Introduction

In this week’s Lightroom 4 edit, we will color-correct and retouch a portrait using Lightroom 4, without any Photoshop required.  For final print production it may be necessary to take certain images into Photoshop, however for preliminary retouching and in many cases even high-res final production and delivery, often times Lightroom’s retouching tools are powerful enough to do everything you need.  From intelligent spot removal to smoothing and other enhancements, the improved tools available in Lightroom 4 are one of the main reasons to upgrade from Lightroom 3′s more limited brush options.

Ironically with such added power comes a noticeable increase in lag time, and brushes have been one of the main concerns with Lightroom 4 users.  Thankfully, the recent Lightroom 4.3 update from Adobe has improved the speed of brushes and spot removal, however there is still room for improvement and we hope Adobe is listening!  :-)

Anyways, grab yourself a similar image of your own and follow along!

Overview

This tutorial is a demonstration of the SLR Lounge Lightroom 4 Preset System. With over 200 presets, the LR4 Preset System has been critically acclaimed as the most powerful and intuitive preset system available for Lightroom 4. Click the link above to learn more or purchase.

Watch the Video Tutorial

Before and After Images

Original Image:
 

Final, Retouched Image:

 Final, Retouched Image in Black & White:
 

The Lightroom 4 Preset System

The SLR Lounge Lightroom 4 Preset System is designed to enable users to achieve virtually any look and effect within 3-5 simple clicks. From basic color correction, vintage fades, black & white effects, tilt-shift effects, faux HDR, retouching, detail enhancing, and so much more. The sky is the limit with what has been dubbed the most powerful and intuitive preset system available. Click the link above to learn more/purchase.

You can also purchase the LR4 Preset System as part of the Lightroom 4 Workshop Collection.

Related posts:

1. Retouching Portraits in Lightroom 4 – LR4 Tutorial and Mixology Episode
2. Bright and Soft, Lifestyle Portraits in Lightroom 4
3. How to Retouch Portraits – Advanced Lightroom Portrait Retouching Part I – Lightroom Video Tutorial
4. How to Record a Screen Capture Tutorial Using Camtasia Studio 7 or Camtasia Studio 8 – SLR Lounge Staff Series Part 1
5. How to Retouch a Portrait… of a Lion – Weekly Lightroom 4 Edit