Retouching is a great tool, one that can save pictures in some situations. However, there are a couple of things that can be really time-consuming and annoying to correct in post, two of them being flyaway strands and chapped lips. I am sure those two have happened to any of you who shoot portraits, beauty, or fashion. However, no need to fear these anymore! Jordan Liberty gives us his tricks to avoid them.
Jordan Liberty is a photographer turned makeup artist. His knowledge as a makeup artist is invaluable for any photographer or retoucher. If you do not know him yet, you definitely should subscribe to his YouTube channel. Some techniques he shows in his videos might go too far for some photographers that don't have vast knowledge of makeup, but nonetheless, they can be interesting.
His latest video shows five simple tricks that will not require you to own a makeup artist license or anything of the sort. They all use very basic products — not even makeup products in some cases. The two that will most likely interest you are the following.
Cleaning Flyaway Hair
Hair is a nightmare to retouch. I am sure all of us have at least once in our life left an image out of a selection just because the hair would have been too time-consuming to retouch. There are things that can help, such as hair spray applied with a comb. However, it will not do much for static electricity. If you like shooting with anything that has wool in it, you know what I am talking about here.
Jordan Liberty explains in his video that he uses dryer sheets to remove any static electricity. Yes, you read that right: dryer sheets, the same thing you put in your dryer when you do your laundry. They are meant to soften your clothing, but also remove any static electricity. One piece of advice, though: try to use something that doesn't have too much odor, as not everyone likes the same perfumes.
Soften Chapped Lips
Lips: yet another thing that can be quite annoying to retouch. The texture is thin, and if they are not properly hydrated, they will not look good. While some will argue that you can do anything in post, which might be true, it will come at the expense of time or money, depending on whether you retouch your pictures yourself or give them to a retoucher. Lip balms are something that usually work, but some people can be allergic to certain balms. Furthermore, some products that are meant to hydrate the lips will actually dry them within seconds.
The trick that Jordan Liberty shares with us in his video is very simple and most likely more than safe. He uses green tea. Simply grab a green tea bag, put it a cup of hot water for a couple of minutes, just enough to warm it up (not burning hot), and then, pinch it with your lips. Let it rest between the lips for a couple of minutes (Jordan's advice is five minutes), and then, remove it. Your lips should look much better now!
