Most retouching looks bad because people overdo it. After years of editing portraits, weddings, and headshots, here are the 5 biggest mistakes I see:

1. Over-smoothing skin — Removing all texture makes people look like plastic. Keep the pores. Frequency separation is your friend, but use it subtly.

2. Eyes too white — Slightly reducing redness is fine. Making the sclera pure white looks alien. Leave some natural variation.

3. Ignoring color consistency — If you brighten the face but don't match the neck and hands, it's immediately obvious. Always check transitions.

4. Heavy dodge & burn on every photo — D&B is powerful for editorial work, but portrait clients usually want natural. Read the brief.

5. Not matching the photographer's style — The retouch should feel invisible. Study their portfolio before you start editing.

I run CleanEdit Co. — professional photo retouching for photographers who want clean, natural edits without spending hours in Photoshop. If you're drowning in editing backlogs, I can help.