unretouched photos. The next time you have your headshots taken, make sure retouching is part of the plan.
What do you think about retouching? Are you using any unretouch photos online? I’d love to know what you think.
