One step forward, three back

[Grain]

Just when I think I am going great guns in baby portraiture, something knocks me on my ass.
I think its the lack of detail in the mother that made me go on a wild and whacky crappy photoshop spree into unrealistic realms of bloody awful shotdom. Was it the crop the contrast the tone!!!!...most of the pics from this shoot were fine but this one is crap and doing my head in!
Ideas? Please? pretty please? I have looked at it so much it makes me dizzy!
I went off the rails with blur..its just crap. Very crude and coarse attempt. One step forward and three back...maybe i'm just tired..who knows.:confused:
http://www.thesoundplace.com/images/neverland.jpg

ITS DREADFUL

[Beau Hudspeth]

Let's see the original so we will know where it is you started. ;) and then we can go from there!

[thrumyeye]

Yes - let's see the original so we can see where it started.

[Robert_Lay]

On the contrary, I really like the scene, the pose and the mood that is set by the overall scene. My only problem with the whole image is that the too white background is too artificial looking - especially where it meets with the burned out garment of the child. Perhaps you had a good image to start with and beat it too death, but the two faces really hit a home run.

BTW, square looking catchlights do not pass muster. They could be doctored to be more like apostrophe's, which are more acceptable.

[Grain]

'beat it to death'
Robert I love that comment lol. Because that is exactly what I did. As I said most of the batch were fine. A little processing and I had some nice pics. Looking at this again I realise it is just a very poor shot and should have been left out of the batch. I'll post the original and you'll see that it is better than the gawdy pile of 'mush' I came up with, but not good by a long shot. Catchlights are a matter of taste I think. Some people like square some don't, some like big some like small. Thanks you for your comments. I'll bin this one.
http://www.thesoundplace.com/images/freddynogood.jpg

[Robert_Lay]

You're correct - the original had its problems but is the better image.

Had it been shot in RAW, some significant detail in the highlights could have been rescued.

[Swift1]

Hey, I just wanted to give it a shot:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/kninja0/Lasers/XT%20Camera/aliencam/baby.jpg

Let me know what you think, should the hair in her cheek be removed?

[Grain]

Thanks swift but the more I look at it the more I hate the whole image. Nice mole removal ;) I like the crop and the baby's face is ok. Its the Mum's face I have the issue with. Its kinda lacking in anything. I'm away for the evening but i'll have one more bash on Sunday.
Swift..I'll post you the larger image if you like in case we can salvage a print out of it.

[Grain]

Also...Wow! robert Lay, Lay is that you as a young man on your website? My wife things you were kind of hot! ;)

[Robert_Lay]

Also...Wow! robert Lay, Lay is that you as a young man on your website? My wife things you were kind of hot! ;)

If you refer to my web site at
http://www.qsl.net/w9dmk/

then yes, the picture at the right is me at age 18 in 1948.

Tell your dear wife that that is the nicest compliment I've had in years.

Thanks,
Bob