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Piximperfect - improving portraits

8 min read

Piximperfect - improving portraits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IDbjlKHPqEc This video provides five key Photoshop tricks to instantly improve portraits, starting with a humorous but true tip: clean your monitor! Here’s a detailed breakdown of each trick:

  1. Trick #1: Create Attention (0:20) Goal: Draw the viewer’s eye towards the subject by manipulating light and focus. Steps: Duplicate the background layer (Cmd + J). Convert the new layer to a Smart Filter (Filter > Convert for Smart Filters) for non-destructive editing. Go to Filter > Camera Raw Filter. In the Masking section, select Subject. For the Subject Mask: Under Light, increase Exposure slightly (e.g., +0.25). Adjust Shadows (e.g., +8) and Blacks (e.g., -12) to taste. Under Color, slightly increase Temperature (e.g., +8) and Tint (e.g., +19) to make the skin warmer and reduce green tones. Under Effects, slightly increase Clarity (e.g., +6) and Texture (e.g., +3) to enhance detail. Optionally, add Dehaze (e.g., +9). For the Background Mask: Click Create New Mask and select Background. Under Light, decrease Exposure (e.g., -1.10) to darken it. Adjust Shadows (e.g., -11), Highlights (e.g., -3), Whites (e.g., +18), and Blacks (e.g., -4) to refine the contrast. Under Color, increase Temperature (e.g., +26) and Tint (e.g., +14) to shift the background’s color balance. Under Effects, decrease Clarity (e.g., -22) and Texture (e.g., -25) to soften the background and reduce distractions. Add a Vignette (Global Effect): Go to the Edit section (first icon in Camera Raw). Scroll down to Effects. Drag the Vignette slider to the left (e.g., -100) to darken the edges. Adjust Feather (e.g., 72) and Roundness (e.g., +100) to create a smooth, circular effect. Adjust Midpoint (e.g., 15) to control how close the vignette is to the center. Increase Highlights (e.g., 100) to prevent light areas from being completely crushed. Finally, adjust the Vignette amount (e.g., -26) to a subtle level. Result: The subject becomes brighter and sharper, while the background recedes, directing attention to the portrait.

  2. Trick #2: Add Depth to Eyes (3:58) Goal: Make the eyes more captivating and deep. Steps: Create a Curves Adjustment Layer (Adjustment Layer icon > Curves). Click on the curve and drag the middle point upwards to brighten the image. Select the Layer Mask (white rectangle next to the Curves thumbnail). Invert the mask to black (Ctrl/Cmd + I). Select the Brush Tool (B). Set it to Soft Round (0% Hardness), Opacity 100%, Flow 100%. Set the Foreground Color to White (press X to switch). Zoom in on the eyes. Identify the catchlight (the reflection of light in the pupil/iris). Make your brush roughly the size of the iris. Crucially, dab the white brush on the opposite side of the catchlight within the iris. This creates an illusion of depth by brightening the area opposite the light source. If white spills over, switch foreground color to Black (X) and paint over the excess. (Optional) Hold Alt/Option and click on the mask thumbnail to see the painted areas in white on a black background, helping with precise cleanup. You can double-click the Curves adjustment layer thumbnail at any time to further refine the brightness of the effect. Result: The eyes appear brighter and more dimensional, enhancing their natural sparkle.

  3. Trick #3: Fix Color Shifts (5:56) Goal: Correct unwanted color casts on skin, especially green or magenta. Steps: Create a Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer (Adjustment Layer icon > Hue/Saturation). Select the Hand Tool (dropper icon with arrows) within the Hue/Saturation properties panel. Click on the problematic color area of the skin (e.g., a green patch). This will automatically select the corresponding color range in the sliders below (e.g., Yellows if it’s green cast). To visualize the affected area, drag the Hue slider all the way to +180 and Saturation all the way to +100. The skin areas with the selected color will turn bright, artificial colors. Refine the color range sliders (the two grey/white bars below the rainbow spectrum) to isolate only the problematic color on the skin. Adjust the inner triangles to narrow the range, and the outer triangles to feather the selection for a smoother transition. Double-click the Hue and Saturation sliders to reset them to zero. Now, adjust the Hue slider (e.g., -16) to shift the problematic color (e.g., green towards magenta). Optionally, slightly decrease Saturation (e.g., -6) and increase Lightness (e.g., +2) for fine-tuning. Limit to Subject: If the adjustment affects areas beyond the skin (like the background): Select any selection tool (e.g., Object Selection Tool). Ensure Sample All Layers is checked in the options bar. Click Select Subject in the options bar to automatically create a selection of the person. With the Hue/Saturation adjustment layer active, click the Add Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers panel. This will apply the selection as a mask, limiting the color correction to the subject. Result: Unwanted color casts are neutralized, making skin tones appear more natural and balanced.

  4. Trick #4: Auto-Retouch (9:03) Goal: Smooth skin texture and remove blemishes quickly, either with built-in Photoshop actions or external plugins. Method 1: Photoshop Actions (Quicker for subtle results): Download the “Piximperfect Pro Fast Skin Retouch” action from pix.live/retouchgift. Open the Actions panel (Window > Actions). Play the “Skin Retouch with Options” action. Median Filter: Adjust the Radius (e.g., 90px) until blemishes disappear and the skin looks smooth in the preview. Click OK. Gaussian Blur: Adjust the Radius (e.g., 1.4px) until skin texture (but not blemishes) becomes slightly blurry. Click OK. High Pass Filter: Adjust the Radius (e.g., 2.4px) until you start to see the facial contours and fine textures appear on the gray layer. Click OK. Layer Style (Blend If): The Layer Style dialog will appear. In the Blend If: Gray section, drag the black slider of the Underlying Layer from left to right. This removes the effect from the shadows. Hold Alt/Option and click on the black slider to split it, creating a smoother transition. Adjust the two halves for a natural blend. Click OK. Select the generated “Skin Retouch” layer’s black mask. Using a Soft Round brush (B) with white foreground color, paint over the skin areas where you want to apply the retouching. Adjust the Opacity of the “Skin Retouch” layer (e.g., 76%) for a natural look. Method 2: Retouch4me Plugins (High-end, automatic, paid but has free trial): Duplicate background layer (Ctrl/Cmd + J). Go to Filter > Retouch4me > Heal (for blemish removal). The plugin will automatically detect and remove blemishes. Adjust the Sensitivity slider (e.g., 100) to control how many blemishes are removed. Check Make Mask and click Apply. Duplicate the top layer again (Ctrl + Alt + Shift + E or Cmd + Option + Shift + E to create a stamped visible layer). Go to Filter > Retouch4me > Dodge Burn. Adjust the Blend slider (e.g., 110) to control the intensity of dodging and burning. Check Soft Light Layer and click Apply. Result: Automated solutions provide significant improvements in skin texture and blemish removal with minimal manual effort.

  5. Trick #5: Add Hair Dimension (15:20) Goal: Enhance the dimension, shine, and color of the hair. Steps: Create a Curves Adjustment Layer (Adjustment Layer icon > Curves). Raise the middle point of the curve to brighten the image. Select the Layer Mask and invert it to black (Ctrl/Cmd + I). Select a Soft Round brush (B) with white foreground color. Paint over the hair areas where you want to add shine and dimension, focusing on the highlights and contours of the hair. Avoid painting on the skin. Open the Layer Style dialog for the Curves layer by double-clicking on the right side of the layer thumbnail (not the mask or curves thumbnail). In the Blend If: Gray section, drag the black slider of the Underlying Layer from left to right. This will remove the painted highlights from the darker areas of the image, making them appear only on brighter tones. Hold Alt/Option and click on the slider to split it, allowing for a smoother, more natural transition. Add Color (Optional): In the Curves properties panel, instead of RGB, select individual color channels (Red, Green, or Blue). To add warmth/yellow tones, select the Blue channel and drag the curve downwards. To add magenta tones, select the Green channel and drag the curve downwards. Experiment with these curves to achieve desired color highlights in the hair. Result: Hair gains more depth, shine, and can have customized color tones, making the portrait more dynamic.

The video concludes by encouraging viewers to interact, like, subscribe, and share their Photoshop challenges for future video ideas.

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