Sorry it has been so long between Photoshop Tutorials! We have been stuck in that cold, virus germ vacuum this winter and are slowly digging our way to spring! I have so enjoyed the lack of snow this winter after the one we had last year but it does make me wonder about global warming and the like. I think that it just has not gotten cold enough here in New England to kill of some of the germs! Add in a 4 year old and preschool and you have our germ vacuum up and running!

Anyway, I am slowly working down the tool bar of Adobe Photoshop CC and then I will be moving on to some more complicated parts of photoshop. Today we are talking about the sponge tool. I use this tool a lot in editing portraits. I primarily use it for enhancing the eye color of my subject as well as the makeup if it seems like some brightening up would help the overall portrait.

I try to start slow and build up the color. The trick is to enhance things a little bit more so that when people are viewing the image they are drawn into the face. The eyes are especially important since that is what really make a portrait like the one I am working on captivating.

Don't forget what your mother tried to tell you about make up when you were 12 though..less is more. You want to add a touch of color to make someone glow, look warm and happy but you don't want extremes. We are not looking for something so overdone that it doesn't look like your client, you just want to touch up.

Next episode we will be moving onto the pen tool. This is one that I think is overlooked a lot. I use it mostly for architectural photography but it certainly has it's applications in portraiture as well.

Happy Photoshopping!