does this tweak improve my image?

[katia]

had a photoshoot today. location & weather conditions were FAR from ideal, but i feel i got some decent shots.

but i have 2 questions.

1) does this tweak improve my image?

i decided to add some "artificial" catch lights. to me, this makes a world of difference. but i have a highly untrained eye and would like some other opinions. do you like the image on the right, or the image on the left, and was this tweak worth the effort? (i mean, it only took a couple of seconds in photoshop, but i may decide to use it on future images if it truly improves the photo)

2) does the image on the right look more saturated/contrast-y/sharper to you?

reason i ask is because to add the catchlights, i opened up the RAW/NEF directly into photoshop, did the tweak, then Saved As JPEG so that i could upload it here.

to me, it looks like Photoshop is applying settings when saving to JPEG. does it actually, or is this all in my head?

[ajax_andy]

Originally Posted by katia

had a photoshoot today. location & weather conditions were FAR from ideal, but i feel i got some decent shots.

but i have 2 questions.

1) does this tweak improve my image?

i decided to add some "artificial" catch lights. to me, this makes a world of difference. but i have a highly untrained eye and would like some other opinions. do you like the image on the right, or the image on the left, and was this tweak worth the effort? (i mean, it only took a couple of seconds in photoshop, but i may decide to use it on future images if it truly improves the photo)

2) does the image on the right look more saturated/contrast-y/sharper to you?

reason i ask is because to add the catchlights, i opened up the RAW/NEF directly into photoshop, did the tweak, then Saved As JPEG so that i could upload it here.

to me, it looks like Photoshop is applying settings when saving to JPEG. does it actually, or is this all in my head?

I think the right hand pic looks sharper and better... I'm not sure about adding catch lights... I think it looks fine in this pic but personally i think it's probably a little gimmicky and I can imagine people doing this once, and then adding it to EVERY pic they shoot. As a rule of thumb I always think adding something in that wasn't there before is a dangerous route to go down and not something I'd do myself.

Like i said i think it looks ok here but I wouldn't say it adds a great deal anyway so not sure it's really worth doing in future.

The left pic already looks like it's had a load of skin smoothing done... am I right or are my eyes deceiving me?

[zona5101]

oooh. no on the catchlights...

Adding catchlights is fine to do if you use the right tool. a painted dot not so much. I found some brushes on the internet specifically for catchlights. I looked this morning and I can't find where I got them (sorry)...but they are out there and they make a difference. I'll keep looking and post back if I find the specific link...

on both girls catchlights were done in post:

[sk66]

The second image looks better...the eye's may be a bit overdone.
I don't think "the brush" makes that big of a difference but rather the mode in which the catchlights are layered in.

But I'd be interested in anything that might help.

[zona5101]

found the link to the catchlight brushes...

Catchlight Brushes | Pixelation Blog

[katia]

Originally Posted by ajax_andy

I think the right hand pic looks sharper and better... I'm not sure about adding catch lights... I think it looks fine in this pic but personally i think it's probably a little gimmicky and I can imagine people doing this once, and then adding it to EVERY pic they shoot. As a rule of thumb I always think adding something in that wasn't there before is a dangerous route to go down and not something I'd do myself.

Like i said i think it looks ok here but I wouldn't say it adds a great deal anyway so not sure it's really worth doing in future.

The left pic already looks like it's had a load of skin smoothing done... am I right or are my eyes deceiving me?

thanks, i just had to give it a go, the light in the original right in the center of her pupil was creepin' me out!

and no skin smoothing, that photo is straight out of camera. literally the only thing i did was open the RAW, add catchlights and save.

Originally Posted by sk66

The second image looks better...the eye's may be a bit overdone.
I don't think "the brush" makes that big of a difference but rather the mode in which the catchlights are layered in.

But I'd be interested in anything that might help.

thanks, do you think it would be best for this photo to apply the catchlights on a new later and then change the opacity to not make it so noticeable?

and i didn't do anything to her eyes other than the dots...i think she MUST have been wearing color contacts.

thanks guys!

[katia]

zona,

that tutorial makes the kid look like a creepy murderer in the "after" photo, lol! have you had better success with these brushes?

[zona5101]

i agree that was not the best example...the girls in the pic i posted in this thread were added. So were these:


like anything you can over-do it. I am sure I have.

[sk66]

"Lighting" should generally be added on a layer set to one of the "light" modes. i.e. "soft light"

[katia]

Originally Posted by sk66

"Lighting" should generally be added on a layer set to one of the "light" modes. i.e. "soft light"

thank you, i will keep that in mind! i'm still not even close to being finished with processing these photos, i will put some more up when i am done