Photoshop Tutorial: From Head Shot to Glamour Shot

Your photos just came back from being developed and you can't wait to open them. You quickly open the package flipping through each head shot. Your face suddenly wears a look of shock and dismay. Your worst nightmare has come true. There in front stares a reflection of every blemish and freckle maximized times ten. You quickly shove them back into the envelope hoping no one asks to see them. You throw them in the back of your closet never to be seen again. The question is; is this necessary? NOT if you have Adobe Photoshop and either a disk of your photos or a scanner.

Step 1: Upload your picture or pictures into your computer where they can be easily found. Make sure that you name the pictures so that you will recognize the file names when you need to open then up in the photo editor.

Step 2: Open up Adobe Photoshop and then your pictures by hitting "File" and then "Open" and finding your first picture before double clicking on the file or picture and hitting "Open" once more. Your photo should open up in front of you in a window.

Step 3: On the right hand side under the layers column right click on the layer that says background and click on the words "Duplicate Layer" and then proceed to hit "Ok" This should bring up a new box above the background layer called "Background copy" this is the layer that we will be using to edit the photo. Always work in layers! It's important and can prevent you from having to start all over again.

Step 4: Click the eye to the left side of the "Background layer" The eye should not be visible on that layer. Leave the other layer alone because we want this layer visible so that we can work with it.

Step 5: Make sure that the top layer is selected by clicking on it. You will know it is selected if it appears highlighted in the layer panel.

Step 6: Grab your eraser tool in the tools panel to the left and erase the eyes, mouth and hair out of the picture. Anything that is NOT skin should be erased. Make sure to use different sized brushes for different areas of the picture and of your face.

Step 7: Now that you are left with only the skin look to the top tool bar and hit "Filter" then "Blur" and then "Gaussian Blur" Set the blur to around 2.5. Play with the number until you get the right look. Click Step 8: Go back to your layer panel on the right and hit the eye to the left of the "Background" layer again making it visible. This is your final look.

Step 9: In the top tool bar hit "Layer" then "Merge Visible" You should have only one layer in your layer panel now.

Step 10: Hit "File" in the top tool bar and then "Save As" and name your file and hit "Save" and Presto! A glamour shot!