Any help on this pic would be greatly appreciated! thanks

For me, the expression is not all that flattering.

What do you wish to accomplish?

I dont get anything from the picture. Perhaps it is the expression, any ideas on how to make the skin smoother?

One technique I use for removing small wrinkles and blemishes if to use the clone stamp in PS. with modest opacity and moderate flow, displacing the stamp slightly and frequently selecting new source. Unfortunately, it won't un-squint her eyes.

I like the portrait, although I agree with most comments made here, including the
squinting of the eyes.

I am not sure that I would totally eliminate the wrinkles. They give character. I
would just soften up the skin a tad and would sharpen the eyes also slightly.
I would also touch the color of lipstick a tad more.

I dont have the skill to fix it, but the skin color appears somewhat mottled, as if the make up is not well and evenly applied.
Sccott

Here is a softer version. Notice that improves any skin blotching around the neck.

Kaden did a good job reducing the scowl lines between her brows. I'd suggest reducing the inner eye shadows on either side of her nose as well.

Yeah, she does look more relaxed.

Kaden, that looks great, can you share how you softened the skin?

Here's a version with only about three minutes of clone stamp smoothing. Notice the inner eye shadow reduction and some lip line revision. All changes were clone stamp work, but looking back, I may have started with Kaden's first version by mistake.

Notice that scowl tension reduction and lip line revision changes her expression, despite her squint.

P.S. Plus another 20 seconds of clone stamp smoothing of her neck.

Here is my version with real smoth skin texture:

For some reason on my monitor you version seems to have acquired some sort of texture rather than smoothing.

AuntiPode wrote:
For some reason on my monitor you version seems to have acquired some sort of texture rather than smoothing.

Yes, perhaps I over did it a little with the texture. But that was the idea of adding texture on the skin, to look like real pores. By adding this texture it makes the skin look more natural, clean and smooth. Too much smoothing doens't look real.

Her wrinkles were just removed a little, so will still look like her, and her eyes brightened a little bit.

She is a pretty lady !

jlandaue I like the idea that you retouched the left bottom of the neck.

As to the usage of the term "real" it lost all the luster for me. Just like
in the REAL America and the REAL Americans...

Kaden K. wrote:
jlandaue I like the idea that you retouched the left bottom of the neck.

As to the usage of the term "real" it lost all the luster for me. Just like
in the REAL America and the REAL Americans...

I agree, how about using the term: REALISTIC

Any portrait photographer can tell you, "real" is over-rated. Most women prefer a kinder vision.

Darn, I just saw AuntiPode's plastic surgery on my image. Wow!!!

She lost at least 5/7 years.

Legalhack I used Noise Ninja. Sometimes I use Nik Software for it.
The rest is as explained on the initial post.

Antipode. I like that, I tried the clone stamp but I must be using it wrongly because it came out even more blotchy.

Oh, I see the texture too.

AuntiPode wrote:
Any portrait photographer can tell you, "real" is over-rated. Most women prefer a kinder vision.

I agree, most women prefer the Photoshop look, however my wife sometimes ask me in the morning if she had put too much make up. I guess that she prefers to have a more realistic skin. Just enought to show the smooth pores, and even skin.

Years ago, when I made my living doing portrait work, the single question most often asked by adult women was:

"Can you remove those lines?"

Somehow I doubt human nature has changed.

Oh how I wish I'd had the power of Photoshop back in the day. Color re-touching was expensive and the lab turn-around times, glacial. (I never learned the brush skills.)

I see your point Jlandaue. This is also a larger question about whether or not
there is such a thing as "realistic" photography since unless you are making
pinhole images, all images are mediated. Even film has to be processed w/
chemicals even if done in camera obscura.

My version of the skin was done with Topaz Labs. One of the plugin they have is "Topaz Clean 2" and it has a setting for sking textures.