Mother

Well, I got my 'nifty fifty' Canon 50mm 1.8 through the post, and to try it out I took some pictures around the house, of my friends and family. This one was my favourite;

It's a photo of my Mother - The woman who brought me into the world, who gave me the gift of life - And I think it encompasses her spirit and her youthful nature perfectly. I don't know how this will seem to other people, because maybe they won't attach the same emotional significance to it, but I thought that it made for quite a good photo; I particularly like the textures on her skin.

Anyway, thanks for looking - Hope you like it!

lol, 1 hour, 28 views and not even one comment or criticism?? It's not THAT bad, is it!?

No it's not, your right.

I'd say that it could do with being a bit lighter and also some usm would help.

Thanks for replying! Was beginning to think my posts were invisible

Sorry to sound incredibly ignorant, but what is USM?

I'll try lightening it up in Photoshop and see what I come up with. Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it!

Lightened in Photoshop, as per feedback. It does make things a little clearer; Personally, I prefer the darker one but I do see where you're coming from. Thanks again for the feedback, hope you like the improved version!

USM= unsharp mask in photoshop. Play around with it and it will become your friend! Start with about 100, 0.8, 0 for general sharpening. For increasing local contrast up the radius.

There is nothing wrong with dark, it's just that the eyes and some of the hair was a bit too dark.

Ah, wow! I can't believe how long I've been using Photoshop and I've never used that tool, that really is great! Thanks a lot for all your help - I've just applied the settings you advised to the lighter version (see above); I kept it at 80%, not 100 as it looked a little too sharp and unnatural. I think it looks good now, though!

No problem

Hi, that's one good candid shot of your mother and I'm sure
she must have like it as much as you did of photographing her.
Being passionate of what you shoot is the key to enjoying photography.
But getting no response to what you post can be a dampener.
But that shouldn't set you back.
Just to share a secret.....I had countless posts of pics on other forums which I thought were good that evoke no response too.

Thanks for the encouragement. At first I did question the lack of response, but at the end of the day I enjoy what I'm doing and I think it looks good; That's all that really matters. I'd appreciate any help in the form of comments and criticisms from other members, as I am trying to improve the technical aspects of my photography, but I'll try not to let it get to me when I don't get a response

I have pics in other threads, too. Some of them have responses, others don't; I'm looking mainly for constructive feedback, more than anything else.

Thanks again

Levels adjustment, smart sharpen... [EDIT I retouched the photo. Any better. Tried to save the eyes.]

Brice

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Thanks a lot I like it, I like the way you've made it 'pop'. The onyl thing I'd be a little concerned about is the loss of detail in the eyes; I think one of the better aspects of the photo is the eyes, so I wanted to keep as much detail as I could. I really appreciate the comments and adjustments, though, so thanks!

I like your lightened version the best by far. I'd boost contrast up just a bit. For unsharp mask I usually use 30/10/0 before I do anything else to my photos. She's a very pretty woman and looks very sweet. I don't know her personally but you've caught a great mood in your photo.

One small thing I'd suggest in future portraits is have her face the light or a window a bit so that she has catchlights in her eyes. Catchlights will make her eyes more sparkly and alive looking

TEHDROK, I edited the photo. Take a look now and let me know what you think.

Brice