Need help with this picture.

[fat0n3s]

This picture was taken with a cheap, 2.8 Mega Pixel camera.

For some reason, I just can't seem to get the color, tone, contrast, and exposure the way I want.

I know a picture of this quality, will never look like it was taken by a pro. All I am really after here, is to make the people in the picture look real.

By real, I mean color.

I have color corrected alot of pictures that I have downloaded off the net, but this one is a nightmare for me. In fact, any picture taken with this camera is a nightmare, and I don't know why. Maybe bad camera settings?

Is anyone able to get this picture looking good?

TIA.

[Kraellin]

how's this?

Craig

[Duv]

Here's what I came up with.

Cheers
Dave

[deadants]

Heres my go at this one.

[Panpan]

And here is mine.

[Flora]

Hi,

fat0n3s,

I didn't think this picture was that bad to start with .... Yes, there was a very light magenta cast particularly on the skin ... but, given the place where it was taken and the 'cheap' camera, I think it was quite acceptable ...

I don't think you can expect 'vibrant' colours in that particular situation ... the young mother had obviously given birth very recently ... and believe me ... no woman looks fresh and rosy-cheeked soon after!! (Unless they've been helped by a make-up artist....)

All I am really after here, is to make the people in the picture look real.

... That's why I just corrected it for tone and contrast after removing the light colour cast.... You didn't specify if you wanted the blemishes minimized/removed from the mother's skin so I'm posting the two versions I did ... with and without blemishes ...

[fat0n3s]

Wow.

Thanks alot of all the replies. All of you have helped me a great deal.

Flora,

After reading your post, I realized I was trying to over correct the image.

[curvemeister]

Better late than never. This one used a combination of curves (to remove the magenta from the skin tone), selective color to smooth out the face, and a sharpen layer with certain areas erased. Other than the erasing, no brushwork was involved.

[Ziaphra]

I just had to have a go at this one too...as a mother of 6 kids I know how difficult (if not impossible) to look good immediately after giving birth...so I just cropped it, fixed the blemishes and the stray hair. Cute baby!

[klassylady25]

I am sure that the mother would love a face free from blemishes but pregnancy sometimes changes many things about the system. I chose to use the soften tool to rectify the situation. Though they are not gone they are less noticable. Lastly, I used a Virtual Photographer an optik verve filter called Radiant and added a bit of noise and a deckle frame.

There you have it.