Face sculpting

With the smallest change in the shape of facial features or with the shape of the face itself, striking improvements can be made. Plastic surgery is based on this idea and, in Photoshop, we can do the same.

An original portrait of a young woman in the Akha tribe of northern Thailand is shown below left. Note her round face and narrow eyes. In the comparison picture, below right, I narrowed her face and enlarged her eyes just a little bit. I also smoothed her skin. The difference is compelling. To do this, I used Filter > liquify. At the far right of the opened dialog box there are submenus titled Eyes, Nose, Mouth, and Face shape. Each of these have a down arrow that makes available several sliders to control specific portions of a face. For example, to narrow this woman’s face I used ‘Face Width’, and to enlarge her eyes slightly I used Eye Size.

Be judicious in the changes you make. It’s easy to exaggerate the changes and distort a face completely. But if you want to retain the original character of a face, make subtle changes in small increments. §

UPCOMING PHOTO WORKSHOPS

Frog & Reptile Workshop

This is a macro workshop to photograph beautiful, colorful, and intriguing frogs and exotic reptiles. Learn how to use flash with closeup work, how to use extension tubes, and how to take perfect exposures. Held indoors in a hotel conference room in Kansas City, Kansas.

June 11 - 12, 2022

Abandoned in Georgia

Dilapidated mansions, cars, trains, ghost towns, farmhouses, and more. Looks great in both black and white and color.

June 17 - 22, 2022

Carnival in Venice workshop

Photograph outrageous costumes in a medieval environment! Incredible colors, design, and creativity in one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Learn how to use off-camera flash, photograph models in sumptuous interiors, produce great images at night, and all the while enjoying Italian cuisine. This is a workshop not to be missed!

February 12 - 18, 2023