High end retoucher Pratik Naik showed me this application yesterday. It is a selfie retouching app that does wonders to your face. That led to us joking about how retouchers like him will soon be replaced with apps.
While, this may be a bit far-fetched, I am not entirely sure that it is impossible. At least for the minor things that used to need a pro.
Here are two examples that may get you thinking before you watch the video below:
- Red eyes were a real issue a while back. In fact if you go and look for red eye removal photoshop tutorial you will find quite a lot of them using some advanced photoshop. This process is completely automated today.
- Acne removal – same thing, this used to be a tedious job, and now it is almost automated as well. At least to the degree that you rarely have to close and you can heal those out in lightroom (or in an app).
And of course there is MeituPic (iOS, android) which was used to create the video below. Oh…. MeituPic….
Here is a side by side, just so you get the idea:
So where do you stand on this matter?
Photography is going through a revolution, that’s true, but it’s largely because a lot of people think the brier to good photography is cost of equipment. That was never the case! No matter what anyone invents the content of images still requires a large degree of creativity. There will be a time when a lot of people give up because it’s no longer viable, after that the market will rebalance itself, and the remaining creative’s will be able to charge for their services once more as the £19.99 photographer’s will all have gone out of business because they couldn’t make a living doing it due to the throughput required. I just wish they’d realise that sooner rather than latter so that we all don’t have to take a bath financially do to their stupidity…
First of all, if that’s retouching, might as well clone stamp Brad Pitt’s face on top of mine and call it a day.
Second, that pool is rediciolous.
Third, while an app can’t take client’s different requests, adapt itself to what they want, be creative with tools, adaptively learn the sorts of retouching techniques needed for each kind of job… retouch artists will be there. Not for smartphone photos, but for commercial work.
It’s in the name: the tools might evolve, but it’s ultimately dependant on creativity.
The thing about apps like these is that they’ll work for people who wouldn’t hire a retouching artist in the first place.
But japanese photo booths (purikura) have been doing this for a while now…
if the same lady is in both pics—that’s terrible. They don’t even look similar.
That is so terrible, and I wonder if she ever goes out and people see her real face. Sad
Online dating will never be the same.
凤姐？？？
Its Amazing tool! we can change out face shape even change our face by using this tool.