Yesterday i said have a found few photos i still have not edited with a model Nijole from a photoshoot in 2013... I have picked a few sills and techniques since then so today being Saturday and less busy as usually i have indulged myself working and that file and looking at a very pretty model for more than an hour while having my morning coffee. 

You can see the whole photoshoot here:[📷Day with a model - Complete photoshoot (10 original photos)📷](https://steemit.com/photography/@bescouted/day-with-a-model-complete-photoshoot-10-original-photos)

Ok, first thing first. If you can always shoot raw, those who yet do nor know it either google it or not pay attention to this as it is not relevant to you yet. I did a post covering major advantages of shooting raw vs jpeg in the past back that would take some scrolling down my blog, and i am finishing up my coffee. 

<center>**This is how a raw file without editing looks like. It is quite cool as it is a model herself is magnificent. I like to shoot wider to allow for improvisation as i do not like directing, and i think model should know his work and i should do mine. Unless i have some very specific idea, that happens rarely.**</center>![DSC_32071.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRgGWn42wpTHGzawjwDuTed23aw4NHJPZYdXeYa2Z5jJt/DSC_32071.jpg) 

<center>**Once i open raw file in camera raw editor i do all tha basic adjustment to my liking. Like exposure, highlights, shadows. I tend to lower contrast quite a bit as you can always add contrast later. It is called a flat image and it may look even worse that the previous version of a raw file.**</center>![DSC_32072.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmTRkszkSdqDtUbfziqp3TtrMjxn2KxGy5j6YuA1xouQgP/DSC_32072.jpg)

<center>**Once i open file in Photoshop i do the initial cropping. That gets a little bit adjusted in the process.**</center>![DSC_32073.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmUXofo4jv6t8WxPXp8U7V7JyWYkcj7pkevSavdUAL9ekm/DSC_32073.jpg)

<center>**This is where the fun begins. The part that is not obvious but probably requires most patience. It is removing all blemishes, stray hair on the face, pimples etc... I use technique called "Frequency Separation" which takes time to master but is an extremely powerful tool  and there are many great tutorials on youtube, watch it there as i could not make a better one than done already.**</center>![DSC_32074.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmRbC1K3U9x8wWvgz2HxSPjZGpH7WTZc8BP5YwmUoz3gbC/DSC_32074.jpg)

<center>**Afterwards i change some light levels of the image and i usually "Levels" tool for that. While "Curves" does the same and much more i like "levels" for the simplicity but i use both.**</center>![DSC_32075.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmed829pcTLcniRww184J1WF1LybEXd7vEe9uQRVDxWzZ3/DSC_32075.jpg)

<center>**Now when the technical part is more or less complete i get to the part that i like the most and it is the most creative to me. The part that in a way defines your style that you develop with time or lets to get that specific look you are going for. That is playing with colors. I use "Color balance" and "Selective Color" tools for that. I especially like "Selective Color" tool as it allows to set the intensity of each separate color, mix them up, and set the overall "lightness" of the color. Making blue for example darker or lighter, or adding yellow or red tones to it.**</center>![DSC_32077 selective.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmd8afCJ6eQ6GxD7CJ6zyhZ7ThcwyJgcL7pe7NDB9bFJpr/DSC_32077%20selective.jpg)

<center>**I further play with the colors to get the feel i am going for in each particular case.**</center>![DSC_32078 creative.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmTnyn86yfBq3GGVHZJNBSij2NKiPUon5tZ9VnuLRhhtgb/DSC_32078%20creative.jpg)

<center>**All these adjustments reveal some mistakes i did before or make some blemishes to apper and to get rid of those in a non destructive way i use "Dodge and Burn" technique, that requires a lot of precision and patience which i lack. So i am not good at it. it is a little bit like painting, as it allows to darken add light or shadows without affecting the actual textures and colors too much.**</center>![DSC_32079 DB.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmPpoudKcf4RkAMwS7wLbMFnHKQKoKYPFDjAZK78LLUUbq/DSC_32079%20DB.jpg)

<center>**To finalize the edit i do all of the above mentioned steps again with smaller adjustments until i am happy with the result. All in all it's a personal preference of style, it's a matter of taste and might vary from shot to shot**</center>![DSC_3207final.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmfDxCkEq1uXHhsyP7fb7GHbcvsGWrV2Jz2kcr5Q7VsjKW/DSC_3207final.jpg)

The hardest part is not to overdo. But i always do. It is advisable to leave photo for 5 minutes or so to "rest" as your eyes get adjusted with color and levels and once you think you have it "perfect" looking at the images after 5 minutes you might think different. So it is all very subjective and only the real pros know how to do it right. And i am not a Pro. I'd call myself an advanced amateur at best. There are people that do magic with the editing. I just do it for fun.

<center>**And while following all the images in sequence differences seem not that big. It is when you make side by side comparison that you see it.**</center>![Comp.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmcTiP6tAnW6rp2QsSnYJEkiz2quthTyREBN9d65Zc1buj/Comp.jpg)

I have spent more than an hour on editing of this image alone. And it was a fast and relatively careless job. When professionals do a high end retouching of an image that is going to be printed on a large format they may spend 12 hours or more on a single shot. And those guys are skilled.

Hope you liked it and have a better understanding what it takes to edit an image from average to a little bit more than average lol I am not a pro, and this is just my personal style that i do for a hobby and fun. 

Have a great weekend! 

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David