Maternity CC and PP help?

[lookingforaname]

Hi all,

My husband, the non photographer, took this shot. How can I improve through PP? I know it is a little dark - the original is in RAW so I can work with levels etc. (Incidentally, I have DPP and Elements 2.0 for PP work).

My sepia version after some levels in elements:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v702/splatypus/IMG_0302sep.jpg

"Original"

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v702/splatypus/IMG_0302adobe.jpg

[CanonBitch]

Lovely shot!

I'd keep with the warm colours of the original, just play around with Levels

[griptape]

I think your edit is just about perfect. Great skin tones, looks like very natural lighting.

[tonydee]

I prefer the sepia. The main flaw is the blown out window... sounds pretty strange perhaps, but sometimes these things can be improved dramatically simply by using a smudge tool and dragging some of the colour in from the surroundings, or in this case perhaps clone some curtain then smudge until it blends in a bit. I think in the original the heavier shadow around the neck prevented the eye being drawn out at the top... less obviously head-less.

Re your 24-60... sounds like a sensible range for a general purpose f2.8 lens. You can add a tele or ultra-wide around it if you get the chance and the photography passion's still burning. And it'll become wider if you ever get a fullframe: second hand 5Ds are a bargain now and things will only get better for the buyer.

Cheers, Tony

[lookingforaname]

Thanks for the advice. I'll play around some more. Or maybe just get my husband to take some more shots where there won't be a blown out window!!

[rammy]

How about trying the same shot again but this time using your speedlite to balance the exposure?

Bouncing the flash and getting some fill-in flash will help your husband and yourself know that you can get a nice exposure without any PP :-)