Digital Cosmetics

Digital Cosmetics
By Kenneth C. Hoffman

If you are over sixty, you probably don’t like to have your picture taken. Older faces are prime victims to harsh lighting, deep shadows, sharp lenses and unforgiving close ups. You probably look fine at night with candle light on your face but once your grand daughter shows up with her digital camera, your pleasant image is history. Arcsoft, Adobe and Corel all sell image editors with the necessary tools.

There are a few measures you can take to alleviate the situation. One is to insist on a full length shot far enough away to produce a small and indistinct face. Another is to slather on the make up and hope for the best. Finally, you can beg to be out of the picture. This last punishes you as well as your loved ones and makes one look vain.

A favorite picture of you that everyone likes can be improved digitally quite easily. It just requires a little effort on the photographer’s part to familiarize yourself with the necessary tools and methods.

Starting at the top, there are stray hairs and dark roots ruining the hair dew. Stray hair is easily cloned out of existence by copying the adjacent area with a feathered clone stamp set at fifty per cent transparency. Dark roots require cloning an area of the hair of the proper color and running in the same direction if straight. I recommend a thirty per cent transparency using several passes for a realistic effect. Work at the highest enlargement of the working area that fits on your screen.