Capstone: Editing a Real Photo End to End in Both Tools

Every prior chapter introduced one concept at a time. This capstone edits a single real portrait photo end to end, applying each of those concepts in sequence, with both Photoshop's own workflow and GIMP's own workflow shown side by side at every step — closing the course the way it began, treating both tools as equally real implementations of one shared discipline.

The Scenario

A portrait photo needs four things before delivery: a slight color cast corrected, one stray blemish removed, subtle background blur added for a more flattering sense of depth, and final export for both a client web preview and the original working file preserved for any future revision.

Step 1 — Setting Up the Canvas (Chapter 2)

Before touching anything, confirm the working file's own resolution and color mode. Since delivery includes both a web preview and a possible future print use, work in RGB at a high enough resolution and bit depth to comfortably cover both — a dedicated CMYK conversion, if a print file is ever specifically needed, happens as its own separate step later, not now.

Step 2 — Selecting the Subject (Chapter 3)

Use the Lasso/Free Select tool to rough out a selection around the subject, separating them from the background — the foundation every later step in this capstone builds on.

Step 3 — Duplicating the Layer for Safety (Chapters 4 & 7)

Duplicate the original photo layer before making any further changes, keeping the untouched original safely underneath — the same non-destructive habit established across this entire course.

Step 4 — Masking the Background Blur (Chapter 5)

Duplicate the background specifically, apply Gaussian Blur (Chapter 8) to that duplicate, then invert the subject selection from Step 2 and use it to build a mask — hiding the blur wherever the subject is, revealing it everywhere else, softening the background without touching the subject at all.

Step 5 — Correcting Color Non-Destructively (Chapter 6)

Add a Curves Adjustment Layer above everything to correct the slight color cast, keeping the correction fully editable and removable afterward — never applied as a destructive direct adjustment.

Step 6 — Removing a Blemish (Chapter 7)

On the duplicated subject layer from Step 3, use the Healing Brush/Heal Tool to remove the stray blemish, letting its automatic blending match the subtly varying skin tone around it.

Step 7 — A Light Touch of Sharpening (Chapter 8)

Apply Unsharp Mask carefully and modestly — this photo is already reasonably in focus, so per Chapter 8's own warning box, sharpening here only needs to enhance existing detail slightly, not attempt to rescue anything.

Step 8 — Exporting for Both Delivery Needs (Chapter 9)

Save the fully layered PSD/XCF working file first, keeping every layer, mask, and adjustment intact. Then Export a separate flattened JPG for the client's web preview — the working file itself is never flattened or overwritten.

Hands-On Exercises