Gift for hubby - help!

[Raivyn]

Hello! This is my first post on this side of the forum!

My husband took this photo of his daughter today with our newly acquired G5. I did some PP on it (crop/convert to B&W), but I would love suggestions on how to improve it. I'd like to print and frame it as a Father's Day gift. Any advice would be appreciated. I use PSE6. Thank you!

http://raivyn.smugmug.com/photos/494337697_cRjMN-M.jpg

[bauerman]

You have removed the color, but the photo seems a bit flat with not a lot of "pop". You can aid in that area potentially with some levels and contrast enhancements. With regards to the crop, is there a way to keep your daughter in the shot and add a more sweeping view of the ocean? Or at least more of the water at the top of the frame.

Were you going for a square print to be used in a square frame? 10X10 or something like that?

[GoneTomorrow]

Agreed, needs more contrast and perhaps some sharpening (matter of taste) and more of the ocean in the BG.

[Michael Bottoms]

Agree with those above... photo is more grey than b&w... Should be able to make it pop a bit more with photoshop. If you can include a little more of the ocean, it might work better as well. Thanks for sharing.

[Raivyn]

Thanks for the suggestions! I will try them out and see what I come up with. I agree it needs more pop by playing with the levels and contrast, and will post the results.

[bauerman]

Looking forward to see what you come up with.....

Photos, to me, are a GREAT gift idea.

[asysin2leads]

I adjusted the curves a bit to brighten the image, added a little USM and added the vignette. Here's my feeble attempt at an edit.

http://img22.imageshack.us/img22/7972/sampleg.jpg

[kevindar]

if you like, post the original, and we will give it a go.

[bauerman]

The second version looks better - more contrasty. I still would say that the crop is a bit uncomfortable. As mentioned above - can you post the original photo for us to look at?

[polkad0t]

I don't know if it's just my computer, but the seahorses on the towel of the 2nd photo look pixelated and unatraully sharp, unlike the first photo. Maybe you should try brightening it with levels and then upping the contrast :)