Photo Editing and Retouching Flashcards
7 cards from real Product Photography practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Photo Editing and Retouching flashcards as text
When retouching a reflective product like a watch, what technique is used to clean up unwanted reflections while keeping desired ones?
Answer: Careful cloning and healing on a separate layer, painting in or removing reflections selectively
Reflections on shiny products must be handled manually—cloning, healing, or painting gradients on a new layer to control exactly what the surface shows.
What does increasing the 'Clarity' slider in Lightroom do to a product image?
Answer: Adds contrast in the midtone edges, enhancing perceived sharpness and texture
Clarity adds local contrast around midtone edges, making textures and details appear crisper without affecting highlights or shadows as much.
A product image has specular highlights that are blown out (pure white with no detail). Which editing step can recover this?
Answer: Nothing—blown highlights are unrecoverable; prevention during shooting is required
Once pixels clip to pure white, there is no tonal data to recover; exposure must be controlled at capture to preserve highlight detail.
What is the purpose of the 'Selective Color' adjustment layer in product photo editing?
Answer: To adjust the CMYK ink percentages within individual color ranges for precise color control
Selective Color adjusts Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, and Black values within defined color ranges (Reds, Yellows, etc.) for fine color correction.
In product retouching, what does 'compositing' mean?
Answer: Combining multiple exposures or elements into one final image
Compositing layers multiple photographs or graphical elements—such as separate background, product, and shadow shots—into a single cohesive image.
Which sharpening method in Photoshop is considered most precise for product details because it lets you target specific tonal ranges?
Answer: Smart Sharpen with Lens Blur removal mode
Smart Sharpen's Lens Blur algorithm is better at sharpening fine detail while reducing halos, and its shadow/highlight fade controls prevent over-sharpening.
Why is it important to edit product photos in 16-bit mode rather than 8-bit when making significant tonal adjustments?
Answer: 16-bit provides more tonal values, reducing posterization and banding in gradients
16-bit images have 65,536 tonal levels per channel versus 256, so heavy adjustments don't create visible steps or banding in smooth gradients.