2. This was the original
photograph. I decided
to manipulate it
because I felt that
different aspects of
the photograph could
be improved to
enhance the image,
for example, the
background could be
blurred, and the skin
tone of the artist
could be improved.

3. The first step that I took
was to smooth out the
skin of the artist, to
remove any blemishes or
spots that may be present.
I did this by using the spot
healing tool. Then, I
inverted the photograph
and changed the layer
mode to vivid light. Next, I
added a Gaussian Blur of
7.8 and a blur of high pass
to smooth out the picture
to a degree that I liked.
Next, I created a layer
mask and painted on the
layer around the skin area
to create a smooth
complexion.

4. My next step was to blur
out the background of the
photograph. By doing this,
I hoped to draw attention
and enhance the detail in
the artist’s face. I achieved
this by creating a duplicate
layer and adding a
Gaussian Blur of 38 and
using the eraser to
remove the blur across
the face.

5. To enhance the overall
look of the photo, I
decided to increase the
colours in the photograph.
I enhanced the red and
yellow colours in the RGB
spectrum in Photoshop,
achieving a slightly
enhanced sunlight-effect.

6. Next, I decided to slightly
edit the artist’s lips. This
was to create a more
refined look for some
finishing details. I did this
by painting on the colour
#c34e3e and changing the
layer to ‘Multiply’ with an
opacity of 30%. I then
painted on a darker colour
of #900c00, and highlights
of a pale colour.

7. My next step was to edit the
eyes and enhance the colour
slightly to a brighter blue. I did
this because I thought that the
colours of the whole
photograph were slightly
similar, so by adding a slightly
different colour, it would draw
attention to her eyes. I felt this
would be effective as it would
help readers of the magazine
to connect with the artist, as
the eyes may now be the first
thing you notice about the
photograph. To achieve this
colour, I chose a slightly lighter
colour than the artist’s natural
eye colour, and painted on
around the iris. I then used the
dodge tool to highlight certain
areas.

8. This is my finished
photograph. My last step was
to use Photoshop to
incorporate some objects into
the photo. For this, I chose
some petals, as I felt this
would add to the like-ability
of the artist, as it would allow
them to appear as a nice
person. To achieve this, I used
a photo of a petal and copied
it numerous times. Each
individual petal, I edited to
change the shape, for
example, its skew or
perspective. Then, I changed
the scale of each petal, and
added a Gaussian blur in
correlation to its size to create
depth within the photograph.