A consistent workflow isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about never forgetting a step and delivering consistent quality across every image.

Here’s the exact workflow I use for every portrait retouching job, from opening the RAW file to exporting the final image.

Phase 1: RAW Processing (Camera Raw / Lightroom)

Before Photoshop even opens, I handle:

  • White balance — get this right first, everything else depends on it
  • Exposure and contrast — basic tonal corrections
  • Highlight and shadow recovery — pull back blown highlights, open up shadows
  • Lens corrections — profile corrections, chromatic aberration removal
  • Noise reduction — if needed, especially for high-ISO images
  • Basic crop — rough composition, I’ll fine-tune later

I do NOT do color grading in RAW. That comes last.

Phase 2: Cleanup (Photoshop)

Open in Photoshop and work on a duplicate layer:

  • Healing Brush for temporary blemishes (pimples, scratches, bruises)
  • Clone Stamp for stray hairs, clothing wrinkles, background distractions
  • Liquify if needed — subtle reshaping only

This is purely cleanup. Nothing creative yet.

Phase 3: Skin (Photoshop)

This is where the real retouching happens:

  • Frequency Separation for color evening
  • Dodge and Burn for luminosity smoothing and sculpting
  • Check at multiple zoom levels (25%, 50%, 100%)

Phase 4: Eyes and Details

  • Brighten whites slightly
  • Enhance iris clarity
  • Clean up catchlights
  • Whiten teeth if visible
  • Enhance eyelashes if needed

Phase 5: Color and Tone

  • Overall color correction
  • Color grading
  • Final contrast curve
  • Vignette if appropriate

Phase 6: Output

  • Flatten and duplicate
  • Sharpen for output (different settings for web vs print)
  • Resize
  • Export (TIFF for print, JPEG for web, PSD as archive)

Time Management

For a standard portrait session of 20-30 delivered images:

  • RAW processing: 1-2 hours (batch with sync)
  • Full retouching on hero images (3-5 images): 1-2 hours each
  • Light retouching on remaining images: 15-20 minutes each

Total: roughly 1.5-2 days for a complete portrait delivery. This is professional-level work, not Instagram quick edits.