How to use Photoshop: Common retouching mistakes and how to avoid them
Having retouched images of celebrities such as Ed Sheeran, Macklemore and Kevin Durant and worked with magazines such as WIRED, Lightroom Magazine and Print Magazine, it’s safe to say professional retoucher Viktor Fejes knows exactly how to use Photoshop.
He also knows exactly how you shouldn’t use it. We caught up with Viktor ahead of his two live shows (a live interview and live retouch) on Visual Education to find out some of the common mistakes he sees in Photoshop and how to avoid them.
It's important to understand the basics of Photoshop before attempting more advanced techniques.
1. Trying to run before you can walk
Too often people watch tutorials and simply mimic what they see. They don’t truly understand what they’re doing or even why they’re doing it. The most common mistake that plagues people is simply that they don’t take the time to learn the basics.
If you want to learn how to use Photoshop, our Photoshop for Photographers course covers everything you need to know and will help build a solid foundation for more advanced techniques.
2. Doing too much
Knowing when enough is enough comes with experience, but it’s important to keep in mind. Whether cleaning up the background or adding some contrast to an image, it’s important to know when to stop. Doing too much in Photoshop is never a good thing and it’s a clear sign you don’t know what you’re doing.
Subtlety is key when it comes to retouching and doing too much is a sign of an inexperienced retoucher.
3. Using plugins
There’s a wide range of plugin options available, but it can be difficult to know which will help produce professional results and which will just hinder your workflow. Generally, you can produce the same result a plugin would if you just take the time. It’s better to do it yourself and understand the process
Viktor shared his top tips for speeding up your workflow here.
4. Not calibrating your monitor
People who view your work may not always view it on a calibrated monitor, so why does it matter that yours is, you may ask. It’s important to have a control group, as it were, so that you have a benchmark or set standard. That way you can produce consistent results and be confident about the quality of the work that you produce, especially if it’s to be printed.
By calibrating your monitor you can be sure that you're producing consistent quality work.
5. Not hiding mistakes
We’re human, we all make mistakes. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t make an effort to hide those mistakes if we do make them. When working with masks, for example, you can add a blur or change the blend mode to hide any slight imperfections. Or, even better, you can go back and take the time to get it right.
To see Viktor’s workflow and learn more about retouching, watch his live retouch demonstration. Click here to find out more.
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