Does this PP work?

[JC_Photo]

I have been working on my PP skills so I got out a image I took of my niece during her senior portraits session to play with. If you have time I would be greatful to receive any C & C on it.

Thank you in advance and I wish you all a Happy Holiday.


http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q76/JC_Photo_Bucket/CAT2006-copy.jpg

[D. Craig Flory]

You have decent blacks and ok greys. However, whites are lacking and there are no spectral highlights at all.

[liquefied]

Selective coloring, IMO works very infrequently and this is not one of those times. Also, it looks like you used the lighting effects filter which makes the lighting look fake more than anything. Can we see the un PPed version?

[Jim G]

Looks okay to me.. lacking a bit in contrast but the selective colouring isn't too in your face, imho. Have you got a non-PP'd version?

[JimHejl]

Not appropriate. The girl is gorgeous. Exploit that! Go color, and crisp. Giving her x-files eyes may be an interesting photoshop exercise -- but it doesn't serve the purpose here.

Also, I am NOT a portrait photographer, but that pose looks completely un-natural. It looks like she is 'holding' her head in place. I guess the goal is to get the class ring in there? It looks forced.

Lastly, I have no idea what it is - but the lighting looks bizarre. The light on her face doesn't match the light on her hair at all. (?)

As others have requested -- I'd like to see the un-edited version.

[JC_Photo]

Here is the original... it really stinks though. I have improved somewhat but there is still lots of room left for imrpovement.
I did a lot of pp work to it to test my hand at various new things I am trying out and learning. My top priority though is to get better with my camera not PS.
I did a vignette around the edges.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q76/JC_Photo_Bucket/CAT2006.jpg

[D. Craig Flory]

Oh, now THAT image does have a decent range of tones. I guess it was your black and white conversion that made the tones muddy.

[JimHejl]

Wow. Yeah, you did a lot of photoshop work. That skin tone is great! Why remove it?

I'm sure the studio folks in here will have some great tips for getting a better source image --

[D. Craig Flory]

Now that you posted the original ... here is my version.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i93/DC47/CAT2006Enhanced.jpg

[JC_Photo]

Shot with a 20D and as best I can remember I used natural light coming in from the window on the right and a reflector on the left. The background is just an old bed sheet I hung on the wall.

I agree she looks like she is holding her head up and it's not a very natural pose at all, her ear was sticking out of her hair, the sheet was not as dark as I wanted it to be... etc.

I have learned a bit since this was done. i.e. How to pay closer attention to the details before I take the shot and to shoot in RAW format amongst other things.

I did get some good images of her I just picked the worst from the bunch to practice on and really test myself with.

I really appreciate all the feedback given me so far... it's the only way I can improve.

[JC_Photo]

Now that you posted the original ... here is my version.

http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i93/DC47/CAT2006Enhanced.jpg

How did you do her eyes? It looks so much more natural under her eyes than when I do it.

Great re-do by the way!

I have seen your posts around the forum. I hope to someday be good enough to help others the way you are now.

[JimHejl]

Nice Craig :) Very clean work.

But, the basics (pose!) can't be fixed. I'd take what you learned, and shoot again. It sounds like you have the eye for it -- learning the rest is always iteration... Shoot. Learn. Repeat. (I'm on the same journey)

[JC_Photo]

Nice Craig :) Very clean work.

But, the basics (pose!) can't be fixed. I'd take what you learned, and shoot again. It sounds like you have the eye for it -- learning the rest is always iteration... Shoot. Learn. Repeat. (I'm on the same journey)
Jim

This is all to true and why it never made it off the cutting room floor so to speak.

I know one thing for sure... I definately have the desire to learn and I love it too much to give up trying to get to the level I want to be at. I may never get where I want to be but I don't want to give up trying to get there.

I wish you the best on your journey and I thank you for your feedback. I would say maybe we will end up helping each other along the way but your work is excellent. Great images.

I think my photography moto should be "Shoot to learn, learn to shoot". ;-)

[D. Craig Flory]

How did you do her eyes? It looks so much more natural under her eyes than when I do it.

Great re-do by the way!

I have seen your posts around the forum. I hope to someday be good enough to help others the way you are now.

Merry Christmas Morning !

I would need a couple of hours to show you how I work under eyes. One thing I try to stress, when I teach Photoshop, is to not remove entirely. Lines and contours form the personality of the person's face. I use a number of techniques but my basic way is using the clone stamp tool (S on the keyboard) in Lighten Mode at 20% opacity. I work on a duplicate layer. Once I have it about how I want it I add a layer mask in "hide-all". Then I paint in the retouching at about 35% opacity till it looks best. Because I'm on a layer mask I can go back and forth by clicking X and using the white brush and black brush till it's perfect.

I merged layers and then added a dupe layer again. Then I used Guassian Blur at about 1½ pixels. I added a layer mask in hide-all and painted in the softness just where I wanted it.

I'm happy that I was able to help you grow as an artist.

P.S. ... I have my wife a framed wall portrait of our 15 month old Jack Russell Terrier, this morning ... it was a total surprise. The image is in the animal threads.

[JC_Photo]

D. Craig

I tried what you said in your post and it looked better than the way I have done it. I could not get as good of results as you did but I will keep trying. So I could post my re-do I took an additional step after what you suggested in your post. I duplicated the layer and used the patch tool under her eyes then dialed down the opacity on that layer. I think it looks better but I still want to practice on this more.

In addition I did not use the channel mixer to convert the image to b&w but chose an action I saved. I also duplicated the layer and set it to soft light and reduced the opacity of that layer to add more contrast. (This step was one that Radtech1 helped me with on another image.) I like the contrast in this version but it is too much? I also did not do any selective coloring on her eyes.

I hope I improved from the first post but I am curious about how my re-do looks. Am I hopeless? lol

P.S. It took me a while to find Coco but I'm glad I did. She is adorable and I can only imagine your wife loved her gift. Thanks for sharing with me and for all your help.

http://i133.photobucket.com/albums/q76/JC_Photo_Bucket/CAT2006-v2.jpg

[eos_o_eos]

Better!
Just a little too much contrast, just a little. Lovely looking girl BTW
For me the pic would be great if it were not for the forearm and hand that mask her neck. The hand supporting her head is fine. Re-shoot! If you have access to this girl then you can only improve. good luck!