Portrait - Crique Request

[Photosbyus]

Can this shot be improved upon or is it acceptable as is? I am concerned at the "sunburn" reflecting on the lake just might be the "attention getter" in this pic.

Thanks, Scott

[windrider86]

The area behind her face is highly distracting. What were your camera settings?
What were you planning on using the photo for? Is this something you are selling?
This is what i would do, (and its just my opinion) use the resources you all ready have. You all ready know the water is blown out. Ok, there is no way to fix that, so use it to your advantage. Make this into a high key images. Make the rest of the background white so it will keep the focus on the girl

[zona5101]

Originally Posted by windrider86

The area behind her face is highly distracting. What were your camera settings?
What were you planning on using the photo for? Is this something you are selling?
This is what i would do, (and its just my opinion) use the resources you all ready have. You all ready know the water is blown out. Ok, there is now way to fix that so use it to your advantage. Make this into a high key images. Make the rest of the background white so it will keep the focus on the girl

oooh i like this idea...

[MarkyLandon]

In addition to the comments from Windrider I'd say theat having her turn slightly more to camera would be an advantage next time. You can still have her looking away from the camera but seeing a bit more of her face and eye would help IMO. If you do turn it into a high key image I think the horizontal line of trees on the right will be a distraction. If you could have changed your angle slightly at the time of the shot you' could have avoided both the sun glare on the water and changed the position of her face relative tot he horizontal line of trees.

[Daytonj6]

One thing I have found recently on Photoshop is to have two background layers (original and then a copy).
On the top copy you can change the levels or curves to bring the entire image's brightness down and all, (or use another tool to help you) and then form here in the layers pallete. I think itsthe first form the left that is useable, I cnt remember what It looks like, but its called a layer mask

add one, then use the brush tool, and if im not mistaken your foregrounds colour has to be white, and then paint over her, nothing but the subject, and that will bring the information form the first layer up to be visible. and there you have it. a mask. you can try it that way. you can also burn the lake, and try using a mask if you want as well.


Dayto

[Photosbyus]

All, thank you for the input. I currently do not have any processing software and will look to invest in some.

Scott

[MarkyLandon]

You could try "GIMP" it's got a lot of the functionality of Photoshop but is "open source" and therefore free. Do a quick google and I'm sure you'll find it.