I was asked by my cousin to do a family photo while they were visiting. This may lead to some business so I want it to look very nice. I think the expressions are pretty good on everyone. Im not too familiar with post-processing so I am looking for some help. I have lightroom and CS3 so if anyone can help I would appreciate it. Thanks.
well, not to be harsh, but the only thing going for this photo is that the family is attractive and they all are smiling
now, on to details:
- the father is way to separated from the rest of the group
- the color of the sweaters all blend together
- mother and daughter's hands are blending together
- the lighting is way to yellow / magenta
- the vignette is a bit too much IMO
You may be able to correct some of these factors in PP (especially if you shot RAW), but again, IMO, it should be a re-do. Especially if you hope to gain more business from this sample.
You may want to bring the father closer. Since the black on black blends you could cut and paste him without much of a problem. The color os way off as already mentioned. It also looks under exposed.
Up the exposure a little. Try a different White Balance to remove the yellow/orange look back to a normal skin color.
As mentioned above, there are some issues, including the WB, exposure, and the pose. The good thing is that dad just needs to be moved closer and a little higher in pp. The other issue is that mom's head is smaller due to being in the back and the focal length (38mm).
Here's a rough edit using the low resolution image. It's not perfect, but it gives you an idea of the direction to go in. Also, before considering photography as a business, I would recommend studying up on lighting, posing, and post-processing. You mentioned that you don't have much post-processing experience. PP is an important element of digital photography these days! And I'm not just talking about color correcting an image. It includes that and much more, such as skin touch ups, proper cropping, preparing images for print and/or web, etc. Practice, practice, practice. Offer free sessions to families to gain experience. That way, there is no pressure, and you can learn along the way.
bryanlindsey wrote:
You may need to calibrate your monitor. I once made a lady look like a carrot on everyone's screen except mine bc my monitor was off.
