Photoshop Portrait Photography Techniques

Adobe Photoshop Creative Cloud Retouching and Effects for Portrait Photography & More. Learn the Essentials to Advanced!

Last updated 2022-01-10 | 4.3

- Edit and improve portait photos professionally in Photoshop.
- Improve lighting
- color
- composition
- and sharpness with Photoshop.
- Apply industry-standard Photoshop retouching techniques in portrait photos.

What you'll learn

Edit and improve portait photos professionally in Photoshop.

Improve lighting

color

composition

and sharpness with Photoshop.

Apply industry-standard Photoshop retouching techniques in portrait photos.

Use Photoshop to create special effects in portrait photos.

Convert color photos to black-and-white in an artistic manner in Photoshop.

Stylize and add interest to portrait photos.

* Requirements

* Students need Adobe Photoshop (preferably Creative Cloud
* although many earlier versions will have many of the tools; free trial version is fine as well).

Description

January 2020 course updated: I added a quick video about Photoshop 2020 update on constrain proportions when resizing smart objects, photos, type layers, and shape layers.

Course updated: Select and Mask Technique added for more accurate selection of hair.

LEARN PORTRAIT PHOTO PHOTOSHOP EDITING FOR FUN OR PROFIT! Many of my university students have went on to become full-time wedding photographers or do portrait photography on the side for extra income. Learn the industry-standard portrait photo editing techniques today!

THIS IS LIKE 5 COURSES IN 1 ULTIMATE COURSE: Portrait Corrections, Portrait Retouching, RAW Retouching, Portrait Stylizing and Special Effects, and Advanced Black-and-White Conversions.

This is the course that can teach you everything you need to know to advance in portrait photography Photoshop editing, whether you're a professional photographer looking to offer more services to clients and increase income, or a hobbyist looking to improve personal photos.

Ever wonder how portrait photographers have compelling portfolio photos? Or how magazine models look so flawless in those feature stories and covers? Or how that black-and-white photo jumps from the page with such detailed tonality and sharpness? Or how that couple's wedding photos feature that "pop out of the frame" special effect?

In this course, I've included the essential techniques to succeed in portrait photography Photoshop editing, including

Relevant color, lighting, and composition corrections
Effective retouching techniques
Stylistic adjustment techniques
Improved black-and-white conversions
Special effects and edits to offer as a bonus to your clients

These are methods you can use to improve your own photos for fun, or you can apply them to photos in your portfolio to attract more clients. Add excitement and interest to engagement photos, wedding photos, professional and executive photos, maternity photos, and all the other various categories of portrait photos.

This course will not just help you retouch photos that you’re already taking for a client. It also has the potential to help you land more customers, and add more photo enhancing services to your business.

Enrollment in this course includes access to hours of follow-along lectures where students “learn by doing.”

Signing up for the course also includes

Access to the discussion forums (for discussion and posting links to your portrait photos that you’ve been working on so fellow students and I can critique and give feedback!)
Access to all future lectures that are added to this course (that may be a result of questions from the discussions forums) or new techniques related to portrait photography
Free support files to follow along in the lectures (most of the lectures feature the same photos available for download, but students are free to use their own photos of course)
Besides six hours of lectures, I also include quizzes to assess your learning, and some helpful handouts on file formats, color terminology, Photoshop keyboard shortcuts, and a portrait retouching checklist.

See my bio on this page for more of my educational and professional background.

Let's get started learning and creating!

Who this course is for:

Anyone interested in learning the essential Photoshop techniques in portrait photography.
Portrait photographers who want to offer extra services to clients such as special effects, color and lighting correction, retouching, and advanced black-and-white conversions.

Course content

7 sections • 87 lectures

Portrait Photography Digital Darkroom 12 lectures

Introduction to Portrait Photography Photoshop Techniques Preview 02:05

An introduction to the course, Edit Portrait Photos in Photoshop like a Pro.

How to Get Adobe Photoshop Preview 01:19

I explain how to get Adobe Photoshop, in order to follow along with the videos in this course.

File Types and Modes Preview 09:56

Learn the various file types and modes of images in Photoshop.

Working with 8-Bit and 16-Bit Images Preview 08:21

Learn the difference between 8-bit and 16-bit images and the reasons to use each.

File Types Printable Handout Preview 1 page

Learn the various file formats such as JPEG, PSD, TIFF, PNG, and RAW in this printable PDF handout.

Color Terminology to Know Printable Handout Preview 1 page

A printable PDF handout of color terminology to know.

Creative Cloud and Mac vs. PC Preview 04:59

In this short video, I explain about Creative Cloud versions and some primary differences between the Mac and PC.

A Quick Note on Constrain Proportions Update Preview 03:50

Learn in this quick note how Adobe updated Photoshop so that we don't have to press Shift anymore to maintain the original width-to-height ratio of images, text, shapes, and other elements.

Tools and Techniques Overview Preview 13:19

Learn the overall tools and techniques that we'll be using with portrait editing.

Download Support Files for Follow-Along Lectures Preview 00:06

Download support files for Photoshop portrait photography techniques course.

Keyboard Shortcuts in Photoshop Printable Handout Preview 2 pages

Print this PDF handout for a quick keyboard shortcut reference.

Join Our Facebook Group and Community for Feedback Preview 00:23

Portrait Photo Corrections in Photoshop 10 lectures

Assignment: Correct Color and Lighting in Your Photos Preview 00:37

You learn the instructions for the assignment for this section: editing photos using corrections techniques and posting to the discussion board.

Introduction to Photo Corrections Preview 06:08

This is an introduction to the photo corrections that you'll be learning in this section.

Checking for Dust, Specks, Scratches Preview 02:15

Learn a quick technique to check for dust, specks, and scratches in portrait photos.

Brightening and Adjusting Levels Preview 02:21

Learn how to improve lighting in a photo using levels and brightness adjustments.

Adjusting Curves to Improve Lighting Preview 02:23

Learn how to improve lighting in a photo by adjusting curves.

Fixing White Balance Preview 06:14

Learn how to correct white balance in portrait photos using Photoshop.

Sharpening Portrait Photos Preview 03:45

Learn two ways to sharpen portrait photos.

Lens Distortion Corrections Preview 05:53

Use lens correction in Photoshop to correct distortion in portrait photos.

Cropping and Leveling Preview 06:13

Learn how to crop and straighten photos for better composition.

Portrait Photo Corrections

Portrait photo corrections quiz

Portrait Retouching Techniques in Photoshop 33 lectures

Assignment: Retouch Your Photos Preview 00:56

You learn the instructions for the assignment for this section: editing photos using retouching techniques and posting to the discussion board.

Portrait Retouching Techniques: Best Practices Preview 02:27

This is an introduction to portrait retouching techniques in Photoshop.

Removing Dark Circles Preview 03:55

Learn a variety of methods to remove dark circles in Photoshop.

Removing Wrinkles Preview 02:37

Learn how to remove wrinkles in Photoshop.

Making Eyes Larger Preview 04:14

Learn how to use the free transform and liquify tools to increase eye size.

Sharpening Eyes Preview 04:39

Learn three ways to sharpen eyes.

Removing Red Lines in Eyes Preview 02:33

Learn how to remove red lines in eyes using the clone stamp tool.

Whitening Eyes Preview 05:01

Learn how to whiten eyes using a layer adjustment and masking technique.

Changing Eye Color Preview 06:32

Learn how to change eye color using hue/saturation and color balance adjustment layers with masking.

Reshaping Eyebrows Preview 03:40

Learn how to reshape eyebrows in Photoshop.

Reshaping Teeth Preview 03:26

Learn how to reshape teeth using the transform command or liquify tools.

Whitening Teeth Preview 04:28

Learn how to whiten teeth using a hue/saturation adjustment layer and masking technique.

Making Lips Larger Preview 04:22

Use the free transform tool, a feathered selection, and liquify to adjust lips.

Adding or Adjusting Lipstick Preview 05:58

Learn how to add lipstick or adjust lipstick or lip color.

Adding Glossy Shine to Lips Preview 02:05

Learn how to add a glossy shine to lips using a layer blending mode and masking.

Modifying the Nose Preview 02:55

Learn how to modify the nose using the transform command or the liquify tool.

Removing Stray Hairs Preview 02:49

Learn how to remove stray hairs in Photoshop.

Adding Highlights to Hair Preview 02:14

Learn how to add highlights to hair using a layer blending mode and masking.

Selecting Hair with Select and Mask Technique - Part 1 Preview 13:03

I explain how to select hair effectively with the Select and Mask technique, which replaced the Refine Edge technique in a Creative Cloud update.

Selecting Hair with Select and Mask Technique - Part 2 Preview 10:17

I explain how to select hair effectively with the Select and Mask technique, which replaced the Refine Edge technique in a Creative Cloud update.

Changing Hair Color Preview 16:03

Learn how to change hair color in Photoshop using a variety of techniques.

Lightening Shadows on the Face Preview 02:39

Learn how to lighten shadows on a face using layer blending modes and masking.

Darkening Areas on the Face Preview 02:36

Learn how to darken areas on the face such as the eyebrows or lips using a layer blending mode.

Removing Hot Spots Preview 03:31

Learn how to remove hot spots with two methods in Photoshop.

Removing Blemishes Part 1 Preview 04:50

Learn how to remove blemishes and other marks using the healing brush and spot healing brush tools.

Removing Blemishes Part 2 Preview 06:34

Learn how to remove blemishes with the patch tool and clone stamp tool using a few options such as fade and multiple clone sources.

Softening Skin - Adjusted Blur Technique Preview 04:25

Learn how to soften skin using a blur and transparency adjustment technique.

Skin Softening - High Pass Technique Preview 03:30

Learn how to use the high pass filter technique to soften skin.

Skin Softening - Channel as Layer Technique Preview 05:10

Learn how to soften skin and lighten a photo by using a channel as a layer.

Adding Digital Makeup Preview 05:08

Learn how to add digital makeup in Photoshop.

Slimmer Look Technique 1 Preview 02:32

Learn how to make people look slimmer using free transform adjustments.

Slimmer Look Technique 2 Preview 04:14

Learn how to use the liquify tool to adjust portraits.

Portrait Retouching Techniques

Portrait photo retouching techniques quiz

RAW Filter Portrait Retouching Techniques in Photoshop 8 lectures

Assignment: Use Camera RAW Filter to Edit Your Photos Preview 00:24

You learn the instructions for the assignment for this section: editing photos using RAW Filter techniques and posting to the discussion board.

Introduction to Camera RAW Filter Preview 07:23

Learn how to use the camera RAW filter in Photoshop.

Sharpening and Smoothening in RAW Preview 04:47

Learn how to sharpen and smooth photos in camera RAW filter in Photoshop.

Making Colors Pop in RAW Preview 02:01

Learn how to use camera RAW filter to make colors pop in Photoshop.

Removing Blemishes in RAW Preview 03:48

Learn how to remove blemishes in camera RAW filter.

Selective Adjustments in RAW Preview 04:57

Learn how to apply selective adjustments in camera RAW filter in Photoshop.

RAW Portrait Retouching Techniques

RAW portrait retouching techniques quiz

Photo Retouching Checklist Printable Handout Preview 1 page

Print this handout to keep as a useful portrait photo retouching checklist.

Special Effects and Stylizing in Portrait Photos in Photoshop 11 lectures

Assignment: Apply Special Effects and Stylizing to Your Photos Preview 00:50

You learn the instructions for the assignment for this section: editing photos using special effects and stylizing techniques and posting to the discussion board.

Introduction to Special Effects in Portrait Photos Preview 01:13

Learn how to add special effects to portraits in Photoshop.

Adding Contrast in Portraits Preview 04:35

Learn how to effectively add contrast to portrait photos or part of portrait photos in Photoshop.

Making Colors Pop in Portraits Preview 07:26

Learn how to make colors pop in portraits using Photoshop.

Photo Collage Effect Preview 09:37

Learn how to create a photo collage out of couple or group photos in Photoshop.

Pop Out Effect Preview 09:32

Create a pop-out effect in portrait photos using Photoshop.

Editable Lens Flare Technique Preview 04:53

Create an adjustable lens flare in Photoshop.

Simulated Depth of Field Preview 07:24

Learn how to use blurring and masking top create a simulated depth of field.

Adding a Powerful Background Preview 08:53

Add abstract and gradient backgrounds to a portrait photo in Photoshop.

Meeting Your Clone Preview 03:29

Use a method normally used in landscape photography to clone people in portrait photos.

Special Effects and Stylizing Portrait Photos

Special effects and stylizing portrait photos quiz

Artistic Black-and-White Portrait Conversions in Photoshop 9 lectures

Assignment: Artistically Convert Your Photos to Black-and-White Preview 00:37

You learn the instructions for the assignment for this section: converting photos to black-and-white using techniques from this section and posting to the discussion board.

Introduction to Black-and-White Image Conversions Preview 03:24

Learn how not to convert to black and white in this introduction to black-and-white conversions.

Color Modes and Channels Conversions Preview 04:06

Learn how to use color modes of RGB and Lab and channels to convert to black and white.

Channels and Masking Conversion Preview 07:41

Learn how to use channels and selective masking and layer opacity adjustments to convert to black and white.

Black-and-White Adjustment Conversion Preview 05:08

Learn how to use the black-and-white adjustment layer technique for a customized conversion.

Channel Mixer Adjustment Conversion Preview 05:39

Learn how to use the channel mixer adjustment for black and white conversion.

Gradient Map Adjustment Conversion Preview 04:49

Learn how to use the gradient map adjustment for black and white conversion.

RAW Filter Black-and-White Conversion Preview 05:44

Learn how to use the RAW filter to effectively convert color photos to black-and-white photos.