Messed around with some extreme post processing.. C&C welcome, before + after....

[MawcDrums]

Before:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3633/3394098876_64dd0cd5d4_o.jpg

After:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3625/3394029240_c2d3ba8fe9_o.jpg

Levels, healing brush, sharpening, added sky, desaturate / curves, added noise.

[Flo]

I like the color one.the eyes on the edit are just too .....liquid?

[MawcDrums]

yeah it was hard to work with her eyes in the photo, the reflections are pretty intense...

[AlphaChicken]

Like the second one better. Crop is a tad off. Eyes look overdone but so does the whole edit (which i think(?) was the point). The color one is way too soft. Regardless of the eyes being a problem or not, the second one is without a doubt an improvement.

[MawcDrums]

Like the second one better. Crop is a tad off. Eyes look overdone but so does the whole edit (which i think(?) was the point). The color one is way too soft. Regardless of the eyes being a problem or not, the second one is without a doubt an improvement.
Correct, it was supposed to be over the top / artsy..

yeah I clipped the left ear off, not in the crop, but in the shot.. I was thinking if I should crop off a bit of the ear on the right to make it even?

[AlphaChicken]

yeah I clipped the left ear off, not in the crop, but in the shot.. I was thinking if I should crop off a bit of the ear on the right to make it even?

Yeah, I think that would for sure make an improvement. :)

[MawcDrums]

Yeah, I think that would for sure make an improvement. :)
Cool, I'll do that :)

[JoShAdKa4]

wow i totally love this shot (complete beginner with an opinion) so I am going to say how i like what you captured and what is say's to me.
I see a little one looking up to the sky with such wonder and amazement (it is a big sky). Great save with b/w conversion.
I am hoping to learn pp for shots just like this one.
btw love his/her eyelashes.... cute cute cute

[rsagusti]

I definitely think the conversion saves what looked like before a way to soft picture, I wish his chin wasn't cropped off in the original and yes his eyes are a bit extreme in the second one, but they were so soft in the first that the 2nd is an improvement.

I commend you for editing the picture though, I have trouble seeing potential in pictures that are soft or not initially up to my standards.

[MawcDrums]

It is a her... Lily...

Yeah I kinda wish I hadn't chopped her chin off as well..

[MawcDrums]

Thanks for the compliments :)

[davruns]

Looks a bit overprocessed, but that's exactly how i like it! Great job! I'd love to see how it looks in color!

[Phrasikleia]

The second one is much more striking. It works very well as a B&W. The sharpening helps a lot, and the dramatic sky adds just the right level of psychological tension to the gaping mouth and fidgety gesture.

[MawcDrums]

Thanks guys :)