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ADOBE PHOTOSHOP

Retouch photos: Photo retouching tips from a visual artist.

See how visual artist Gabriel Isak retouches an image in Adobe Photoshop.

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Clean it up.

Retouching photos to remove minor blemishes and imperfections from your photos can have a major impact. Learn from Swedish visual artist Gabriel Isak as he retouches a photo in Adobe Photoshop by brushing away distractions with the Healing Brush, repositioning key elements with the Content-Aware Move tool, and eliminating small imperfections with the Spot Healing Brush.

Based in Sweden, Gabriel Isak is a visual artist who focuses on themes related to psychology and dreams in his work. He received his BFA in photography from San Francisco’s Academy of Art and has since exhibited his work around the world.

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What does photo retouching mean?

Photo retouching is the process of enhancing images by removing imperfections, smoothing skin, and adjusting minor details to create a polished look. Retouching photos can involve removing blemishes, whitening teeth, or refining colors for a more professional appearance.


Adobe Photoshop offers powerful AI-assisted photo retouching tools like the Spot Healing Brush and Clone Stamp to help you achieve flawless results.

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How to retouch photos in Photoshop.

Use photo retouching to remove blemishes, stray hairs, and other minor imperfections in your images.

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A close up shot of both mannequins heads and shoulders.

Step 1. Brush away distractions.

Isak begins the photo retouching process by selecting the Healing Brush and brushing over the seams, zipper, and wrinkles in his photo. Each time you move to a new area, reset the source point for the brush using option-click (or alt-click).

Step 2. Reposition elements with the Move Tool.

The Content-Aware Move tool, nested under the Healing Brush, allows Isak to easily move objects around. He makes sure that Mode is set to Move in the Options bar, draws a selection around the white ball, and drags the object to its new position.

Two balls, one black and the other white, rest on top of the water near mannequins.
A middle-depth shot of the white mannequin and black ball in the background.

Step 3. Eliminate imperfections with Spot Healing.

Isak notices small imperfections around the white figure and uses the Spot Healing Brush to remove them.

Step 4. Never settle.

With a little photo retouching, you can turn an almost-perfect image into a perfect one.

Two balls, one black and the other white, rest on top of the water near mannequins.
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Photo retouching tools in Adobe Photoshop.

Use the AI-powered photo retouching tools in Adobe Photoshop to seamlessly enhance your photos. Quickly erase blemishes, smooth skin, and refine details with precision. Whether you’re erasing unwanted objects, removing stray hair, or whitening teeth, these tools make it easy to achieve natural-looking edits

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Spot Healing Brush:

Quickly removes blemishes, acne, and small imperfections with one click.

Healing Brush:

Allows for more controlled blending by letting you manually sample a source area.

Clone Stamp Tool:

Duplicates pixels from one area to another, which is useful for detailed texture correction.

Patch Tool:

Copies part of a photo to another area and automatically blends it into the background.

Content-Aware Move Tool:

Moves objects within an image while intelligently filling the background.

Dodge and Burn Tools:

Lighten or darken specific areas to enhance highlights and shadows for depth.

What to keep in mind when photo retouching in Adobe Photoshop.

Subtle adjustments are the key to achieving a natural look when retouching images. Over-editing can make an image appear unrealistic. Keep these tips in mind when photo retouching for polished, professional results:

  • Work on a new layer: Always duplicate the original image or use adjustment layers to preserve the original while you edit a photo.
  • Use non-destructive editing: Enable Sample All Layers when using the Spot Healing Brush or Healing Brush.
  • Adjust brush hardness and opacity: Softer brushes blend edits more naturally, especially for removing blemishes and skin retouching.
  • Zoom in and out: Zooming in helps with precise edits, but zooming out ensures the overall look remains balanced.
  • Keep skin texture intact: Avoid excessive blurring, skin should look smooth but natural.

By using the AI-powered tools in Adobe Photoshop, you can easily retouch images with high-quality, realistic results.

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Two balls, one black and the other white, rest on top of the water near mannequins.

When retouching photos, simplicity is key.

When retouching images, you will often get the best results through subtle changes. By focusing on small, precise adjustments, Gabriel Isak enhances his photos without over-editing, demonstrating that simplicity is key to achieving natural and impactful photo retouching outcomes.

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Questions? We have answers.

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Use Adobe Photoshop to retouch a photo.
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Removing minor blemishes and imperfections from your photos can have a major impact. In this article, see how visual artist Gabriel Isak retouches an image in Adobe Photoshop.
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