1st post here - my baby girl - CC please

[chukdivad]

Hello All!
I've seen such great work here (both pre and post) that I finally decided to post something to get a little feedback to see if all this reading/learning (lurking) is paying off. I'm posting the original and my PP. Feel free to edit if you please. I took these last week of my 7 mo old daughter (her 2 older brothers won't sit still long enough).
Thanks for looking,
David

[Skrim17]

She's a cutie!! Instead of such a harsh line around her, try burning the black in with a softer brush.

[Skrim17]

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y116/skrim/nextone/babe.jpg

[chukdivad]

She's a cutie!! Instead of such a harsh line around her, try burning the black in with a softer brush.
I agree. I let the quick selection tool pick the black background so that I could darken it. I have not yet learned to burn. I like how it looks though.

[Chet]

Very cute! And still smiling at the camera, enjoy it whist you can.

[AndreaBFS]

I love it when people post these super cute shots. I spend way too little time with an actual camera in my hand and I don't have anyone nearly as cooperative to use as a model. :) Here's my try...unfortunately she's missing some fingers because of the way they were curled around the fabric, but it's still such a cute picture!

http://www.andrearubash.com/POTN/Baby-Girl-1 copy.jpg

[Phil.hearing]

I love it when people post these super cute shots. I spend way too little time with an actual camera in my hand and I don't have anyone nearly as cooperative to use as a model. :) Here's my try...unfortunately she's missing some fingers because of the way they were curled around the fabric, but it's still such a cute picture!

http://www.andrearubash.com/POTN/Baby-Girl-1 copy.jpg

i like this edit alot

[chukdivad]

I love it when people post these super cute shots. I spend way too little time with an actual camera in my hand and I don't have anyone nearly as cooperative to use as a model. :) Here's my try...unfortunately she's missing some fingers because of the way they were curled around the fabric, but it's still such a cute picture!
I love it! Care to share what you've done?

[FocalPrincess]

My nitpicks are to be cautious of fabric corners and such, and I'd try to stretch the fabric out just a bit more, especially under her, so that the problems of losing fingers are avoided. ;) Babies are much cuter with all 10 fingers and such...

I'd also burn the background (check out the Dodge too, if you right click, you can choose Burn), but my biggest nitpick is to put something over the diaper, whether its a diaper cover, pair of bloomers, shorts, pretty well anything. Its a personal pet peeve of mine to see a sposie in an otherwise really nice photo.

[AndreaBFS]

I love it! Care to share what you've done?

Far too much because I had a lot of time on my hands... if I can remember all the steps by looking at the PSD file...

Destructive-type edits:
A little sharpening
A little softening of the skin
A little skin cleanup

Adjustment layers:
-Brightness +50 with highlights masked off
-Brightness -30 no masking (I just like how it looks better when I brighten just the dark stuff, then bring it all down a little)
-Set the black point with both levels and curves, then masked baby back in softly
-Curves for Color adjustment layer to pull out the blue
- Hue/Saturation +25 on red, yellow, and blue channels

Then merge it all to a new layer and paint black over any spots in the background that weren't true black.

Then I ran the double drop shadow fancy frame.

My color workflow action with the selective brightening action and the fancy frame are linked in my sig.

[chukdivad]

Far too much because I had a lot of time on my hands... if I can remember all the steps by looking at the PSD file...

Destructive-type edits:
A little sharpening
A little softening of the skin
A little skin cleanup

Adjustment layers:
-Brightness +50 with highlights masked off
-Brightness -30 no masking (I just like how it looks better when I brighten just the dark stuff, then bring it all down a little)
-Set the black point with both levels and curves, then masked baby back in softly
-Curves for Color adjustment layer to pull out the blue
- Hue/Saturation +25 on red, yellow, and blue channels

Then merge it all to a new layer and paint black over any spots in the background that weren't true black.

Then I ran the double drop shadow fancy frame.

My color workflow action with the selective brightening action and the fancy frame are linked in my sig.
WOW! I've really got to learn how to use photoshop, most of that is like a foreign language to me. I guess I'll just keep reading and trying new things.
Thanks

[ieatmiraclegrow]

haha that just put a smile on my face, nice capture