Photography frequency separation in the online photo editor app

Pros and cons of "Frequency separation" service in photo editor

• Frequency separation method: what are frequencies?
• What is frequency separation in photography?
• How to use frequency separation
• Frequency separation in Photoshop: where is the tool used?

Frequency separation is one of the most complex retouching methods. However, practically no deep facial photo retouching can do without it. Professional retouchers appreciate frequency separation because it allows them to delicately remove defects, irregularities, and color artifacts from a photo without damaging the texture (of the skin or surface). This method often intimidates beginners: frequency retouching might seem too intricate, a multi-stage process that requires specific knowledge and significant time investment. Let's not deceive ourselves to perform skin retouching using frequency separation, you'll need to exert considerable effort. But the result is definitely worth it.

Frequency separation method: what are frequencies?

Spatial frequency is the frequency at which brightness changes when moving horizontally or vertically. A photograph is a two-dimensional image, so the frequency grid is formed by the intersection of horizontal and vertical stripes. The change in brightness depends on the frequency's height: the higher the frequency, the smaller the details it defines. Accordingly, the lower frequencies contain the largest details of the image.

What is frequency separation in photography?

In order to retouch details without affecting the overall color (of a face or an object), it is necessary to break down the image into frequencies and work with each separately. There is no need to decompose the photo into a spectrum. It's sufficient to split it into several bands below or above a certain frequency. The lowest frequencies comprise the distribution of brightness and color, the light and shadow pattern. The middle frequencies encompass volumes, while the higher frequencies involve texture and details. For deep retouching, we divide the image into two frequencies - lower and upper. The upper frequency will contain contours and facial lines, hair strands, pores, skin, and clothing texture. The lower frequency covers colors, shapes, shadows, highlights, and skin tone.

How to use frequency separation

To use the frequency separation tool, you should memorize the algorithm of actions and stick to it. Otherwise, the result won't be accurate. Initially, the process might seem complex, but the more experience a retoucher gains, the quicker the procedure becomes. In the RetouchMe app, a team of professional retouchers manually processes each photo, using methods including frequency separation. Years of experience, professional equipment, and cutting-edge software ensure impeccable retouching results by the digital artists at RetouchMe. If you want to save time and resources, just a couple of clicks will solve all your retouching tasks with RetouchMe. If you want to learn how to do it yourself, get ready with a notepad and pen.

Retouching tool frequency separation step by step:

1. Preparing the layers:

• Create two copies of the original layer.
• Reveal the low frequencies.
• Reveal the high frequencies.

2. Adjusting the tools.

• Decide how to work. Step by step with the layers or constantly switching between them.
• Adjust the tools for high frequencies. Try Clone Stamp, Healing Brush.
• Adjust the tools for low frequencies. Try Mixer Brush.

3. Moving on to retouching:

• Keep only the bottom layer visible and apply the Gaussian Blur filter to it. Make adjustments using the mixer brush and correct the skin tone.
• Keep only the high-frequency layer visible and start working with the texture. Remove imperfections.
• Merge the layers and check the adequacy of the applied retouching.

Frequency separation in Photoshop: where is the tool used?

Frequency separation is a precise and effective tool that can help eliminate the following issues in photos:

• Remove acne, wrinkles, scars, extra moles, and freckles on the face and body.
• Even out the facial tone without losing skin texture, and eliminate excessive shine on the face.
• Remove stains from clothing, shadows from faces and objects.
• Fix makeup by removing blurriness and imperfections.
• Smooth out wrinkled clothing.
• Erase clothing marks on the skin of the body or face.
• Adjust hairstyles.
• Enhance specific facial details (lips, eyes) without blurring their texture.

Interventions after frequency separation will be barely noticeable, and the face won't turn into a plastic mask. This is a versatile tool that allows you to work on numerous details in a photo. However, as mentioned above, knowledge and experience are required to work with it. Professionals at RetouchMe will be happy to do this job for you! Just a couple of clicks stand between you and perfect retouching!

How to use the service “Frequency separation”

The RetouchMe application is available on iOS and Android platforms. You can download it from the Apple App Store, Google Play or Amazon App Store. The download is free. However, to use the service within the application, you will need a certain number of credits, the price of which depends on the selected services. To add credits to your balance, you can either buy top-up packages or subscribe on a monthly basis.

1. Launch or download the RetouchMe application.
2. Select a photo from your gallery that you want to use the “Frequency separation” service on.
3. Choose the category “Pro edit”.
4. In this category, select the desired service “Frequency separation”.
5. Price of the “Frequency separation” service: 160 ⭐.
6. After selecting the services you want to use for the photo, click on the "Proceed" button.
7. Review your order once again and click "Send to designer."

Join tens of millions of our satisfied customers from 175 countries.