Chapter 11. Retouching Techniques

As long as the world is turning and spinning, we’re gonna be dizzy and we’re gonna make mistakes.

—Mel Brooks

If you’re brave enough to bring up the subject of retouching at a photographer’s convention, you’re likely to spark a lively debate. A purist might say that every aspect of a photograph (including the flaws) is a perfect reflection of reality and you should never tamper with it. A graphic artist, who makes a living from altering images, might say that an original photograph is just the foundation of an image, and that “tampering” is just a means of enhancing it. Either way, retouching photographs has ...

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