Retouching Images of Animals can be Tricky

Can anyone improve on nature's animal kingdom in taking the perfect shot of the wild life? It is no doubt tricky. But the same perfection can be achieved by retouching images.


Your mutt has just come out of the river after a swim. His ears are wet and yet you have taken the shot. He looks too cute and you want the memorable moment to be captured on the lens. Once the picture comes, the dirty feet, the droplets of water behind his ears are a huge distraction. Can they be removed? Of course, definitely! Retouching images of animals can be tricky as they are to shoot! But pictures can be made to look adorable with post-processing.

Retouching of photographs of wild animal pictures or of pets need to look real not manipulated. This means using smart touches that retain the essence of the original snap. This is known as a ‘photo-real’ image. Without altering the features and textures that make the animals seem unreal and like stuffed toys, the trick is to make simple enhancing adjustments. This includes using the color values and contrast levels or erasing out blemishes and dirt. Even red eyes can be corrected. This kind of nuanced fine-tuning will make the picture of the mutt stunning. It will also not take away the visual credibility. Even if it is the picture of a tiger or a zebra, one can treat it by selectively improving areas which can be made grander by taming irregularities in fur or by adding a glossy filter over the coat or making the eyes pop with a hint of color. A professional editor will always take care not to over do it! Exaggeration can truly spoil an animal picture unless it is a part of a fantasy or surreal picture.

An editor takes care to set the ambiance colors according to his treatment of subject. Simply put, along with the animals the grass also becomes lush and green. It is part and parcel of the retouching process. One has to adjust the colors and contrast, enhance the lighting. The subject should stand out and not blend with the background. For example horses look wonderful while racing at the derby. One must treat the horses in a magnificent way and not let them merge with the dirt they throw up while running. Unnecessary elements of the picture can also be cropped and trimmed. This reframing can be done in such a way that it brings focus to the animal. As animals don’t really stay still, the original frame that the snapper has in mind may be lost. Due to this, adjustments of reframing are done on the edit table.

Again the retouching of the fur coat of animals can be a problem. Professional editors use special hair removing technique for stray or flying hairs. There are many resources for this like plug-ins available that work very well with Photoshop. Animals are beautiful creatures, and the beauty should translate through the visual. Retouching images of animals should be done with intelligence and care. If it looks too airbrushed the charm of the pet or the wild animal is gone retouching images of animals can be tricky and one should trust only professional editors for the job.