I've noticed that when I look back at tape I've taken of people using my GL1, their skin always looks a lot worse than it is in "real life." People's skin looks splotchy and spotted--every lump, bump, mole, crease, etc. seems more pronounced than it actually looks.

Any thoughts on why this happens and how I can correct it?

Thanks.

firstly, try adjusting contrast and sharpness in the menu (turn it down).

secondly, i find that the GLs are prone to airing on the side of overexposure, bleaching peoples skin (no mj jokes please lol). on a gl2 i know a quick way to fix this in auto etc is just to press down the EXP. wheel and use exposure compensation.

sorry if this is old news to you

Turning down the sharpness will help somewhat. But I don't think there's a lot else you can do about this on the GL1, short of softening your focus.. The XL2 has a skin detail feature, but the GL series cams do not.

You might want to try going with a slightly wider shot when you encounter this. DV is very detailed in close-ups, but the sharpness drops off dramatically the wider you get.

A blurring or diffusion filter (like a pro-mist) might help, but you'll get a soft look that comes off as a bit like "glamour" shots to some people's eyes.

Another option (probably the most old-school) is to apply some light powder to your subjects' faces. Of course that only works for narrative work, not docs or events...

you can always apply a diffuse or soft focus filter in post process anyway or if your really hardcore clean it up frame by frame in photoshop lol