Kristina Sherk - Male Portrait Retouching

https://www.sharkpixel.com/male-portrait-retouching

• Create better, more realistic male portraits. There are many unique techniques that go into retouching men because you simply cannot retouch them in the same way that you would a female portrait. In this class, I am going to teach you all the integral skills you must know when it comes to retouching men. From realistically smoothing skin to chiseling jawlines, and so much more.

• In the competitive world of digital photography, mastering the nuance of male portraiture is often cited as one of the most difficult hurdles for retouchers to overcome. Unlike the soft, idealized beauty standards usually applied to female subjects, male retouching requires a delicate balance of maintaining rugged texture while minimizing distractions. Kristina Sherk’s Male Portrait Retouching course, offered through SharkPixel, is the definitive educational resource for photographers looking to master this specific craft.
• The core value of this course lies in its rejection of "one-size-fits-all" retouching. Kristina Sherk, a world-renowned retoucher with over a decade of experience, teaches students how to respect the character of a male face. The curriculum focuses on enhancing masculinity without making the subject look "over-processed" or plastic. Key lessons cover how to handle skin texture, which is often more porous and rugged in men, ensuring that scars or character lines remain intact while unsightly blemishes or uneven redness are neutralized.
• The course dives deep into the technical tools within Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom, tailored specifically for the male aesthetic. Students learn advanced techniques such as frequency separation that preserves skin pore detail, and targeted dodge and burn methods to sculpt the jawline and define muscular structure. Special attention is given to facial hair management—an essential skill for modern portraiture—including how to fill in patchy beards, clean up stray neck hairs, and even out stubble density. Additionally, the course tackles the "eye and tooth" dilemma, providing subtle methods for brightening the gaze and smile without losing the natural, authentic feel of the portrait.