I shot a few pictures of my girlfriend and tried my hand at getting a more smooth skin tone, and popping her out of the darkness. this was lit by 2 strobes and a reflector with brolly boxes. any feedback would be appreciated, Im new at this although Ive worked with ps for a couple years for basic imaging, and I think I have a lot of trouble knowing when to stop

Try this - Duplicate background layer
- Quick Mask (or other selection method) to sepatate girl from background
- New layer via copy. Blending mode = screen
- Select background copy layer. Levels to darken background
- Color Balance to adjust color (increase red and yellow)
- Sharpen with unsharp mask
- Combine layers

I also think a vertical crop (4 1/2 wide x 6 high) look a lot better.

I am no expert. Just played with the levels and the colour balance then added a copy of the background blurred it and reduced opacity to soften skin.

Given that the picture is so small I had to use a noise/median to smooth some of the skin using a mask at around 50%. Other than that liked the colour tonings and the atmosphere so just adjusted the levels, mainly in the midrange

yea I definately intended the muted tones,I like what you did, thanks

asmi, I can tell by your image that you're playing a bit naive. Your photography is quite beautiful and your retouching subtle and very natural. Personally, I think your handling of the image was best. Love the muted tones and the mood of the photo. No changes necessary, it's ready for the portfolio and definately not overdone. Keep up the good work and keep posting, I'll look out for you.