[Blindv]

This was a pretty quick adjustment of this image and I'm looking for some feedback. The adjusted image "may be" a bit hazier then I intended, but that could be my monitor as well.

The intent here was to just correct the image and adjust a few minor blemishes and such and keep them looking "their age".

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Thanks



http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e...s/Adjusted.jpg

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e.../Origional.jpg

[Oh_Heck]

I'm gonna be honest here Blindv. I think you went a bit further then is needed for a shot like this. These two aren't models. These are two regular folks, who have obviously been together for some time, and wanted to capture this moment in their lives in a photo. So maintaining their age I think is pretty important. So, no recoloring hair, or getting rid of wrinkles. Adjusting basics for this shot is all that is needed really, contrast, etc, to help make them stand out a little more against the bright backdrop. Looks like they were sitting in a shaded area for this shot, which is muting their skin tones a bit.

But again..this all depends on if this is work for a client, that is requesting some work on the aging aspect. You did alot of smoothing on the facial features, especially on the woman.

Here's my take on the image.

[Foxcat]

Yeah, Blindv...
I'm gonna be honest too. So in my modest opinion retouched photo have next problems:

1-You lost every small and neat kind of detail. I think that´s beacause of Not such good manipulation with a curves (may be were bad chosed White and Black points in this image). Like was saying Dan Margulis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dan_Margulis) in general the people likes images with more detail and i guess in that kind of photo is true.
2- I would be change the treatment of the background. In your retouched photo, I think is too "heavy", too satureted (in comparation with principal figures) May be just try to blur that a little bit, and use some style of round vignette from shaddows. Very, Very light and nearly imperceptible.
3-Just sharpen it, withe an advanced unsharp mask technic, and than using a selective areas sharpening...

But at the end, that´s just my opinion, and your work is not bad.
Best regards.

[duwayne]

I don't think your altered version agrees with the client's intent. It has serious clipping on the shadows end loosing a lot of details in the hair. This faces look like they are wearing stage makeup. Here's a different approach that takes three steps:

Duplicate the background layer and run Unshark Mask with Amount = 20, Radius = 80, Threshold =0. This will do a Local Contrast Enhancement and slightly boost the color saturation.

Duplicate this layer and run High-Pass filter with Radius = 1-2. Set blending mode for this layer to Overlay. Reduce opacity slider is the sharpening is too strong.

Add Hue/SAturation Adjustment layer on top of layer stack and reduce the red saturation to -27. Done.

[Cassidy]

Originally Posted by duwayne

I don't think your altered version agrees with the client's intent. It has serious clipping on the shadows end loosing a lot of details in the hair. This faces look like they are wearing stage makeup. Here's a different approach that takes three steps:

Duplicate the background layer and run Unshark Mask with Amount = 20, Radius = 80, Threshold =0. This will do a Local Contrast Enhancement and slightly boost the color saturation.

Duplicate this layer and run High-Pass filter with Radius = 1-2. Set blending mode for this layer to Overlay. Reduce opacity slider is the sharpening is too strong.

Add Hue/SAturation Adjustment layer on top of layer stack and reduce the red saturation to -27. Done.

One shark found and removed

[chillin]

I just brought them from the dimness, some smoothing & selective adjustments.

[Alison]

Hi Blindv,

My first port of call was the crop tool. I adjusted the individual channels in levels, used a gaussian blur to make the background look less obvious. Used neat image, but took the opacity of the layer down to about 25%. Used a curves adjustment layer to lighten the image, then used a mask to bring back a darker background.

^^^^Not necessarily in that order

Your image seems to have ended with a painterly looking effect - was that the intention ?

[Blindv]

Thanks for your input everyone! The two people in the picture are actually my aunt and uncle. One of the main things I wanted to do with this image was remove the "Sat under a heat lamp" look they have going on. Their complexion is actually fairly fair (if that makes sense). The adjustment of their faces may be a bit much, but it’s what I was personally after

I adjusted a few things here. First off, I removed the two layers that I was using for lighting modification, as they were just not pulling off what I was shooting for. I desaturated the background and applied a high pass overlay sharpen to the couple...but now that I look at it again, I think I may over desaturated the background as they appear to be coming on pretty strong now.

The 2nd image is "kind of" what I was attempting to go for. I'm playing with trying to get that hazy dream'esk look without losing all of the detail in the image.

Thanks again everyone! I appreciate the honest feedback, and your time!
-James

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e...usted2copy.jpg
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/e...Adjusted2E.jpg

[Oh_Heck]

Blind, I think the one thing you aren't addressing with the original photo, is the overly pink hue to their skin. Its very strong, so when you go smoothing and such, it looks like he's wearing his wifes makeup. Which is a little disturbing looking

[Blindv]

Hmm...I actually do not see this at all. Perhaps I need to calibrate my LCD.

[Syd]

Yes, I second that. There is way too much magenta in their skin. Perhaps they were very sunburned on that day. I don't know. But, whatever, it is not very flattering. No one wants to look that pinky/red. Take a look at CHILLIN'S example. His colour is much more in the acceptable range. Generally speaking yellow should be higher than magenta, unless of course you deliberately want that sunburned or tanned look.

Syd

[Blindv]

Viewing the images at work, they do indeed appear to have a pinkish cast to them. I will have to see if I can find a means of calibrating my tablet PC when I get home tonight. Thanks for pointing that out.

[zganie]

First remember its a snapshot so it is what it is.Second the skintones are way to red but you do want a little maybe warm them up a bit with yellow



just an opinion zganie