11:19
Photoshop
Photoshop's new Blemish Removal feature (in regular Photoshop via Camera Raw 18.5+) automatically detects and removes skin blemishes while preserving the exact original skin texture, using two distinct sliders — Amount for temporary marks and Fade for permanent marks — with per-person control and manual refine tools, though it lacks the layer-based output that other Remove features (like Reflection Removal) provide.
The Blemish Removal feature ships in regular (non-beta) Photoshop as of Camera Raw 18.5 and above.
It removes blemishes while maintaining the exact skin texture that was underneath them, rather than smoothing/blurring it away.
It's accessible in the Remove section of Camera Raw regardless of how you open Camera Raw: automatically for RAW files, or via Filter > Camera Raw Filter (after Filter > Convert for Smart Filters) for JPEGs.
The Amount slider is not opacity — it controls which blemishes show or hide, with the most 'distracting' blemishes prioritized for removal first as the value increases.
The Fade slider works like true opacity, but only for permanent marks (moles, birthmarks) — increasing it fades those marks out, while Amount handles temporary blemishes separately.
A 'show overlay on hover' checkbox lets you see exactly which areas were flagged and altered as blemishes.
A Refine tool with Remove/Restore brushes lets you manually add or undo blemish removal in specific spots, after first checking whether Photoshop mis-categorized a mark as permanent (adjustable via Fade).
The feature recognizes multiple people in a single photo and lets you apply uniform settings to everyone or select and adjust Amount/Fade independently per person.
The presenter states he has 'never seen anyone' do automatic blemish removal that preserves texture like this, nor treat permanent and temporary marks separately, before this feature.
A key shortcoming: unlike Reflection Removal (Edit > Reflection Removal), which outputs separate editable layers, Blemish Removal does not create layers — it's applied destructively/flat.
As an alternative offering layers, the presenter demonstrates the Retouch4Me Heal plugin (Filter > Retouch4Me > Retouch4Me Heal), which has a sensitivity slider and a 'make mask' option to apply results as layers.
The presenter notes Retouch4Me's plugin set can be chained into a single automated action for batch, offline, overnight retouching of thousands of photos, doing blemish removal, dodging/burning, contouring, eye cleanup, contrast, and skin tone correction.
Pushed to extreme cases (heavy scarring), the feature does an 'okay'/'not perfect' job and can create 'wavy weird skin with no texture' — the presenter says no plug-in can fully solve this and it would require manual high-end dodging/burning or frequency separation.
Blemish Removal (Remove > Blemishes) — A Camera Raw/Photoshop filter, available from Camera Raw 18.5 onward, that automatically detects and removes skin blemishes while preserving the original skin texture. Apply: In the Remove panel, scroll down, open 'Blemishes,' and check 'Apply' to let Photoshop automatically detect and remove blemishes.
Amount slider — A control that is not opacity but a priority threshold determining which temporary blemishes are detected and removed, with the most distracting ones removed first as the value rises. Apply: Gradually increase the Amount slider from 0 to 100% to progressively remove more temporary blemishes, starting with the most prominent/distracting ones.
Fade slider — A slider that functions like an opacity control specifically for permanent marks such as moles and birthmarks, fading their visibility as the value increases. Apply: Raise the Fade slider to gradually reduce the visibility of permanent marks, or leave it low/at zero to keep them intact.
Show Overlay on Hover — A checkbox option that visually marks, on hover, the specific areas where blemishes were detected and removed. Apply: After applying blemish removal, check 'show overlay on hover' and hover over the image to see exactly which areas were altered.
Refine (Remove/Restore brush) — A manual correction tool inside the Blemish Removal workflow that lets you paint to remove additional missed blemishes or restore marks the algorithm erased. Apply: Go to Refine, choose 'Remove' and paint over a missed blemish to erase it, or choose 'Restore' and paint over an area to bring back a removed mark, then click Apply.
Per-person control for multi-subject photos — A capability where Photoshop categorizes each detected person in a photo separately, enabling independent Amount/Fade settings per individual. Apply: After running blemish removal on a group photo, select an individual person from the detected list and adjust their Amount and Fade sliders independently of the others.
Camera Raw Filter on Smart Objects (for JPEGs) — A workaround that lets the Camera Raw-only Blemish Removal tool be applied to non-RAW files like JPEGs. Apply: Duplicate the background layer (Ctrl/Cmd+J), go to Filter > Convert for Smart Filters, then Filter > Camera Raw Filter, and use the Remove > Blemishes section there.
Reflection Removal — A separate, earlier Photoshop 'Remove' feature for eliminating reflections (e.g., through glass) that, unlike Blemish Removal, outputs the result as separate editable layers when applied via Edit > Reflection Removal. Apply: Use Edit > Reflection Removal (rather than the Camera Raw filter version) to get a layered result with a control for how much reflection to bring back.
Retouch4Me Heal — A third-party offline retouching plugin the presenter recommends as an alternative that applies blemish removal as layers/masks rather than destructively. Apply: Duplicate the background layer (Ctrl/Cmd+J), go to Filter > Retouch4Me > Retouch4Me Heal, adjust the sensitivity slider, check 'make mask,' and hit Apply to get a layered result.
Retouch4Me automated batch action — A workflow that chains multiple Retouch4Me plugins (blemish removal, dodging/burning, contouring, eye cleanup, contrast, skin tone correction) into one action for full automatic retouching. Apply: Install the Retouch4Me plugin set, create/use an action that plays them one by one, then drag and drop photos (even thousands) and let the action run automatically, e.g. overnight.
The Amount slider behaves as a detection/priority threshold rather than an intensity control — increasing it doesn't fade blemishes gradually in place, it sequentially reveals/hides which blemishes are treated as removable, prioritized by how 'glaring' or prominent Photoshop judges them.
Photoshop's algorithm makes an implicit judgment call about which marks are 'temporary' vs 'permanent,' and correcting a misclassification (e.g., wanting to keep a mark the tool treats as temporary) requires understanding this categorization before resorting to manual Refine painting.
The per-person independent control (demonstrated on the presenter's own parents) means the same automatic pass can be selectively tuned per subject in a group photo rather than applying one global strength to everyone.
The presenter directly benchmarks Photoshop's native feature against the paid plugin he otherwise promotes (Retouch4Me) and states Photoshop did the better job in this case ('retouch for me team, you guys need to step up your game'), an unusually candid admission given the video also serves as an ad for that plugin's free trial and discount.
The lack of layer output is framed as the single biggest limitation by direct contrast with Photoshop's own Reflection Removal feature, which does generate separate 'removed' and 'reflection-only' layers — implying the underlying engine could support layers but this feature currently doesn't expose that flexibility.
There's an acknowledged ceiling to automatic AI-based retouching: extreme blemish/scarring cases produce a texture-flattening 'wavy' artifact that the presenter says only manual frequency separation or dodge-and-burn technique can properly resolve — automatic tools are framed as good but not a full replacement for manual retouching in hard cases.
«So, this new filter in Photoshop, actually the regular Photoshop, not the beta, not only removes blemishes.»
— 00:00
«It removes all that, but does maintain the exact skin texture that was there before.»
— 00:17
«The amount slider is not like opacity. It does not control how much of the blemishes will show up or hide.»
— 00:34
«It simply controls which blemishes will show up and which ones will hide.»
— 00:41
«It's like an opacity for those marks.»
— 00:20
«the top slider is for temporary marks.»
— 00:36
«The second slider is for permanent marks that make you uniquely you.»
— 00:51
«I've never seen anyone do blemish removal automatically like this before.»
— 00:13
«It also takes into account multiple people in the photo.»
— 00:19
«let's talk about the shortcomings of this feature. And this is one of the biggest.»
— 00:07
«By the way, retouch for me team, you guys need to step up your game as Photoshop's blemish removal here did a better job.»
— 00:50
«it creates that wavy weird skin with no texture in some places.»
— 00:24
«this, my friend, is called hoping for too much. No plug-in can do it.»
— 00:30
Reception
Strong appreciation for the feature with constructive requests for expansion, tempered by concerns about AI replacing human work and some technical issues.
A thorough, hands-on UI walkthrough of a specific new Photoshop/Camera Raw feature that goes beyond a basic how-to by explaining the non-obvious Amount-vs-Fade mechanics, multi-subject control, and manual refine workflow, and it includes an unusually direct limitations section — though it's tied to a specific software version and doubles as a promotional segment for the presenter's recommended third-party plugin.
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