retouches

Retouches are adjustments made to images or physical surfaces to alter appearance, correct flaws, or enhance quality. In photography and digital media, retouching typically refers to edits made to an image after it has been captured, though the term can also apply to restoration work on artwork and to cosmetic work on physical surfaces. The goal is often to improve aesthetics or rectify undesirable elements while preserving the subject's recognizability.

Digital retouching employs a range of techniques. Common tools include healing and cloning to remove blemishes or distractions, frequency separation to separate texture from color, and dodging and burning to adjust tonal values. Color correction, sharpening, noise reduction, and selective retouching of skin, teeth, or products are frequent tasks. Software such as Adobe Photoshop and other image editors provide layers, masks, and non-destructive workflows to control changes. In non-digital contexts, traditional photography used airbrushing or darkroom dodging and burning; art restoration and conservation may involve inpainting to retouch faded or damaged areas of a painting.

Applications span portrait and fashion photography, commercial and product imagery, editorial work, and archival photo restoration. Retouching can also be performed to repair damage in old photographs or to prepare images for publication or display. Ethical considerations are a central aspect of retouching practice: disclosure in journalism, transparent standards in advertising, consent from subjects, and ongoing debates about body image and authenticity. Some institutions publish guidelines on acceptable levels of modification to avoid misinformation or misrepresentation.

Historically, retouching began with manual methods in printing and photography and has evolved with digital technologies, enabling precise, reversible edits and more complex compositing while raising questions about authenticity and responsibility.