I'd welcome some feedback on this shot... the idea, execution and post processing. I had this idea today to try and shoot a refracted flag image in someone's eye (mine in this case). A local photo outlet is having a photo contest where the theme is "Red, White, & Blue". This was one of my ideas.
Many thanks for the suggestions AntiPode. Those are exactly the kinds of things I was hoping for!
I saw that blue cast right after I posted it. I will work on the tweaks and suggestions you made to see if I can find all the things you mentioned and improve the image. With the depth of field so small on the macro shots, the flag is nice and crisp, but the iris is not quite as sharp. I have a couple of ways to sharpen it some though.
Nice rework.
I'd take a tad more from the right.
I wouldnt worry about the effects of compression for web, unless you are only sharing this image online. I have seen reductions in vibrancy, saturation, and detail with downsizing for web.
I like the crop of your second version. It's about perfect to my eye. Somehow you picked up some additional artifacts in the white of the eye to the left of the iris.
To make it pop, I'd suggest:
1) A little smart sharpen, perhaps 0.4 pixel at 100% gaussian.
2) I'd add about 20 each to brightness and contrast.
3) Drop the exposure offset, perhaps about 0.0130.
4) Perhaps warm the image a bit, maybe with a color balance yellow of something like -4.
5) I'd still recommend clone stamping out scratch-like highlight in the iris and the new artifacts.
It doesn't look like a reflection, it looks like a composition. And the sclera looks horrific. She should get that checked if it really looks like that IRL.
