The "polished look"

[High_Speed]

Is this any better for you, jamie?

- Different cropping
- Warmed up a tad using Photoshop Color Balancing
- Added some contrast
- Slight curves adjustment
- Boosted the overall exposure just a tiny bit

I may be way off, not sure. Also, really hard to compare photos of metal/chrome cars and people. :/

[jamiedennis]

Originally Posted by High_Speed

Is this any better for you, jamie?

- Different cropping
- Warmed up a tad using Photoshop Color Balancing
- Added some contrast
- Slight curves adjustment
- Boosted the overall exposure just a tiny bit

I may be way off, not sure. Also, really hard to compare photos of metal/chrome cars and people. :/

Heres a few that was done by a photographer I really like...


15 minute photo challenge - Balcombe (11) by photogavin, on Flickr


Jump (2) by photogavin, on Flickr

Hopefully this is a better reference to show the polished look... and yes, choosing the cars was a bit of stretch, but Im looking more at the "professional" vibe the image gives off as opposed to the actual subject.

[jamiedennis]

Sooo I took the advice of those on here and took some new shots - my lil' sister also got a new dress she wanted photos in, so it worked out well for both of us...

I added more flash - and changed a lot of my camera settings... Ive always shot in Adobe Color Space, but I had my Contrast, Vibrance, and Saturation set REALLY low for some reason... I think I did an in-studio shoot of something and everything was coming out too harsh and I forgot to reset the settings... Any ways, hows these for 'improvements'???


_DSC0049edit by jamiedennis1, on Flickr


_DSC0045edit by jamiedennis1, on Flickr


_DSC0006edit by jamiedennis1, on Flickr


I think these are more 'polished'...

[autofocus]

Jamie, they all look pretty good...I like them. But, you just want to watch where your image crops (at time of shot, or after in post) I'm a bit of a stickler on crops at, or on a joint, or where feet, hands, ears or fingers are clipped, etc. Some people here don't seem to give a sh!t about that, but it is a good guide to live by (notice I didn't call it a rule, because there will always be someone here that will say it's OK to break the rules..true for some rules, but less true for others). I know it's easy to let this happen while you are composing the shot because you're always intent on looking at the face and miss where the feet or hands are. Believe me, it happens to all of us..I get on my wife's case all the time, and she's a real good photographer.

[jamiedennis]

Originally Posted by autofocus

Jamie, they all look pretty good...I like them. But, you just want to watch where your image crops (at time of shot, or after in post) I'm a bit of a stickler on crops at, or on a joint, or where feet, hands, ears or fingers are clipped, etc. Some people here don't seem to give a sh!t about that, but it is a good guide to live by (notice I didn't call it a rule, because there will always be someone here that will say it's OK to break the rules..true for some rules, but less true for others). I know it's easy to let this happen while you are composing the shot because you're always intent on looking at the face and miss where the feet or hands are. Believe me, it happens to all of us..I get on my wife's case all the time, and she's a real good photographer.

Ya, I was telling my sister to spread her arms out more on the shot of her on the bench, the flower one I had limited space due to the buildings awning being right beside us so it would have take away from the image, and the bricks - that was an over sight... hahaha

Glad the changes I made were in the right direction... Nothing worse then making changes and back tracking. hahahaha