Beauty Never Grows Old – Portrait of a Golden Retriever.
Looking for C&C, what could I’ve done or should I’ve done..

Beautiful dog! Looks underexposed to me. Flash would have helped.

Describe your software (photoshop?) and your confidence with the tools and techniques (can you do basics in photoshop?).

It looks underexposed to me.

Simple Solution: adjust levels in photoshop (if you have it).

Steady Hand wrote:
Describe your software (photoshop?) and your confidence with the tools and techniques (can you do basics in photoshop?).

It looks underexposed to me.

Simple Solution: adjust levels in photoshop (if you have it).

No Photoshop yet, just downloaded trail of LR2 and playing around with it, PS just not in the budget right now (thinking of taking a CC Photography course and purchasing with the student discount). Only adjustment was a minor crop, playing with new (used) 300mm f4 handheld in not the best light. I appreciate any direction that will help improve my end results.

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV

Doug Click wrote:
Beautiful dog! Looks underexposed to me. Flash would have helped.

Thanks, she was and always will be my favorite. Light was limited and I did not consider my flash...only have the pop up on the D80. Maybe Santa will deliver that SB-800 I asked for

Thanks for commenting.

A big welcome to the forum Tom. I'm glad you posted. You can't get any feedback on your pics when you are lurking.
The pic is underexposed, as already stated and it brightens up nicely when you use a levels adjustment. The eye however still doesn't have much light hitting it, so it doesn't turn out as well as - well as your next shot.
The exif you posted showed -1/3 EV. That obviously wasn't needed, since the result was underexposed.

Very nice looking dog.

To pop the pic a bit for web display, I'd convert it to sRGB (if it's not already).

Then I might try to bump the contrast in whatever your favoured method is.

Two simple ones I use are these:

1) Local contrast bump using Unsharp mask with values: 15/250/0
or
2) Levels adjustment, pulling the right slider in to 235, and the middle slider over to .95

Tom Sweeney wrote:
Steady Hand wrote:
Describe your software (photoshop?) and your confidence with the tools and techniques (can you do basics in photoshop?).

It looks underexposed to me.

Simple Solution: adjust levels in photoshop (if you have it).

No Photoshop yet, just downloaded trail of LR2 and playing around with it, PS just not in the budget right now (thinking of taking a CC Photography course and purchasing with the student discount). Only adjustment was a minor crop, playing with new (used) 300mm f4 handheld in not the best light. I appreciate any direction that will help improve my end results.

Camera: Nikon D80
Exposure: 0.003 sec (1/400)
Aperture: f/4
Focal Length: 300 mm
ISO Speed: 800
Exposure Bias: -1/3 EV


That sounds like a good idea.

There is also the Photoshop Elements version (pretty cheap).

And I understand there is a free shareware type of PS "clone" (Gimp?).

These changes were made in the Fastone viewer program. Not as good as PS obviously - but it is free!

Hope this helps

paulhodson wrote:
These changes were made in the Fastone viewer program. Not as good as PS obviously - but it is free!

Hope this helps


Now THAT looks like a "Golden."

Thanks for the comments and direction, played around in light room and could see major improvements with just a little effort. May have to pony up some $$$ when the trail is up, also gives me a reason to try RAW