# What software do the Pros use for MODELS?



## sj022698 (Jan 24, 2008)

What kind of editing software do pros use for such perfect pictures like in Maxim, Stuff, Playboy, etc...

How do you get hide blemishes like stretch marks, cellulite, etc...

I have photoshop elements and I'm not great at it but curious if it has the tools I need. It doesn't literally have to be professional but I'd like to eliminate the blemishes


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## ChickenFriedRyce (Jan 24, 2008)

Seeing as how you named all of _those _types of magazines, I'm guessing that the company will be using the latest and best software to make their photos up to par. So I'd say they're using, a ton of makeup, Adobe Photoshop CS3 (because it is the latest), and really good models.

AVOID THOSE MAGAZINES! 

Bad for your mind!


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## Sideburns (Jan 24, 2008)

Well...just so you know....glamour photography is a league all of its own.  The post processing involved in most glamour photography, especially being published in magazines, is incredible.  There are exceptions where the effect is done with special lenses or makeup...but with the advent of digital...well, you know.

Photoshop CS3 is basically the standard for EVERYTHING.  Most photographers, or touchup artists or whoever...will probably use plugins to help streamline their workflow.  They probably have a plugin just to touch up skin...one for lips...one for eyes....one to add blush...

Lots of people do it all by hand with the basic tools supplied with photoshop...but you'd be surprised how much easier things get with the appropriate plugin.  I know most people on here do it the good old fashioned way (well not raelly old fashioned), by taking each little tool and fixing up their skin, etc...

I'm no expert on this...so I'm sure someone else will chime in with specifics...


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## Alpha (Jan 24, 2008)

They're all using Photoshop CS3. Those images start with great hair, makeup, and lighting. 

It's not just glamour. Beauty and fashion are equally intensive.

No, they don't have lots of plugins. Try looking around...there aren't really any true professional plugins for retouching people. PS is not like SAS or ArcGIS or something where you can program odd-ball custom things. PS plugins are limited by PS itself. As such, they're generally ways to streamline, refine, or reconfigure existing capabilities. In a sense, they're trying to reinvent the PS wheel. A good example would be the Power Retouche suite (which really has little application whatsoever to glamour, beauty, and fashion retouching) when it comes to actually "touching up" skin and clothing. Most plugins apply broad effects. Some, however, do significantly expand upon PS' existing capabilities. An example would be FluidMask, which is absolutely f-ing amazing and a ridiculous resource hog. It makes the extract tool look like a selection box. But I digress. What I mean to say is that the nature of retouching makes using even actions inadequate except in the finishing stages where you're adjusting overall color tone, contrast, and sharpness.


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## dkf10425 (Jan 24, 2008)

sj022698 said:


> What kind of editing software do pros use for such perfect pictures like in Maxim, Stuff, Playboy, etc...
> 
> How do you get hide blemishes like stretch marks, cellulite, etc...
> 
> I have photoshop elements and I'm not great at it but curious if it has the tools I need. It doesn't literally have to be professional but I'd like to eliminate the blemishes


Photoshop CS3 is the industry standard. If you search the net there are many tutorials on retouching. The retouchers and restorers at RetouchPRO are the best.
http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/
And like MaxBloom said there are not a lot of plug ins for retouch. Most good photoshop plug ins involve stuff like removing noise, sharpening, image effects (Alien Skin), enlarging and masking.


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## Alpha (Jan 24, 2008)

Thanks for seconding my post, but LOL @ that shameless forum plug.

Oh, and to the OP, most PS tutorials on retouching online are terrible. Stay away from anything that makes use of blur. It's rarely used in professional retouching, and when it is used it's for very very specific purposes.


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## molsen (Jan 27, 2008)

instead of using plugins, they probably record *actions* to make common processes faster instead of having to manually do all of them.  i know i have several actions recorded for different kinds of sharpening, smooth, etc. I can apply it to the whole image or just a selected area.


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## noob873 (Jan 27, 2008)

sj022698 said:


> How do you get hide blemishes like stretch marks, cellulite, etc...
> 
> I have photoshop elements and I'm not great at it but curious if it has the tools I need. It doesn't literally have to be professional but I'd like to eliminate the blemishes



Since no ones answered this part yet...
elements has the basics that you need, of course cs3 goes way more in depth on lots of things, but elements has what you need basically (clone stamp, healing brush are good to take out blemishes)


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## jeroen (Jan 27, 2008)

sj022698 said:


> [...]_and I'm not great at it_[...]


And that is what makes all the difference. Someone working for the magazines that you mentioned are of the best in their field.

Photoshop is not more than just a tool. And you don't really need all the fancy tools of CS3 to do the job. We didn't have CS3 15 years ago. I mean, I have worked with PS2.0 and that version didn't even have layers yet...


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