Pensive

[underexposed]

Here's my favourite model. I just love the colour of the fur.

I'd like you to compare the original and the BW.





I didn't want to crop so that just the head was visible, but at the same time I did not want a large chunk of the body visible, either. Added to this I read somewhere that you should never cut at the joints. (Also I needed to avoid a bright patch at the top.)

Some sharpening, converstion to B/W, contrast and levels adjustment.

[baseballboy828]

This seems to be overcropped. It's already losing sharpness.

[Delta]

Hm. I like the crop, for the most part. I don't know what you used to make the capture, but baseballboy is correct about the sharpness issue.

My critique concerns the background. If you have a post processing program with a blur technique, I'd select the background and blur it a bit more. My eye is instinctivly being drawn to the barrel (because it's on the left side of the photograph and it's in focus just enough to attract the eye).

[jiminyClickit]

underexposed,

This is a subject better suited for the Before and After thread, in which I would point to the loss of highlights (too much contrast or overlightened) in the black and white version.

[underexposed]

Thanks for the comments.

Originally Posted by baseballboy828

This seems to be overcropped. It's already losing sharpness.

Originally Posted by Delta

Hm. I like the crop, for the most part. I don't know what you used to make the capture, but baseballboy is correct about the sharpness issue.

I don't understand what "losing sharpness" means. Do you mean to say it is not sharp enough? The cat is not in perfect focus in the first photo, and I didn't get a chance to shoot in the same pose another time, since she had closed her eyes by then. I used the 'Sharpen' option from Picasa. If there are other, better methods to sharpen the picture, I'd be happy to learn.

My critique concerns the background. If you have a post processing program with a blur technique, I'd select the background and blur it a bit more. My eye is instinctivly being drawn to the barrel (because it's on the left side of the photograph and it's in focus just enough to attract the eye).

Hmm...never noticed that. Thanks. Guess I was too preoccupied with the cat's face.The GIMP has a blur tool. I'll just have to figure out how to selectively blur the background.

And it's not a barrel in the background. It's a log, I think.

Originally Posted by jiminyClickit

underexposed,

This is a subject better suited for the Before and After thread, in which I would point to the loss of highlights (too much contrast or overlightened) in the black and white version.

I wasn't exactly doing a "Before and After analysis." The original one is just a reference for others to tell me what else I could have done to get a better photo.

If you wish to do a Before and After thread, then by all means you are welcome to use this pic.

[Jamesc359]

This is one of my methods for blurring a background. Open your image and create a New Layer. Be sure that the Transparency radio button is selected.

From there select a nice sized hard brush and begin to paint in the area you wish to blur with the paintbrush tool. In the case of the cat with it's fur you'll have a problem getting close, so don't bother. Just brush around him, leaving a sizable buffer (about 30 pixels or so).

When you've got the area you want to blur filled in on the New Layer, click the little eye button next to your New Layer in the Layers, Channels, Paths dialog. Your New Layer should then disappear from the screen.

Now right click on the New Layer in the same dialog box, and select Alpha to Selection. Now switch back to your image and click the Select pull down menu at the top. Then select Feather and give it a radius of about 50.

Select your background layer from the Layers, Channels, Paths dialog and duplicate it. The Background Copy layer should automatically be raised above the Background layer and selected, if not select it and raise it with the little up arrow.

Now go back to your image and select Filters > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Give it a radius of about 50 once again and click okay. Your background should be blurred, and hopefully if you've given enough space between your "mask" that you painted and the cat, and you've gotten the feathering right it'll blend right in with the existing blur and you won't go nuts trying to paint around each of standing hairs on your cats back.

If things don't suit you, you can delete the Background Copy layer, and go back to your New Layer and make any changes you want.

Now go to Filters > Enhance > Sharpen. Adjust the preview window till you can see your cats face, and adjust the Sharpness slider until your image is sharp enough. Personally I'd recommend a value of 40-50.


Note: Depending upon the size of your image, you may have to increase or possibly decrease the radius/amount on some of the values.

[underexposed]

Thanks a lot, jamesc359. I'll give that a shot.

[wulf]

I think that turning the image to black and white loses one of the most beautiful parts of the image - the colours. In particular, how the cat's eyes match the colour of the roof.

I attach an alternative crop possibility that brings the cat closer without losing too much of the body and makes more of the roof. Note the line running from the bottom right up to the cat - the gaze of the cat then looks out of the frame at whatever lies beyond.

I also did a little work to improve the contrast and sharpness. One thing I did notice is that the point of focus seems to be a little bit closer than the cat. It is a shame that wasn't just a touch further back as that natural focus would help lift the image to a higher level (you can sharpen in post processing but it is hard to make it as effective as getting the focus right in the original picture).

Wulf

[baseballboy828]

I mean that the image isn't all that sharp to begin with, and the cropping exaggerates that.

[wulf]

A square crop might work well. That way you keep the colours and mood of the shot, you can lose the the footpad and nipple on the right (which I find a bit distracting, as details that don't add to the expression on the cat's face) and avoid zooming in too much and exposing the lack of sharp focus on the cat.

Wulf