› ›kelbyone.com053››RETOUCHING MAGICHere are two images side by side. Image
A is unsharpened, and image B is sharpened.
These images definitely show you how sharp-
ening, when done right, can really make your
image look crisper than it originally was!
- SELECTIVE TONING
This next tip is applied to every darn image
on my site. Think of your website viewer as
a child with ADD. And they have a right to
be a little ADD—try putting yourself in their
shoes for a moment; they’re frantically look-
ing for a photographer to hire, while trying
to juggle everything else real life throws at
them: kids, groceries, projects, deadlines, etc.
The moment your website viewer looks at an
image on your site, their eye should instantly
take them to the section that you’ve chosen
as the most important place. If you don’t lock
in their curiosity, you’ll immediately lose their
interest. In order to protect myself against
this phenomenon, I selectively tone my
images. Another term for this is dodge and
burn. (This skill has so many uses and isn’t
just for skin retouching!)
Take a look at this next image. The first
version of the image is un-toned and un-
retouched. It’s straight out of camera, and
even though the little girl is actually in focus,
your eyes pass over her because the lightness
of the bride’s dress distracts you. In the sec-
ond version, I brightened the girl, and toned
down the white dress, which immediately
leads the viewer’s eye to the intended subject
of the image!
Here’s one more example. In the un-toned
image, your eye bounces around from the
light reflections on the glass to the sconce on
the wall behind the bride, and then finally sees
the sharp, in-focus face in the middle. Well, by
toning down those other things in the image,
and brightening and adding contrast to the
bride’s face, I’ve created a stunning image
where the viewer’s eye goes immediately to
the place intended!
Image A Image B