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From in-camera to finished frame: editing a portrait series
The colour and retouching approach behind my editorial photography — restraint over preservative.
A portrait is decided mostly in the room, not in post. But the edit is where a good frame becomes a final one. My rule is simple: the retouch should be felt, not seen.
Capture One first
I tether and grade in Capture One Pro so the colour is locked before I ever open retouching. Pixelmator Pro handles the lighter local work.
Restraint
- Preserve skin texture — never plastic.
- One colour story per series.
- Crop for intention, not for trend.
The goal is a frame that looks like the person, only more themselves.