Here's a photo I took a few years ago of my middle daughter, Katalin, who just graduated college with a degree in Chemical Engineering. I hope you enjoy seeing it.
Based on some comments below, I revisited it a bit more and this is (I hope) a better version.
Second change: I uploaded both of them to the top with the better one on top.
Your daughters are beautiful and classy my friend! I have seen them grow up here. Offer my congrats to Katalin on her graduation and her degree! A great accomplishment for both you, the wife and Katalin!
I think the composition is wonderful! The hair accoutrements really "finish" her portrait! The backdrop is perfect!
Dan
At first I was going to disagree with Greg, but on looking closer, I agree to an extent. You show excellent detail in the rest of the photo, but then the face has no texture to it and the eyes are a bit too "perfect". Dialing back the skin smoothing and whites of the eyes would better align to the excellent detail of the rest of the photo and make it more realistic (if that makes sense). We're talking about some minor adjustments to an excellent portrait. Well done!
The real critic in this is your daughter! If she likes it as is, our votes don't count! (lol)
Thank you so much, Joshua. I'm delighted that you like it so much. There seems to be a tiny difference of opinion (below) but I very much appreciate your kind words.
All best wishes,
Endre
AGeoJO wrote:
Endre, you captured the beauty of your daughter exceedingly well and the edit is first rate, as well - I love it! YGMV!
Thanks, Greg. I appreciate the feedback and, while i can see what you mean in the version here uploaded, if i were to look at the original, I can see all the little pores, etc. that keep it from being overcoocked. I like the idea of it seeming"painterly" although i don't want it to look like i stopped halfway toward some other goal. So, you may be right and I'm going to upload another photo from the same shoot that may be better. I may even swap it out for this new one.
Igheller wrote:
Hmmm. Not sure about this one.
Kind of looks like you went for the painterly look, but stopped half-way.
If not, the skin and eyes are *way* overcooked IMO.
Has the potential to be a wonderful watercolor-style photo.
Thank you, Dan, my friend! I'm always gratified when you like one of my photos. Yes. you have seen a lot of them on this site in the past several years. I have extended your kind congratulations to Katalin. I neglected to mention that she graduated with honors at the top of her class. She is already has a job and is working at a very prestigious company.
That particular shot may have been a bit "overcooked" as Greg put it, but I always appreciate constructive critique, which is why I uploaded a different photo from the same shoot. Take a look and let me know your thoughts. thanks!
Warm regards,
Endre
.Danpbphoto wrote:
Your daughters are beautiful and classy my friend! I have seen them grow up here. Offer my congrats to Katalin on her graduation and her degree! A great accomplishment for both you, the wife and Katalin!
I think the composition is wonderful! The hair accoutrements really "finish" her portrait! The backdrop is perfect!
Dan
Thanks for the kind feedback. I really didn't do too much "retouching" to these because she didn't need much so (as I wrote above to Greg) the "overcooked" look he sees may be the result of the uploading to a small size. Be that as it may, if you have a moment and want to comment on the other one i posted, (which may be better) that would be great.
You're right, though, Katalin likes them so she is the one that most counts.
All the best,
Endre
story_teller wrote:
At first I was going to disagree with Greg, but on looking closer, I agree to an extent. You show excellent detail in the rest of the photo, but then the face has no texture to it and the eyes are a bit too "perfect". Dialing back the skin smoothing and whites of the eyes would better align to the excellent detail of the rest of the photo and make it more realistic (if that makes sense). We're talking about some minor adjustments to an excellent portrait. Well done!
The real critic in this is your daughter! If she likes it as is, our votes don't count! (lol)...Show more →
Strad wrote:
Thank you so much, Joshua. I'm delighted that you like it so much. There seems to be a tiny difference of opinion (below) but I very much appreciate your kind words.
All best wishes,
Endre
Endre, needless to say that there are various ways of editing images, depending on the intention of the final product. To my eyes, it belongs to the category of “glamour and beauty”. The head gear, hair-style, outfit, make-up, etc. point to be that way. And as such, a softer look works just fine, at least for me. So, it depends on the purpose of the portrait. And of course, your daughter has to like it, too.
The second image is really a great balance of everything. I can see detail on her nose, the light and shadows are perfect and the exposure on her face is just right. My eyes are drawn directly to the face and not the face, neck and chest as in the first one. Don't get me wrong, both are exposed acceptably, but the second is more personally preferable. That's a fine art piece as well as a portrait and you daughter should understand that she's got a very talented photographer for a father!
I'm particularly sensitive about skin smoothing because more than a few of the "professional" retouchers go overboard on skin smoothing and the result is not realistic. You send them work and then you have to have it reworked, hence my comment about the first image.
Strad wrote:
Thank you, Dan, my friend! I'm always gratified when you like one of my photos. Yes. you have seen a lot of them on this site in the past several years. I have extended your kind congratulations to Katalin. I neglected to mention that she graduated with honors at the top of her class. She is already has a job and is working at a very prestigious company.
That particular shot may have been a bit "overcooked" as Greg put it, but I always appreciate constructive critique, which is why I uploaded a different photo from the same shoot. Take a look and let me know your thoughts. thanks!
You mentioned her accomplishments in your initial post! Your postings of your lovely daughters goes back more than a few years my friend. We have been here many years!!!
Dan
story_teller wrote:
That's a fine art piece as well as a portrait and you daughter should understand that she's got a very talented photographer for a father!
And her father is a World Class violinist as well!!!
Dan
Thanks, Larry,
I think you are absolutely right about retouchers overdoing it so I try to stay away from that as much as I can. The first one I uploaded did look a bit plastic by comparison and it was a long time ago so I may have overdone something. I have been pulling old photos out of the files to rework and I found those of Katalin, so i thought I'd see what came of them. I'm so glad you like the second one and that is the one i might use if I ever enter it into some competitions that I sometimes do. I just showed both of them to Katalin and she loved both but also prefers the second (what is now the first) one. Thanks for the kind words about my talent!
All best wishes,
Endre
story_teller wrote:
The second image is really a great balance of everything. I can see detail on her nose, the light and shadows are perfect and the exposure on her face is just right. My eyes are drawn directly to the face and not the face, neck and chest as in the first one. Don't get me wrong, both are exposed acceptably, but the second is more personally preferable. That's a fine art piece as well as a portrait and you daughter should understand that she's got a very talented photographer for a father!
I'm particularly sensitive about skin smoothing because more than a few of the "professional" retouchers go overboard on skin smoothing and the result is not realistic. You send them work and then you have to have it reworked, hence my comment about the first image. ...Show more →
