Home · Register · Join Upload & Sell

Moderated by: Fred Miranda
Username  

  New fredmiranda.com Mobile Site
  New Feature: SMS Notification alert
  New Feature: Buy & Sell Watchlist
  

FM Forums | Photo Critique | Join Upload & Sell

1
       2       end
  

Archive 2013 · How much is too much?

  
 
gregfixit
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · How much is too much?


I have been learning a great deal in Photoshop lately and I found myself going back to a photo I took earlier this year. The first one is the original, untouched photo. The second is one that I did a few days ago and put on Facebook for friends and family to see. I asked for feedback and most people said they liked it. But a few thought it was dark and lacked the innocence that a six-year-old with a rose should have. The third is my latest edit. Trying to give it a sweeter vibe.
This photo is one that I have nearly 10 versions of on my computer right now. I had made a couple of selective color versions but they seem kind of cheesy. I want to give this an artsy-dreamlike vibe but I keep doubting my vision of what this photo should be.
As I learn new tricks and techniques in PS I find ways to use them to enhance my photos. But I wonder sometimes if it's simply to much.
Feedback greatly appreciated.





Original - untouched







B&W, flattened and cropped







B&W Softened and lightened.




Oct 25, 2013 at 06:29 PM
beanpkk
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · How much is too much?


I'm an admitted minimalist when it comes to post processing, so with that in mind, all I'd do is lighten the right side of the image a bit and crop it pretty much as you've done. I think it's a very sweet image just as it is and doesn't need much help.

Just my $.02.

Keith



Oct 25, 2013 at 06:38 PM
RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · How much is too much?


My initial response to the second one was ... a little high contrast, but still had a nice first response to it, then I moved on to the third.

I do not like the third one at all.

Imo, it looks flat, dull and lifeless ... except with an unnatural sharpness in her eye. I think your execution of it though looks good (if that makes sense), but the choices for doing so don't harmonize with your desired message.

To me the unnaturalness coupled with the "lifeless" aspect lends more toward special effect of some child portraying innocence, yet with a dark side looming within. I realize it is mono, but that gray skin just kinda creeps on me at not light enough to promote/emote "life". Her facial expression seems a bit forced/contrived/nervous/uncertain/stage (something) @ "stiff", so it too doesn't make a strong message of "vitality".

The combination of the two leave me running back to number two, where I might look to reduce some contrast a touch and maybe a diff crop, but #3 doesn't get it for me.

Likely not what you wanted to hear, but that's how it strikes me tonight ... maybe a look tomorrow and I'll see things diff.

Going back to the color version, it looks like there is a blue color cast. While color casts many not seem important for mono, I find they can have more impact (sometimes subtle, sometimes more so) than you might otherwise think. Whether I'm striving for mono or for color, WB is part of the process.

1st image is some wb tweaks and some desat (via BW layer 30% opacity).
2nd image is 100% BW layer opacity (same wb tweaks as 1st) ... which I kinda like as is without much convoluted PS work.
















Oct 25, 2013 at 09:46 PM
Oregon Gal
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · How much is too much?


Greg, I don't think you have pushed the image far enough in this case. I went for a darkened background more dramatic look as I feel it suits this particular image. This may not be to everyone's liking. On the technical side need more DOF / sharpness especially for the eyes. Dreamlike can be added in PS but sharpness due to missed focus cannot.







Oct 25, 2013 at 10:47 PM
RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · How much is too much?


Barbara beat me to the vignette ... but in the opposite direction (nicely so) I was thinking. And a tighter crop (from small rez of course).

Several diff thoughts ... and certainly more than one way to approach.












Oct 25, 2013 at 11:07 PM
Oregon Gal
Offline
• • • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · How much is too much?


Really ike your 2nd image and the crop Kent but I might consider adding a slight touch more contrast.


Oct 25, 2013 at 11:27 PM
AuntiPode
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · How much is too much?


I rather like the mixed message of the original. Maybe some small tweaks.







Oct 26, 2013 at 03:46 AM
gregfixit
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · How much is too much?


Thank you everyone! I have much to think about and look at. The WB makes a big difference. Big enough that I may be leaning back to the color version.
I took this photo back in March and at the time I thought it had a great deal of potential, if I could just fix it up in post. I am beginning to think that I have pushed it beyond it's potential. I think I may have tried to turn it into something that wasn't there in the first place. (I've done this a few times in the past )
I will take another stab at it and post the result.
Thanks again to all for taking the time to demonstrate with your edits. A picture is truly worth a thousand words.
Greg



Oct 26, 2013 at 06:46 AM
RustyBug
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · How much is too much?


gregfixit wrote:
I think I may have tried to turn it into something that wasn't there in the first place. (I've done this a few times in the past )


Haven't we all along the way.

A picture is truly worth a thousand words.

Sometimes we get both.



Oct 26, 2013 at 08:05 AM
Almass
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · How much is too much?


gregfixit wrote:
A picture is truly worth a thousand words.
Greg



A picture is worth a thousand bucks!

Here is a quick and dirty. It always amazes me as to how each person look at the same slice of time but sees it so very differently.













Oct 26, 2013 at 12:58 PM
gregfixit
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · How much is too much?


Almass wrote:
A picture is worth a thousand bucks!

Here is a quick and dirty. It always amazes me as to how each person look at the same slice of time but sees it so very differently.


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v233/Duke_1/878394_11.jpg



+1
I agree. (But it is a really good amazing!)
Thanks for sharing your slice Almass.
Greg



Oct 26, 2013 at 01:09 PM
gregfixit
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · How much is too much?


I think I have cropped and colored this photo nearly every possible way. I think I will just keep all 12 versions of this that reside on my computer right now. I loved seeing what everyone came up with and I want to say thanks for sharing your talent and opinions.
I have spent hours and hours working with this shot in the last 6 months. I don't know exactly why, I have better ones of her (my granddaughter). I think it may be that the photo seemed so full of possibilities. In the end the best version may be a simple crop and clean-up of the original.
So here is my cleaned up version. (I think it resembles Karen's the most) and an early edit I did for my daughter. (Cheesy, but fun)
Thanks again to all.





My cleaned up version. (I hope the color looks good)







The cheesy one that her mother liked.




Oct 26, 2013 at 07:43 PM
sbeme
Offline
• • • • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · How much is too much?


First, nice portrait/pose/composition.
Second, I agree, many nice variations that I would not have considered.
I'm with Kent on his reaction to the third version.
I like Karen's rework especially.
Right side needed some lightening.
Finally, the "cheesy one". Not a fan of selective color, which may be why you are calling it cheesy. Although it is looking between tangerine-y and peachy
It troubles me, because the left eye is almost colorless and somewhat is shadow. I think you need to put in more color in the left eye to reduce the oddity of the look (remember Bowie's Space Oddity? He had two different appearances to his irises on the album cover).

Scott



Oct 26, 2013 at 08:03 PM
gregfixit
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #14 · p.1 #14 · How much is too much?


Thanks Scott.
I have reworked the left eye many times. (By many I mean at least 10)
The problem has been that there is very little to work with. What little light there was in the left eye was mostly reflected light from the flower. Most of my reworks involved cloning some, or all, of the right eye.
So here is the last peach-colored edit with just the eye lightened. I'm not sure but I think it starts to look a little fake.
For the sake of learning I am attaching a 100% crop of the left eye with nothing done to it. If anyone has ideas or techniques to deal with something like this I would love to hear them.
Thanks again to all. Sometimes I think the more I learn, the more able I am to understand how little I have learned.





The left eye lightened just a bit.







the left eye that has given me so much trouble. (and an education)




Oct 27, 2013 at 03:58 PM
AuntiPode
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #15 · p.1 #15 · How much is too much?


Much depends upon how much you're willing to fiddle and tweak and how much change you feel you need to make. Consider polishing a fairly small change, for example, with many selections, retouching and adjustments:












Oct 27, 2013 at 06:59 PM
gregfixit
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #16 · p.1 #16 · How much is too much?


Very nice! I like how you kept her eye blue. I had a difficult time with the color when I tried to lighten her eye.
I have something to practice now.
Thanks Karen



Oct 27, 2013 at 08:17 PM
AuntiPode
Offline
• • • • •
Upload & Sell: On
p.1 #17 · p.1 #17 · How much is too much?


If you want to remove red and magenta from an eye, one way is to select the eye for a Hue/Saturation layer. Then select the red and lower the saturation. Then select magenta and lower the saturation.


Oct 27, 2013 at 10:19 PM
Steve Wylie
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #18 · p.1 #18 · How much is too much?


In my opinion, your first black and white conversion was the best. As Kent mentioned, the second b/w is very dull and muddy. Don't go there. Your final square crop is the best for this image, as the background elements are distracting. So cut them out. Compositionally, square works very well for this shot. And as to selective color, that's not really done much these days. And re-coloring the eye? Please, don't go there.


Oct 28, 2013 at 02:39 AM
Almass
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #19 · p.1 #19 · How much is too much?


You need to follow the rules:
- Never ever work on one eye only.
- Never ever retouch an enlarged version of an eye (unless for a particular reason).

Always keep both eyes filling the screen with a bit of the face and always but ALWAYS retouch BOTH eyes.

Another quick and dirty.








Oct 28, 2013 at 04:01 AM
gregfixit
Offline
• • •
Upload & Sell: Off
p.1 #20 · p.1 #20 · How much is too much?


Thank you Steve. I have already deleted the mushy B&W (#2) and this will be the last eye I ever re-color.
Really nice repair job Almass. Really good advice that will serve me well in the future.

Now I have to go back and work on this some more.

Thank you all for making this thread an educational one for me.
Greg



Oct 28, 2013 at 08:42 AM
1
       2       end




FM Forums | Photo Critique | Join Upload & Sell

1
       2       end
    
 

You are not logged in. Login or Register

Username       Or Reset password



This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.