TL;DR: Import your portrait, then work top-to-bottom in the Basic panel: fix exposure and white balance, smooth skin with masking, enhance eyes and teeth, and finish with a subtle vignette. Export as a high-quality JPEG or TIFF once your histogram looks balanced and skin tones feel natural.
Step 1: Import and Assess
Bring your file into Lightroom Classic or Lightroom (cloud) and open the Develop module. Before touching a slider, study the histogram and ask what the image actually needs. Identify the subject, the light direction, and any distractions you want to remove later.
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Step 2: Correct Exposure and White Balance
Start with White Balance. Use the eyedropper on a neutral gray area, or nudge Temp and Tint manually until skin looks believable rather than orange or blue. Then set Exposure so the face sits at a comfortable midtone, and recover blown highlights with the Highlights slider. Lift shadows gently—overdoing it flattens the face.
Step 3: Shape Tone With the Tone Curve
Add a soft S-curve for contrast. Pull the black point up slightly for a matte, editorial feel, or push it down for punch. Keep an eye on the histogram so you are not clipping skin detail.
Step 4: Retouch Skin With Masking
Use the Masking tool and choose Select Subject, then subtract eyes, lips, and hair with the Brush. Inside that mask, lower Texture and Clarity to smooth skin without the plastic look. Add a separate mask for blemishes and use the Healing Brush on small spots.
Step 5: Enhance Eyes, Teeth, and Hair
Create a radial mask over each eye and raise Exposure slightly, then add Texture for iris detail. For teeth, mask them and reduce Saturation while lifting Luminance. Brighten hair edges with a linear gradient if the background competes.
Step 6: Color Grade and Finish
Use Color Grading or HSL to unify tones—warm the highlights, cool the shadows, and desaturate distracting background colors. Add a subtle vignette and a touch of grain. Compare before and after, then export at full resolution.
FAQ
Q: How long should portrait editing take in Lightroom?
A: For a single image, 5–15 minutes is typical once you know your workflow; complex retouching may take longer.
Q: Should I smooth skin in Lightroom or Photoshop?
A: Lightroom handles 80% of portrait work well; move to Photoshop only for advanced frequency separation or heavy compositing.
Q: What export settings are best for portraits?
A: Use sRGB, 100% quality JPEG for sharing, or 16-bit TIFF for print, and sharpen for screen or matte paper as needed.
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