Portrait - First Try

[ressalg]

I only recently started using a DSLR but I'm already getting people asking me about taking some portrait type pictures. So, before agreeing to do so, I thought I'd better get some practice in... and who better to help me than my wife?


BEFORE


EXIF:
Exposure: 1/60s @ f/5
Exposure Mode: Auto
ISO: 800
Lens: Canon 50mm - f/1.8
White Balance: Auto
Flash: 580EX II
Camera: Canon 20D


AFTER


Started by croping the image. Then used Noise Ninja. Tried to brighten up the whites of the eyes a little by creating an off-white layer then using the eraser tool. Also did a selective darkening of the tattoo. Then two adjustment layers for levels and curves. Sorry if this is all a little vague. I'm just starting to learn some of the little "tricks" of Photoshop CS2.

Questions, comments, and suggestions welcome.

AFTER-AFTER


I went back and deleted the "curves" layer. Seems to have returned her skin tone to a more natural colour. side note: my wife is part native so her natural skin tone might seem a little off Oh, yeah... and even though it seems a little pretentious, I've added a "logo" line (is that what it's called?) thought I'd see how it looked. (After seeing it here I'm not too sure about it.)

[lemonjenny]

Looks awesome! I especially like the brightness of her eyes. For some constructive feedback... I"d probably ease up a bit on the skin smoothing so it doesn't look too fake. A good way to do this is to only use the healing brush, and just zoom way in and go to town on every little blemish. Takes longer, but the end results are great. Another thing is her skin looks a bit orange... maybe turn down the saturation a bit? Or play with the color balance.

[Trader]

Well, you did a real good job with the crop but it looks to me like you went a bit too far and the color adjustment. The flesh tones don't look natural in the "after" image. Hope that helps.

[Quo Fan]

I think you darkened the tattoo a little too much.

[ressalg]

Originally Posted by Quo Fan

I think you darkened the tattoo a little too much.

I had also considered that. It actually looks more like when she first got it... 10 yrs ago.

[TW0R]

What is noise ninja?

And your little logo thing is really busy and hard to read.

[Trader]

Even the after-after skin tones do not look natural. The original or befor (if you will) does look natural so it is possible to get, we can see that.

Noise Ninja is a software package that plugs into Photoshop (or can be used as a stand alone app) and it can be applied to an image to reduce the noise in that image.

[ressalg]

Originally Posted by Trader

Even the after-after skin tones do not look natural. The original or befor (if you will) does look natural so it is possible to get, we can see that.

I think my biggest issue is knowing when/where to stop in the processing. And I guess it's also an "eye of the beholder" issue, too. What I might think is a nice finished product may not be so to others.

As things progress, I'll have to keep that in mind... try asking people questions to get an idea of what they're looking for in a portrait.

[jagoble25]

See I know what I want to do but have NO way of PP'ing anything. I may also be talking out my ass here but yes the tones look a little fake, ease it up a bit, tattoo isn't that bad I would find a medium from the before and after, I also think if you clean up the whites of her eyes it would really help it just pop. Last, little more wine in the glass. Like I said if i am off here let me know. This is actually the first time i have stepped up and given my opinion on anything like this.

[ressalg]

Originally Posted by jagoble25

See I know what I want to do but have NO way of PP'ing anything. I may also be talking out my ass here but yes the tones look a little fake, ease it up a bit, tattoo isn't that bad I would find a medium from the before and after, I also think if you clean up the whites of her eyes it would really help it just pop. Last, little more wine in the glass. Like I said if i am off here let me know. This is actually the first time i have stepped up and given my opinion on anything like this.

I plan to re-work the photo from scratch... to, as you say, "... find a medium (between) the before and after." So far, it seems like when I keep the skin tones to a "normal" level, the photo just doesn't seem to have that "pop".