Acne is a big problem for a lot of people. It’s a major issue for those who have it and that’s why a lot of these folks try to stay away from cameras. But every now and then, they have to have their picture taken, which ultimately leads them to you, the photographer. This is a good time to improve the already fragile confidence of your subject with the reassurance that his or her acne will not be a part of the final result. People with acne tend to be very self-aware so you need to make them relax and give them a confidence boost.
As soon as you’re done shooting, it’s time to hit the digital darkroom and that’s when your problems actually start. Removing acne, especially severe cases can be a tough task. It’s often more than a matter of covering spots. It’s actually a process that involves different stages.
The first problem to deal with when removing acne is the redness. There are a number of ways you can get rid of it, but I recommend creating a hue/saturation adjustment layer and working on red separately.
After that, you’re going to take care of the actual spots. I recommend using the spot haling tool. They’ve really made it work and it does a great job. Unfortunately, this is where a lot of photographers stop. They remove the spots and the redness and that’s that. But the problem in this case is the absence of texture. You inevitably lose detail and texture while you remove the spots and the final result will look unnatural.
The final step of the process is therefore putting the texture back on the skin.
Here is a great video tutorial with Aaron Nace from Phlearn that shows you exactly how to do it.
Learn more about using Photoshop from these recommended books:
- Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book
- The Adobe Photoshop CC Book for Digital Photographers
- Adobe Photoshop CC Classroom in a Book