Tom Reeves / The Retouching Process
THE CAMERA LIES.
Retouching can tell the truth.
A camera can capture every detail of a person without quite capturing what it feels like to see them.
In life, we notice expression, movement, changing light, and the spark in someone's eyes. A photograph freezes a fraction of a second—and gives us all the time in the world to examine it.
That's why I believe thoughtful retouching can bring a portrait closer to how that person was experienced.
Every detail isn't the whole story.
Modern cameras reveal incredible detail. Every pore, every uneven shadow, every passing blemish can become more prominent in a still photograph than it ever seemed in person.
But those details were never the whole person.
When I retouch a portrait, I'm balancing what a camera records against what our attention naturally gravitates toward: expression, light, personality, and presence.
Before After A lighter touch. A truer portrait.
I want the people I photograph to recognize themselves in their portraits, their features, and something of their character.
That means preserving skin texture, expression, and the small details that make a face individual. It also means being willing to soften temporary distractions, even out uneven tones, and refine light and contrast when those adjustments help the photograph feel more natural.
That often means leaving flyaways, and not liquifying faces.
There's no universal setting for a good portrait. Some images need almost nothing. Others benefit from more careful attention.
I aim for a photograph that still feels like the person I met.
In my workflow
The tools should serve the photograph.
My process begins with the photograph itself: the light, the moment, the expression, and the choices made behind the camera.
I work primarily in Lightroom Classic. Intelligent masking means I rarely open Photoshop anymore.
(opens in a new tab) For portrait retouching, I've found Reblum more useful in my own work than Lightroom Classic or Evoto for this part of the process. It keeps my attention on the decisions that matter most.
I don't want every face to look the same. I don't want to erase texture or polish away someone's character. I want control over how much is enough—and the freedom to leave things alone when they're already working.
Good retouching lets the photograph do its work.
Beyond the results themselves, Reblum helps with the practical side of being a working photographer: processing portraits in batches, working offline, and fitting into established editing workflows. Less time repeating adjustments means more time making the individual decisions that give a photograph its character.
Lightroom Classic → Reblum → Final adjustments → Delivery
Works offline. Batch processing available. Can be opened from Lightroom Classic, Photoshop, or Capture One. Entry points differ by host app.
For anyone who cares about the details.
If you photograph people, edit your own portraits, or simply enjoy exploring what makes an image feel right, Reblum is worth a look.
I use it because it helps make a demanding part of my workflow more manageable without asking me to surrender my judgment about the finished image.
It's one of the tools I use. The portrait still has to carry itself. That distinction matters to me.
If you'd like to try Reblum yourself, my partner code TOM.REEVES gives you 20% off subscription or lifetime purchases.
TOM.REEVES Unlimited 7-day trial. No credit card required.
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