Is Portrait Professional 17 Terrible? My Experience and Verdict
The internet is not kind to Portrait Professional 17. In the depths of comment sections, where opinions fly unchecked, there’s no shortage of criticism for this software. But is the backlash justified? In this post, I take a deep dive into my experience with Portrait Professional 17, sharing insights on its capabilities, the results I achieved, and whether it’s worth your time.
Why I Decided to Try Portrait Professional 17
As a commercial photographer, I kept seeing Portrait Professional popping up in my social media feed. Despite the criticisms, I was intrigued by the promises of quick and effective portrait retouching—especially for software priced at £49. Like many editing tools, it seemed that moderation was key to getting good results. If you avoid going overboard with the sliders, the software can yield impressive edits, much like HDR programs.
So, I took the plunge and bought the £49 version. Here’s what I discovered.
My Video Review: Hands-On with Portrait Professional 17
For those who prefer to see the software in action, I recorded a video demonstration where I walked through my entire editing process using Portrait Professional 17 and Lightroom. In the video, I use a portrait of the lovely Emily to test the software’s capabilities—particularly with challenging off-centre eye contact shots.
Watch the full video here:
Video Summary
In the video, I cover several key aspects of Portrait Professional 17:
- User Interface and Ease of Use: I provide a walkthrough of the interface, showing how easy or difficult it is to navigate the software and access its portrait retouching tools.
- Performance: You’ll see how Portrait Professional handles different types of retouching tasks, from smoothing skin to adjusting lighting. I also mention the importance of using the sliders sparingly to avoid an unnatural look.
- Integration with Lightroom: I demonstrate how well the software integrates with Lightroom, showing a seamless workflow that can be useful for professional photographers.
- Final Verdict: At the end of the video, I share my personal conclusion on whether Portrait Professional is worth the investment and who I believe would benefit most from it.
Before and After Using Portrait Professional 17
Below are the before and after shots of Emily. I used Portrait Professional 17 to enhance her portrait, with a particular focus on skin smoothing and lighting corrections. The results speak for themselves.
Key Takeaways from My Portrait Professional 17 Experience
After spending some time with Portrait Professional 17, here’s what I concluded:
- Effective for Moderate Edits: The software excels when used with a light touch. Overuse of the sliders can result in unnatural edits, but with restraint, it delivers fast and impressive results.
- Great for Beginners and Time-Savers: If you’re new to portrait retouching or need a quick solution for client work, Portrait Professional 17 can be a valuable tool in your arsenal. It simplifies many advanced techniques into a user-friendly interface.
- Priced Right for What It Offers: At £49, it’s a reasonable investment for photographers looking to speed up their workflow, especially for social media portraits or casual headshots.
Conclusion: Should You Use Portrait Professional 17?
In conclusion, Portrait Professional 17 isn’t the miracle solution some might hope for, nor is it as bad as the internet backlash suggests. It fills a useful niche for those who want quick, automated portrait edits without diving deep into more complex software like Photoshop. As long as you use it with a degree of caution and subtlety, it can help you achieve some great results.
Would I recommend it? For professionals looking for fast edits, absolutely. But if you’re after high-end, detailed retouching, you’re probably better off sticking to industry-standard tools.
Feel free to watch my full review in the video above and share your own thoughts in the comments!
