Skin smoothening filters?

[charlie_may]

Hey guys!

Im brand new to streaming but im on the older age range side, like over 30, and with the high def camera I have and the bright studio lights I notice my skin doesnt look too hot lol.

Im also kinda skinny cause Ive lost weight from stress and I dont want people to see that.

Some of the models I see look like theyre using a filter that hides their pimples and blemishes.

Am I imagining this or what are they using? I tried obs shadefilter but my computer couldnt handle the processing in live and it was super laggy. Then I downloaded steamfog and I did look fine but it was also wayyyyy to laggy to stream. I know there is the built in blur shader in obsstudio but it doesnt do enough for my skin.

I tried running them with 2 different computers and neither were powerful enough and im worried that I need like a 3k dollar desktop pc now. Im trying to stream full time.

Should I try different software? Do I need a stronger computer?

Any advice is appreciated, thank you!

 

[MarieElise]

Im brand new to streaming but im on the older age range side, like over 30,

I encourage you to challenge yourself to think beyond the brainwashing of Hollywood and society. With lifespans as high as they are rn, aged 30 isn't even half of the average healthy person's life. Many people continue having sexual desires and needs into their 70s, from what I see. Yet to have many clients in their 80s, but I'm sure it's around the corner.

30 is SO YOUNG.

Some people on super nerdy boards I frequent are even talking about death being halted altogether. So, thinking that people over 30 are old is quickly becoming an old-fashioned, outdated societal lie.

I started in this business at age 33. I've been really successful and make more now than I did 13 years ago.
I'm 45.

Anyway, there are lots of skin-smoothing apps, but as far as I understand, anything that adds extra stuff to your stream does require a more powerful machine and good internet. It would be simpler just to buy a webcam that doesn't show as much detail. You can also go in to your webcam settings (at least you can with logitech webcams using the logitune app) and just mess with sharpness, saturation etc yourself. I like a super sharp, crisp image. But all smoothing is, is just defocusing the image in localized areas. So make your lighting not that great, and lower the sharpness settings on your camera. Or alternatively, overlight if you feel self-conscious about it. Overlighting also hides a lot of detail. You could also look into makeup and theatre makeup techniques for under the cameras. Or some combo of all those things I mentioned. Look into glistening highlighters, cpontouring etc too

I wouldn't bother with it, though. I'd focus on you and what you can offer in terms of originality, companionship, socialization, and excitement that goes beyond simply looks. People are lonelier and more frustrated now than ever, and they need support. There are loads of supermodel-looking people who enter this business, and don't even last a year. It really is about so much more than just that. So much more. From my experience, the guys who are attracted to super young, society stereotype hot people, usually aren't actually that nice, or that great people. At least they don't tend to be as nice as the customers that are looking for more of a connection and a fun time, and not anally stringent on looks and physical appearance. Because when someone wants a trophy its all about them and their ego, they don't give 2 shits about the actual trophy.

 

[Vixxen81]

All of what @MarieElise said buuuut adding that if the AI software can't match your verification image to your image on cam you will get banned.

Just don't.

At most I adjust settings in the Logi app -- sharpness, contrast, and saturation and that's it.

 

[John_Grower]

I can relate when it comes to being subconscious about my appearance. However, I have learned that it doesn't really matter. There are plenty of ppl out there that will pay to see you naked. You just have to find your audience. The more consistently you broadcast, more and more of your audience will find you. Of course there will be the occasional hater, but everyone deals with that. Even the "perfect 10's".

Makeup, lighting and camera settings, as already mentioned is all you need.

 

[Vixxen81]

Not to mention you'll drive yourself insane trying to figure it out.

There was a model on CB whose feed looked incredibly red for her obvious skintone but I imagine on her computer and her settings she thought it was a perfect pink skin tone that matched her well enough. She looked sunburned all of the time and made bank. Like within 30 minutes kind of stuff.

Conversely, I've had people try to find me out and the links they sent were of a person who looks nothing like me. But they sure as hell thought we were twins.

No two people will see you the same way. No two people see colors the exact same way (that's the entire point of the Pantone Matching System that literally every color is made from). No two monitors are set the same and often manipulated, especially by gamers, to create the palette they see as visually pleasing. And then there is colorblindness.

Once had a guy tell me he loved my green fingernail polish -- it was purple. And it very much looked purple on my OBS feed.

There's an entire department at Clemson University that tried/is trying to standardize monitor displays and graphics palettes. Even in OBS there are options on the color range you can use.

Never ever use auto-white balance, imo.