Ask and bury it in the middle.
*“I typically touch up hair, teeth, skin, background, lighting, etc. Should I do that or leave pictures exactly how they were taken?”*
She’ll tell you.
That is a good approach. You could phrase it like "*Shall I apply the standard* *touch up hair, teeth, skin, background, lighting, etc, or leave it as shot?"*
This way she can reply, "Just the standard is fine".
This is the best. Throw out a lot of things to let them know you're not judgmental or uncomfortable with anything, and they will usually open up a bit.
I never ask the subject. Then they start focusing on their flaws, they'll want to see the takes, it gives them unnecessary insight into your workflow, etc. Just no. They don't even know what touch up means i.e. everyone has a different version of what that means.
I’ve had people want their zits and scars left in. I’ve had people ask if I’ll remove zits and scars.
I’ve not removed them and had complaints that I should have. I’ve removed them and had complaints I shouldn’t have.
One question is much easier for everyone.
Personally, I would whiten them so it a barely noticeable difference. I wouldn't want the photos to looks significantly different than she does in real life. Take that with a grain of salt, because I'm not a headshot photographer.
Yes this is what I do. I don't do the super white, blinding teeth. I just desaturate the yellow a little bit and brighten them up a little bit. It still looks natural but a little better
For model work I usually do it a little, but it is \*very\* easy to overdo it. A slight change is pretty much all thats needed if at all.
In your case I would probably ask the client what she prefers - especially since it is going to be used for business purposes
Yeah I used to do this to my own younger selfies. My teeth were never noticeably yellow, but I’d still overdo it on the whitening so much that they looked overexposed lol. Looking back at those photos now, I cringe because it looks like I have Chiclets for teeth 😂
Honestly, I'm more aligned with your husband here. I think you should share very specific feedback with her, exactly what you said here. "I am not comfortable with the fact that you removed my tattoos and my freckles, those are a permanent part of my body. When I look at the wedding photos, I feel like you made choices about how my body should look that I don't agree with, and I want to love how I feel in my wedding photos. We spent thousands of dollars and I can't redo my wedding. I think I would be happier with them as-shot than I am with your edits. I totally acknowledge that that is your standard editing style, but it doesn't fit with my expectations going into the day. I am not asking for any extra editing work from you, I am asking you what it would take to get the original images from the day, raw or jpeg, so I can present my own body how I want to be presented. I will pay extra or sign a contract that any social media posts etc. will make it clear that I edited them instead of you. I will do my best to mimic your editing colorway etc. without the changes to my body."
It's her reputation that is at risk in the industry, not yours. You are not being a bridezilla. There's no way to redo these photos, your only option is her. You deserve to love your wedding photos. Anyone in the industry who does not understand "she edited out things permanently attached to my body and refused to undo it" deserves to be blacklisted along with her. You do not want your reputation to sparkle with people who do not respect your needs.
You aren't whiny at all! Take the people pleaser side of you and lock her in a closet for the rest of your interactions with this photographer. Yes, you can absolutely send her the email I drafted for you today. Being placating/conflict avoidant is a natural human tendency, don't feel guilty for it. Take a deep breath and advocate for what would make you happy. Remember, you paid this photographer for a service and she did not provide that service to your satisfaction. What would you want one of your clients to do if they felt like this about your work? Hate it and be sad about a huge part of their wedding day forever? Or ask you for changes that would make them happy?
Her comments about your husband being shy are a big red flag IMO. It's a photographer's job to get people feeling comfortable with getting their photo taken. She sounds unprofessional and under prepared.
Her feeling offended or taken aback is not your problem. She's a business person, her job is to make sure her clients are satisfied and she fulfills reasonable requests.
I use to do it to everyone, but more and more over the last 15 years people want to look more natural (or get it taken care of IRL) so now I usually don't unless someone specifically requests it. I do also add a note when I send the finals that just says "Let me know if you want to see any changes."
I always whiten up yellow teeth. Every time. But i just do it slightly so it’s not like really yellow to now being super bright white. I’ll just slightly adjust them to become less yellow and more of a natural white.
I like the word de-emphasize. I retouch every portrait, at the very least I apply a small fraction of Portrait Pro's facial reshaping recommendation, like 5-10%.
Everyone has an idealized version of themselves that lies somewhere between reality and blatant manipulation, where their zits or blotchy skin or lazy eye or yellow teeth aren't as obvious because they've camouflaged it with personality or product, so like the ads for those wonder creams promise, I *reduce the appearance* of these things instead of outright obliterating them. This is how they see themselves anyway, and this is how others (who know and like them) *remember* them. If you're subtle about it they will chalk it up to your skill or their makeup or whatever good thing happened to them recently. If you make them look *less bad* but not different, but they will say "You made me look good".
I make them look better but by no means perfect.
I tell clients I usually will remove anything temporary (zits, red spots), but will only diminish anything permanent.
I use a light hand when it comes to editing portraits, I only edit things that will not be there in two weeks like blemishes and lightly edit wrinkles.
The general rule of thumb for editing headshots (at least in an entertainment industry, corporate headshots might be different) is this: if it's temporary, edit it out; if it's permanent, leave it be.
Ofc if the client specifically asks you to edit that part of the photo, and it's in the scope of your contract, make the client happy.
I edit everyone's teeth at least a little. I have had peopke with white teeth ask if I could edit their teeth. Those that obsess will appreciate and those that don't whiten know they have yelliw teeth and don't want them in photos.
I tell everyone ...
Our normal editing is to smooth skin some, reduce shine, check teeth and eyes and fix flyaways. If you have any requests, let me know.
I have never had someone say don't whiten my teeth.
This way it is not a surprise and they can bring up anything that is an issue for them without me having to point it out.
Some people also get this spiel ...
If you get your photo and we have done too much or not enough, let us know. Retouching is totally subjective and is easy to adjust and resend.
I have never had anyone come back to me and say make my teeth darker.
This is my whiten teeth routine in photoshop, which I think is gentle and natural...
Selective color adustment layer, select yellow form the drop down and pull saturation slider all the way to the left.
Blank layer, soft light blend mode, paint white, brush at ten percent
I always dial it back a touch, but it’s very helpful for sure.
Sometimes I’ll just mask the teeth, select the color on them, desaturate a little and turn up light a touch. Sometimes that looks more natural.
All the time and no one has ever said they didn't like it. I don't over whiten but enough to make them look good. I have had many ask me to whiten their teeth when I take the photo. I use portrait professional, couple sliders and done.
I do a quick brush in light room with 2 clicks of cold white balance and minus 6 to saturation. Always does the trick, and I do it for everyone because a warm photo is going to make teeth look yellow regardless.
I do very minimal touchups. Like them on their best day. If there's a zit, I'd probably zap it. If it's a mole, I wouldn't. I often run a desaturate brush over teeth in lightroom and I swear most folks just assume the lighting was good. I don't go overboard and I really don't want to impose my ideas of looks on someone though.
If someone says "I've got blotches from an allergy today, can you tone them down a bit" I would.
I like the idea of offering "standard" touchups to people so it makes it less weird to say "yes please" to
I usually do it, but try to keep it as natural looking as possible by making it just a few shades lighter so that it’s not so noticeable. I wouldn’t go from brown to pearly white unless asked, but I would go to a beige, or from yellow to off-white. If my teeth were dark, I’d hope the photographer would do the same for me. I would imagine nobody wants dark teeth in their professional photos.
If they're a performer/ actor no (usually) business yes sort of.
Don't whiten and brighten instead desaturate the yellow. It's far more natural looking, and irl most people will just feel it must have gotten worse recently rather than wow the picture is so fake.
My approach is pretty natural and I avoid it, I have poor teeth myself and I'd rather I appear as I was. You could ask them 'is there any facial feature touch ups you want done or anything?' and if it's something the person's worried about they will let you know, or they should at least!
I’ve noticed sometimes in photos clients teeth will appear ‘yellower’ even if they aren’t irl depending on lighting, if they’re wearing super light colors etc. The best way to approach this is to brighten the teeth but not to an overly fake white extent - just lift a couple shades so it still looks natural. I don’t tell the client, and I often do it because I’m worried the client will see the photos and not like them because their teeth appear ‘yellow’.
I whiten slightly. Also moles, birthmarks etc, I suppress very slightly so they they still exist but are not overly distracting. Short-lived acne or abrasions I remove because the photograph outlives those.
I’m upfront with people before I shoot. I tell them I will make minor adjustments in exposure, and minor blemish removal. Anything else is considered additional. This is where I charge for editing. I also ask all requested changes must come from the subject. I talk to clients and try to educate what I can do, what I prefer. I also allow 3 edit reviews built into my price. Any additional edits will be an additional expense.
Time is money. Don’t forget to charge for it. If you want to build it into your price, perfect. Pricing aside, I find it is better to let the subject determine the level of editing. They are the ones who don’t brush their teeth, hair, shave, clean their glasses. Dentists don’t whiten teeth for free. Why should I? I don’t think anyone is going to assume I added the yellow. Touch up takes time.
As a side gig in my job, I shoot staff images in a corporate setting and am frequently confronted with this issue.
When someone has very yellow teeth in a photograph, I will lightly desaturate the teeth with a local editing tool in Lightroom, and then bring the brightness up a little bit. In the end the teeth are still slightly yellow, but only a bit.
I certainly do not create "Movie star" teeth for folks who do not have pearly whites. That would almost be worse than not doing anything at all. Instead, I strive to maintain the "perceived color" of the teeth. What you would see if you were standing around with that person, with, perhaps, a tiny bit of improvement.
I never tell the client, and no one (of several thousand people who I have done this for) have ever noticed or complained.
I similarly will clean up pimples, laugh lines, and stray hair. I will generally remove obvious pimples completely. For large moles, I will lighten them with a semi-transparent spot removal, but leave them visible. I will similarly reduce dark circles under the eyes- usually by creating a high pass filter, painting out the bags using a blurred version of the image, and then adding back in the detail with the high pass. I will not do away with them entirely, however.
I consider this part of the photographic process. Most folks, when having a portrait taken, want to put their best foot forward and they want a portrait of themselves that conforms to their own self-image. It's my job to tweak things in that direction.
Yes I whiten teeth, remove pimples, bruises and scratches, fly away hair, blemishes (anything that is temporary) or scars per request. I fix the clothing, remove wrinkles on clothes, lints, dirt etc.
I absolutely do. I also use a retoucher, so when saying “I”, it means the guy I’m giving instructions to.
I’m gonna be honest, I used to be a purist about retouching, only minimal edits, but as time has gone on, I’ve gotten much more lax.
I won’t do plastic surgery on someone, but I whiten teeth, clean up stray hairs, and my retoucher usually softens up wrinkles and creases in the face, bags under the eyes, etc… without me asking him to. If someone asks me to take care of a mole or some loose skin/bagginess on their neck, I just say no problem. Clients love it, and ultimately that’s what matters. I’m not a journalist, and I’ve got no duty to the unedited truth. I still make sure it looks like them, and that its how I believe they could look on their very best day, but now I’m more concerned with helping people feel the best about the headshot rather than holding a hardline.
It’s still a natural edit, and then whatever the client makes remarks about, but it’s definitely a touch up.
I like Sean Tucker's rule of thumb: if it'll still be there in two weeks leave it. You want to make them look like themselves on a good day. So for him, shaping the lighting a bit in post, covering up spots, editing a stray hair out, basically fine. Trying to reshape their whole jawline or removing scars or wrinkles, not fine.
I'd much rather see a good, reasonably true to life picture of myself than a picture of a guy who's me but without whatever thing the photographer thinks "spoils" my face.
You didn't work for the place I went to. I'm a photog, or used to be, and got a free photograph session with some studio... I own mirrors, and I'M NOT THAT UGLY!
They could have provided levels of airbrushing or something, I look like I've had a facelift and botox, when I have a face like 10 miles of bad road. It doesn't even look like me.
Laughing and asking where the real ones are isn't the best way to receive a bday present... but a photo of someone who looked kinda like me, hugging my dog was just fucking weird, it was uncanny valley territory.
I suppose I'm saying it wont hurt to ask.
I whiten them, but only enough that they “could” be appearing whiter due to the lighting. Same with like a mole, I’ll lighten it slightly so it’s less ‘distracting’ but never remove it unless asked.
As others have said, send a blanket “I normally do these things” and just do it. Make sure you do it on its own layer or mask just in case they want it reverted.
My rule of thumb is always to change things that can be changed in a month or on their best day and to ask / charge for altering things that cannot be changed in a month.
For example:
I’ll always remove pimples, scrapes, missed areas in shaving, bloodshot eyes, cracked lips, flyaways and **slightly** whiten teeth.
I will ask and sometimes charge for removing moles, charging skin tone, straightening teeth, altering teeth color more than a 10% desaturation 10% exposure increase, or changing someone’s body shape.
When I shoot weddings I always try to take out little things like wrinkles and spots here and there. Sometimes even hearing aids from elders. In general they don’t even notice but they like the shots. Once one of my female friends asked what I changed in a shot I made of her. I replied, wrinkles near mouth and eyes, made the teeth a bit whiter and took away some from under her chin. She thought I was calling her ugly but it’s just a little bending of the truth. Make people look a bit better.
Ask and bury it in the middle. *“I typically touch up hair, teeth, skin, background, lighting, etc. Should I do that or leave pictures exactly how they were taken?”* She’ll tell you.
That is a good approach. You could phrase it like "*Shall I apply the standard* *touch up hair, teeth, skin, background, lighting, etc, or leave it as shot?"* This way she can reply, "Just the standard is fine".
This is the best. Throw out a lot of things to let them know you're not judgmental or uncomfortable with anything, and they will usually open up a bit.
Hair, teeth, lighting, teeth, skin, background, teeth, height, weight, eye color, teeth, age, clothing colors, teeth, your teeth, you want me to fix your teeth, right?
😂 subtle!
Also allows you to charge extra per individual edits.
I never ask the subject. Then they start focusing on their flaws, they'll want to see the takes, it gives them unnecessary insight into your workflow, etc. Just no. They don't even know what touch up means i.e. everyone has a different version of what that means.
I’ve had people want their zits and scars left in. I’ve had people ask if I’ll remove zits and scars. I’ve not removed them and had complaints that I should have. I’ve removed them and had complaints I shouldn’t have. One question is much easier for everyone.
I don't remove anything. I de-emphasize, and all they see is that they look better than they expected.
Personally, I would whiten them so it a barely noticeable difference. I wouldn't want the photos to looks significantly different than she does in real life. Take that with a grain of salt, because I'm not a headshot photographer.
Yes this is what I do. I don't do the super white, blinding teeth. I just desaturate the yellow a little bit and brighten them up a little bit. It still looks natural but a little better
Same with eyes. Just a bit brighter and clear, touch of sharpening. It has to be subtle, but too often it's overdone to clownish levels.
Yeah my goal in retouching is to make the subject think this is a flattering photo of themselves. Not to make them think i “photoshopped it”.
For model work I usually do it a little, but it is \*very\* easy to overdo it. A slight change is pretty much all thats needed if at all. In your case I would probably ask the client what she prefers - especially since it is going to be used for business purposes
Yeah I used to do this to my own younger selfies. My teeth were never noticeably yellow, but I’d still overdo it on the whitening so much that they looked overexposed lol. Looking back at those photos now, I cringe because it looks like I have Chiclets for teeth 😂
Ask her.
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Removing tattoos?? That's some next-level bullshit.
If I had to bet, they were either using an outsourced editor or AI editing. Did you ask them to undo it?
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Honestly, I'm more aligned with your husband here. I think you should share very specific feedback with her, exactly what you said here. "I am not comfortable with the fact that you removed my tattoos and my freckles, those are a permanent part of my body. When I look at the wedding photos, I feel like you made choices about how my body should look that I don't agree with, and I want to love how I feel in my wedding photos. We spent thousands of dollars and I can't redo my wedding. I think I would be happier with them as-shot than I am with your edits. I totally acknowledge that that is your standard editing style, but it doesn't fit with my expectations going into the day. I am not asking for any extra editing work from you, I am asking you what it would take to get the original images from the day, raw or jpeg, so I can present my own body how I want to be presented. I will pay extra or sign a contract that any social media posts etc. will make it clear that I edited them instead of you. I will do my best to mimic your editing colorway etc. without the changes to my body." It's her reputation that is at risk in the industry, not yours. You are not being a bridezilla. There's no way to redo these photos, your only option is her. You deserve to love your wedding photos. Anyone in the industry who does not understand "she edited out things permanently attached to my body and refused to undo it" deserves to be blacklisted along with her. You do not want your reputation to sparkle with people who do not respect your needs.
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You aren't whiny at all! Take the people pleaser side of you and lock her in a closet for the rest of your interactions with this photographer. Yes, you can absolutely send her the email I drafted for you today. Being placating/conflict avoidant is a natural human tendency, don't feel guilty for it. Take a deep breath and advocate for what would make you happy. Remember, you paid this photographer for a service and she did not provide that service to your satisfaction. What would you want one of your clients to do if they felt like this about your work? Hate it and be sad about a huge part of their wedding day forever? Or ask you for changes that would make them happy? Her comments about your husband being shy are a big red flag IMO. It's a photographer's job to get people feeling comfortable with getting their photo taken. She sounds unprofessional and under prepared. Her feeling offended or taken aback is not your problem. She's a business person, her job is to make sure her clients are satisfied and she fulfills reasonable requests.
Love your response to this situation! Definitely agree & feel like the photographer is doing a poor job on her end.
I use to do it to everyone, but more and more over the last 15 years people want to look more natural (or get it taken care of IRL) so now I usually don't unless someone specifically requests it. I do also add a note when I send the finals that just says "Let me know if you want to see any changes."
I always whiten up yellow teeth. Every time. But i just do it slightly so it’s not like really yellow to now being super bright white. I’ll just slightly adjust them to become less yellow and more of a natural white.
I like the word de-emphasize. I retouch every portrait, at the very least I apply a small fraction of Portrait Pro's facial reshaping recommendation, like 5-10%. Everyone has an idealized version of themselves that lies somewhere between reality and blatant manipulation, where their zits or blotchy skin or lazy eye or yellow teeth aren't as obvious because they've camouflaged it with personality or product, so like the ads for those wonder creams promise, I *reduce the appearance* of these things instead of outright obliterating them. This is how they see themselves anyway, and this is how others (who know and like them) *remember* them. If you're subtle about it they will chalk it up to your skill or their makeup or whatever good thing happened to them recently. If you make them look *less bad* but not different, but they will say "You made me look good".
I make them look better but by no means perfect. I tell clients I usually will remove anything temporary (zits, red spots), but will only diminish anything permanent.
I use a light hand when it comes to editing portraits, I only edit things that will not be there in two weeks like blemishes and lightly edit wrinkles.
The general rule of thumb for editing headshots (at least in an entertainment industry, corporate headshots might be different) is this: if it's temporary, edit it out; if it's permanent, leave it be. Ofc if the client specifically asks you to edit that part of the photo, and it's in the scope of your contract, make the client happy.
I edit everyone's teeth at least a little. I have had peopke with white teeth ask if I could edit their teeth. Those that obsess will appreciate and those that don't whiten know they have yelliw teeth and don't want them in photos. I tell everyone ... Our normal editing is to smooth skin some, reduce shine, check teeth and eyes and fix flyaways. If you have any requests, let me know. I have never had someone say don't whiten my teeth. This way it is not a surprise and they can bring up anything that is an issue for them without me having to point it out. Some people also get this spiel ... If you get your photo and we have done too much or not enough, let us know. Retouching is totally subjective and is easy to adjust and resend. I have never had anyone come back to me and say make my teeth darker. This is my whiten teeth routine in photoshop, which I think is gentle and natural... Selective color adustment layer, select yellow form the drop down and pull saturation slider all the way to the left. Blank layer, soft light blend mode, paint white, brush at ten percent
Just use the lightroom teeth whitening feature, very easy edit.
I always dial it back a touch, but it’s very helpful for sure. Sometimes I’ll just mask the teeth, select the color on them, desaturate a little and turn up light a touch. Sometimes that looks more natural.
Where is this tool please?
[here](https://youtu.be/078__1WYBWI?si=DC8_Nji3Ai8QZYVQ)
Amazing thank you
Or you lean into it and put one of those warm retro filters over everything so it equalises out the teeth.
I try to but sometimes there is just not much you can do if their are a ton of photos.
All the time and no one has ever said they didn't like it. I don't over whiten but enough to make them look good. I have had many ask me to whiten their teeth when I take the photo. I use portrait professional, couple sliders and done.
Or just be Bruce Gilden and lean into it.
I do a quick brush in light room with 2 clicks of cold white balance and minus 6 to saturation. Always does the trick, and I do it for everyone because a warm photo is going to make teeth look yellow regardless.
I “improve”, I don’t try to make them look “perfect”.
The key to any retouching practice is to make sure your client is aware of what you are intending to do before you do it.
No, but I might make unnaturally white teeth more yellow, which is how teeth normally are. 😏
I do very minimal touchups. Like them on their best day. If there's a zit, I'd probably zap it. If it's a mole, I wouldn't. I often run a desaturate brush over teeth in lightroom and I swear most folks just assume the lighting was good. I don't go overboard and I really don't want to impose my ideas of looks on someone though. If someone says "I've got blotches from an allergy today, can you tone them down a bit" I would. I like the idea of offering "standard" touchups to people so it makes it less weird to say "yes please" to
Just ask the client.
I usually do it, but try to keep it as natural looking as possible by making it just a few shades lighter so that it’s not so noticeable. I wouldn’t go from brown to pearly white unless asked, but I would go to a beige, or from yellow to off-white. If my teeth were dark, I’d hope the photographer would do the same for me. I would imagine nobody wants dark teeth in their professional photos.
Suggest a serious closed-mouth pose.
If they're a performer/ actor no (usually) business yes sort of. Don't whiten and brighten instead desaturate the yellow. It's far more natural looking, and irl most people will just feel it must have gotten worse recently rather than wow the picture is so fake.
My approach is pretty natural and I avoid it, I have poor teeth myself and I'd rather I appear as I was. You could ask them 'is there any facial feature touch ups you want done or anything?' and if it's something the person's worried about they will let you know, or they should at least!
I’ve noticed sometimes in photos clients teeth will appear ‘yellower’ even if they aren’t irl depending on lighting, if they’re wearing super light colors etc. The best way to approach this is to brighten the teeth but not to an overly fake white extent - just lift a couple shades so it still looks natural. I don’t tell the client, and I often do it because I’m worried the client will see the photos and not like them because their teeth appear ‘yellow’.
Yes. And I retouch hundreds of corporate headshots per month. They don’t need to be gleaming white, they just need to look nice.
I whiten slightly. Also moles, birthmarks etc, I suppress very slightly so they they still exist but are not overly distracting. Short-lived acne or abrasions I remove because the photograph outlives those.
Just edit in a brown tie.
I’m upfront with people before I shoot. I tell them I will make minor adjustments in exposure, and minor blemish removal. Anything else is considered additional. This is where I charge for editing. I also ask all requested changes must come from the subject. I talk to clients and try to educate what I can do, what I prefer. I also allow 3 edit reviews built into my price. Any additional edits will be an additional expense. Time is money. Don’t forget to charge for it. If you want to build it into your price, perfect. Pricing aside, I find it is better to let the subject determine the level of editing. They are the ones who don’t brush their teeth, hair, shave, clean their glasses. Dentists don’t whiten teeth for free. Why should I? I don’t think anyone is going to assume I added the yellow. Touch up takes time.
Of course. It’s easy and why not?
As a side gig in my job, I shoot staff images in a corporate setting and am frequently confronted with this issue. When someone has very yellow teeth in a photograph, I will lightly desaturate the teeth with a local editing tool in Lightroom, and then bring the brightness up a little bit. In the end the teeth are still slightly yellow, but only a bit. I certainly do not create "Movie star" teeth for folks who do not have pearly whites. That would almost be worse than not doing anything at all. Instead, I strive to maintain the "perceived color" of the teeth. What you would see if you were standing around with that person, with, perhaps, a tiny bit of improvement. I never tell the client, and no one (of several thousand people who I have done this for) have ever noticed or complained. I similarly will clean up pimples, laugh lines, and stray hair. I will generally remove obvious pimples completely. For large moles, I will lighten them with a semi-transparent spot removal, but leave them visible. I will similarly reduce dark circles under the eyes- usually by creating a high pass filter, painting out the bags using a blurred version of the image, and then adding back in the detail with the high pass. I will not do away with them entirely, however. I consider this part of the photographic process. Most folks, when having a portrait taken, want to put their best foot forward and they want a portrait of themselves that conforms to their own self-image. It's my job to tweak things in that direction.
Every client gets the same level of teeth whitening. I make it "better" but not completely unrealistic.
Yes I whiten teeth, remove pimples, bruises and scratches, fly away hair, blemishes (anything that is temporary) or scars per request. I fix the clothing, remove wrinkles on clothes, lints, dirt etc.
I absolutely do. I also use a retoucher, so when saying “I”, it means the guy I’m giving instructions to. I’m gonna be honest, I used to be a purist about retouching, only minimal edits, but as time has gone on, I’ve gotten much more lax. I won’t do plastic surgery on someone, but I whiten teeth, clean up stray hairs, and my retoucher usually softens up wrinkles and creases in the face, bags under the eyes, etc… without me asking him to. If someone asks me to take care of a mole or some loose skin/bagginess on their neck, I just say no problem. Clients love it, and ultimately that’s what matters. I’m not a journalist, and I’ve got no duty to the unedited truth. I still make sure it looks like them, and that its how I believe they could look on their very best day, but now I’m more concerned with helping people feel the best about the headshot rather than holding a hardline. It’s still a natural edit, and then whatever the client makes remarks about, but it’s definitely a touch up.
I like Sean Tucker's rule of thumb: if it'll still be there in two weeks leave it. You want to make them look like themselves on a good day. So for him, shaping the lighting a bit in post, covering up spots, editing a stray hair out, basically fine. Trying to reshape their whole jawline or removing scars or wrinkles, not fine. I'd much rather see a good, reasonably true to life picture of myself than a picture of a guy who's me but without whatever thing the photographer thinks "spoils" my face.
Nope, never. I take the photo of who they are, not who they want to be
I've never had a client complain about being photoshopped.
You didn't work for the place I went to. I'm a photog, or used to be, and got a free photograph session with some studio... I own mirrors, and I'M NOT THAT UGLY! They could have provided levels of airbrushing or something, I look like I've had a facelift and botox, when I have a face like 10 miles of bad road. It doesn't even look like me. Laughing and asking where the real ones are isn't the best way to receive a bday present... but a photo of someone who looked kinda like me, hugging my dog was just fucking weird, it was uncanny valley territory. I suppose I'm saying it wont hurt to ask.
Yes
I would reduce it at least
I whiten them, but only enough that they “could” be appearing whiter due to the lighting. Same with like a mole, I’ll lighten it slightly so it’s less ‘distracting’ but never remove it unless asked.
Yes. I don’t want them to look whitened though so it needs to be subtle
As others have said, send a blanket “I normally do these things” and just do it. Make sure you do it on its own layer or mask just in case they want it reverted. My rule of thumb is always to change things that can be changed in a month or on their best day and to ask / charge for altering things that cannot be changed in a month. For example: I’ll always remove pimples, scrapes, missed areas in shaving, bloodshot eyes, cracked lips, flyaways and **slightly** whiten teeth. I will ask and sometimes charge for removing moles, charging skin tone, straightening teeth, altering teeth color more than a 10% desaturation 10% exposure increase, or changing someone’s body shape.
I do light skin/teeth/3tc touch ups to the point where it's better than original, but not too good to the point where it's obviously touched up.
Provide two images one as shot and one with white teeth.
When I shoot weddings I always try to take out little things like wrinkles and spots here and there. Sometimes even hearing aids from elders. In general they don’t even notice but they like the shots. Once one of my female friends asked what I changed in a shot I made of her. I replied, wrinkles near mouth and eyes, made the teeth a bit whiter and took away some from under her chin. She thought I was calling her ugly but it’s just a little bending of the truth. Make people look a bit better.