Portrait Retouching 101: Smooth Skin Without Looking Fake

The secret to professional portraits is subtlety. Learn how to remove blemishes while keeping skin texture.

Step 1: The AI Base

Don't waste time fixing every pixel manually. Run the AI Auto Enhance tool in "Repair" mode first. It does a great job cleaning up overall noise and sharpening soft details.

Step 2: The "Soft Focus" Trick

To smooth skin without a dedicated "Healing Brush," we use an old photographer's trick. Use the Blur tool with very low intensity (around 10-15%). Carefully paint over rough skin patches, avoiding edges like the nose or jawline. It works like digital foundation.

Step 3: Make the Eyes Pop

Eyes should always remain sharp. Add a tiny bit of Contrast to the whole image, or if possible, dodge (brighten) the iris slightly. This draws the viewer's attention immediately to the face.