Retouching, Real Life, and How They Can Coexist : 

A model posted a video on Instagram recently, and a friend forwarded it to me. First, the model showed herself in a beautifully posed photo - flattering angles, great light, everything intentional. Then she stood up, walked around, and let herself wiggle. She pointed it all out. And then she said something that stopped me. Something to the effect of : "You didn't wake all the way up just to be hard on yourself today."

I love it. I've been thinking about it ever since.

Because it hints at something I've been working through as a photographer, as a woman, and as a mom of a daughter - the question of what retouching actually means, and whether it has to be the opposite of authenticity. I don't think it does. Here's where I've landed.

The World We're Actually Living In

We live in a world of phone filters and AI-generated headshots. 

When a filter becomes the default - when no one posts a photo of themselves without one - it quietly shifts what we think we're supposed to look like.

I wish to contribute to that.

I do not want my clients to walk away from a session with images so heavily edited they look like a different person. That does not feel like care.  

And yet... I do retouch my clients' images, particularly for professional headshots.

If that sounds like a contradiction, I understand, but I don't think it has to be one...

How I Actually Think About Retouching

When I meet someone - a client, a friend, a stranger at the farmer's market - I am not cataloguing their wrinkles. I'm not noticing their stray hairs or whether their collar is slightly wrinkled. I'm noticing them. Their warmth. Their humor. The way their face opens up when they talk about something they love.

That is what I'm trying to capture in a headshot or a portrait.

So when I sit down to edit, my question isn't: "How do I make this person look younger or smoother or more polished?"

My question is: "Does this image show what I actually saw when I looked at this person?"

That's my guide. That's the whole philosophy.

What I Will and Won't Do - and Why

Here's how this plays out in practice:

What I do retouch:

• Temporary blemishes (because a pimple on photo day is not part of who you are)
• Minor distractions - a stray hair, a wrinkled collar - things that pull focus away from you
• Anything that would genuinely distract from your face, your expression, your presence
• The most common retouching requests I get are for under eye wrinkles/circles and neck wrinkles, and I think these are fine areas for retouching as they are not something someone is noticing or focusing on when they are talking with you/in your presence.

What I leave alone:

• Your features, your face shape, your body
• The things that make you recognizably, wonderfully you

What I aim to never do:

• Make you look 20 years younger than yourself
• Reshape or slim your face or body
• Erase your laugh lines - they are part of your smile, and your smile is the point
• Deliver images that make you look at them and think, "That's not me"

We have earned our wrinkles and our laugh lines, so it is a delicate balance, which is why I always strive to listen to the client's personal preferences.

The Part About Posing (Because It Matters Too)

The model in that Instagram video made another point I keep coming back to.

Posed photos are intentionally flattering - and that's okay to say. A professional portrait session isn't a candid snap. The angles are chosen. The light is controlled. The moment is crafted.

That's not deception though; That's the art form.

When I position a client and adjust the light and choose the moment to press the shutter - I am making decisions designed to show them at their best. I love that part of my job. Studio lighting especially is where I light up (put intended), because controlled light lets me do things that a phone camera or a harsh overhead fluorescent simply cannot.

The result is a photo that is both flattering and true. Those two things can exist together.

And just like that model said - there is a time and a place for both. The posed portrait and the real, everyday wiggle. 

Why This Matters to Me Personally

I think about this a lot as a mom.

I want my daughter to grow up knowing she is worthy of being photographed exactly as she is. I want that for every woman who walks into my studio, too - especially the ones who come in saying they're "not photogenic," which happens fairly often. 

It might sound cheesy, but I believe that the right light and the right posing and you actually feeling comfortable during your session are all components that help capture the real you.

That's the belief I come back to every time. Everyone is truly beautiful. The camera just shows what was already there.

My retouching philosophy is an extension of that belief. I want to retouch in service of you, not instead of you.

Your Images, Your Review, Your Voice

After every session, I give clients a full week to review their images before downloading them.

During that window, if there is any minor retouching revision you'd like - something that's bothering you, something that doesn't feel like you - please tell me. That is exactly what that time is for.

My goal, first and foremost, is for you to love your images. To feel like they represent you and your incredible, unique self.

Because if no one has told you recently: you are incredible. And I mean that in the least generic way possible.

I'd Love to Hear What You Think

This is a topic I find genuinely fascinating, and I'm curious where you land on it.

Does this philosophy resonate with you, or do you have something you'd push back on? I'd really love to know.

Are you interested in a "Come as You Are" session - black and white, no retouching?

Send me a message through the contact form at janefosterphotography.com. I read everything, and I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Because the conversation around how women see themselves - and how photography plays into that - is one worth having, especially as we glide into the AI era.

Ready to See Yourself Clearly?

If you're curious about headshot sessions, senior portraits, or family photography on Bainbridge Island, and if you're located here, in the Seattle or Kitsap County area, I'd love to connect!

You bring yourself. I'll handle the light, the posing, and the rest.

Let's talk.