Taylor on the Boardwalk

I've been in the mood to look through old files and have done a couple new edits.

Your subject is too bright for that background, makes it an obvious crop-job. Get your lighting to match and blend better.

She was actually photographed on location in the park with off-camera flash. I don't do "crop-jobs", I'm sure I wouldn't be able to pull it off.

I agree with Boone. It looks overly processed.

You've worked it so hard that it looks like a composite. Could you post a previous edit? Sometimes you start improving a image here and there incrementally and by the time you are done you realize how far you've gone.

i agree kinda looks like a back drop

The skin is over processed, the eyes are too white and she is about half a stop too bright on the face

I appreciate the comments, guys. This was shot after sunset in the woods so my two flashes were doing most of the lighting. I'm not sure if I ever presented this image to the client, but here is an earlier version I saved on this edit.

I too think the first one looks processed to the point of looking fake. I like the second one a little better though. Did you put a filter on the background? It looks hazy.

Anyway, I know this is a pain unless you save versions as you go along but I feel like the skin is too perfect and the lighting doesn't match. Maybe you can play with curves and masking a bit to even the lighting out?

I think it's a great shot, the colors, composition work well for me. It just needs a little more (or less, as the case may be) tweaking in post.

gsouder- I decreseased the contrast in the background, lightening the darker bits. I didn't apply skin smoothing, she was a teenager, so there were a few blemishes to remove. I think Trevor is right about the face being too bright, I will darken it a little. What do you mean exactly when you say the lighting does not match?

amber j2010 wrote in post #16567296
gsouder- I decreseased the contrast in the background, lightening the darker bits. I didn't apply skin smoothing, she was a teenager, so there were a few blemishes to remove. I think Trevor is right about the face being too bright, I will darken it a little. What do you mean exactly when you say the lighting does not match?

When you decrease the contrast on the background but not the subject it makes for a disconnect between the two, hence the idea that the lighting doesnt match or that your photos look like composites.

gonzogolf wrote in post #16567304
When you decrease the contrast on the background but not the subject it makes for a disconnect between the two, hence the idea that the lighting doesnt match or that your photos look like composites.

I think I agree with this- The background is what's throwing me off on this. Looking over the other photos you posted, they all have a composite or backdrop feel to them. I know we are moving into a style choice as opposed to technical feedback, but IMHO there's a disconnect that is taking away from the stunning shot you took of a stunning person.

I hope I'm not being too hard here, but I feel that this could be an amazing image if that issue is addressed.

Looking at a couple of your other recent posts its a little more clear what you are working toward. The only thing I would caution is trying to apply the same formula to every image.

Quick edit trying to take in some of the advice here.

what every you are doing to the background doesn't match the style of how she is lit/dressed, and the white outline around her (especially her front) is a giveaway that you've processed the background.