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You could possibly get away with a phone & ringlight to get something basic. A solitary ringlight isn't going to be quite the same as a full studio setup, but it can at least provide a broad light that works well for this type of shot. In fact, I'd go so far as to say your lighting isn't really the issue at all in your photo. It's basic but it's fine for ...
8
You asked,
Has Topaz ever stated if there are different AI backing these programs? Do they have recommendations on using one or all three for one image?
Yes to both. Straight from the source, at Topaz Lab's support site (emphasis mine, and some text omitted):
When To Use DeNoise AI, Sharpen AI, and Gigapixel AI
One of the most common questions we receive ...
3
I have no affiliation with Topaz, nor is this post a recommendation. I just felt like googling and collecting below information.
Topaz has a Youtube channel with plenty of tutorials on using their tools separately or together.
A video that you might find relevant is about a Lightroom workflow where all three tools (DeNoise, Sharpe, Gigapixel) are used ...
1
One way to find all of the images that Google has stylised for you is to navigate to https://photos.google.com/search/_m10_Saved%20creations
It's at the bottom of Explore
You'll see 'Color pop', 'Pano', 'Stylised photo' when clicking through.
You can also use the search term "Stylised Photo" from the main search bar on photos.google.com, or this ...
1
A dedicated point and shoot camera with optical zoom will take better portraits and allow better framing and composition than the rather wide angle lens on most phones.
When using a ring light, keep the room dark to erase the background, ensure correctable color, and avoid shadows.
I'm not sure what a retoucher does, but there's a lot you can tweak in post ...
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