Post-Processing of Newborn Retouching. 5 Key Points

Retouching newborn portraits requires a delicate touch. It is not about correcting imperfections, it is about providing a clean, natural, and timeless representation of the image.

2 min read
Post-Processing of Newborn Retouching. 5 Key Points

Retouching newborn portraits requires a delicate touch. It is not about correcting imperfections, it is about providing a clean, natural, and timeless representation of the image. My approach is to use subtle editing and refining. Here are some things I concentrate on in my workflow.

  1. White Balance. The first step I take is developing a natural white balance. Using the Eyedropper tool in Camera Raw, I select the neutral color. It provides me a starting point and removes unwanted color casts. Once I'm happy with the white balance, I sync the setting across the series to maintain consistency.
  2. Remove Distractions. Little distractions creep into these sessions easily: dust on the floor, the folds of a fabric or blanket. Initially, I remove any larger elements using Content Aware Fill in Photoshop and finish the process using the Patch Tool or Healing Brush on smaller parts of the image. The goal is for the focus to remain on the baby without any distractions competing in the background.
  3. Correct Skin and Red Tone. I leave the natural texture of the skin, in terms of tiny pores, lashes, and fine details. I only remove distractions. A normal aspect of newborn skin is some natural redness or blotchiness. To correct this, I generally use the red channel in Photoshop to balance the reds out. To do this, I then pull the hue slider to -180, which temporarily changes any red color to purple. Next, I make adjustments by applying a slight tint (around +6) until I achieve a soft, healthy feel to the skin. I always mask out the lips to keep them the natural pink color.
  4. Blanket Improvements. The blanket plays into the mood of the photo, so for me, it should look tidy and calm. I nudge any folds out of place and smooth any sections that look distracting using Liquify in Photoshop.
  5. Final Look Over. Finally, I look at the contrast, sharpness, and skin tone consistency. The end result is a clean, soft image that feels true to the moment. Post-processing newborn photography is about going back to white balance, cleanup, skin corrections, shape, etc., all supporting the story without over-processing.