The First 10 Minutes: How I Clean Up a Portrait Before Any Real Retouching Begins

The First 10 Minutes: How I Clean Up a Portrait Before Any Real Retouching Begins

The file comes in. Maybe it’s from a photographer you trust, maybe it’s from a client who shot it themselves on a mirrorless they bought six months ago. Either way, before you even think about skin texture or luminosity masks, there’s a layer of chaos sitting on top of the image that will quietly sabotage every adjustment you make if you don’t deal with it first. Stray hairs crossing the face.