From snapshot to portraiture - Is it possible?

[solitear]

I'm going to start by saying that I know less about photography and cameras than I do about the dietary habits of the endangered southcentral Australian Numbat..... but, after months of researching camera features and scary letters like ISO I followed up with an 8 weeks camera course and chose my first digital camera ..... a Sony Cyber-shot W70 because it was tiny and shiny..... so here comes my ignorant question....

If I take a snapshot (say in portrait mode) would I be able to turn it into one of those beautiful portraiture photos using Photoshop?

I'm attaching a photo of 'one of my little reasons for breathing' as an example of the look I'm interested in. It looks soft and a bit desaturated.......

Could someone .... like one of you Supreme Commanders of Photoshop...... transform a nice digital photo into something professional looking....... can it be done ?????

Now I'll sit here and hum the Jeopardy song until I hear from someone.....

Thanks for any insight,
Beth

[skydog]

I really like your photo and the composition! Now that you have the camera you just need to practice your photoshop!

[skydog]

I forgot to add this...opps!

[Ziaphra]

Thought I'd give it a go!

[Bojin Taylor]

Well Beth I think you got a great start. Shooting on a seamless in a studio yet! What I think happpened to this image is called lens flare. Your light source spilled into the lens and caused this lack of contrast you see. A gobo (something placed to block out light) can help you there. To improve the image open up a curve in your layers pallet and pull down on the diagonal line.
as i did here.

[mistermonday]

Beth,
I think the folks above have captured the low contrast issue. I have attached a curve as one example to adjust the contrast, although as you know there are many other ways to accomplish this in PS.
The only other suggestion I would add is regarding you attachment. Your image was a very large size and very highly compressed, which resulted in severe jpg pixellation - those are the little square blocks you see if you zoom in or worse if you try to sharpen the image. You would be much better off if you saved a copy of your image for posting by reducing the size to something like 8 x5 @ 72 DPI and then saved it on a jpeg compression of 7 or 8 or the highest you could get and still have it fall within the 100KB limit.
Regards, Murray

[Kraellin]

well, since beth has probably now gone insane from listening to the jeopardy song she's been humming all night and since this seems to be my day for learning new terms (numbat:picture here ) (gobo: definition here ) and since others have answered the picture taking part so well, i'll just add a question for beth, did you want to use the full shot or did you want something more of a head and shoulders portrait?

[CJ Swartz]

Beth, your "reasons for breathing" are among the most beautiful/handsome I've ever laid eyes on!

I'm not sure just what you want -- you said this photo was an example of a look you want to copy. It's a nice look, and you have said before you like the soft looks, so is this photo done by someone else and you're wondering if you can get a similar one out of your new camera? With a similar background, careful lighting (the harder part), and your camera, it would be possible to get a nice 8x10 or so from your camera. The lighting setup would require extra lights.

Or did you want this photo changed in some way like the other folks have already done?


Craig -- thanks for the picture of the numbat -- I was going to have to look that up also.

[solitear]

Hi Everyone! To everyone who's responded, thank you for your help and I do appreciate it; however, I feel like I've wasted excellent information on my clumsily worded question...... not only that, I'm embarrassed that I failed to say that I didn't take that picture....... I posted it so as to show the kind of look I wanted to achieve.... Murry, in getting ready to respond to your info. about size I remembered I was going to crop it to just a head shot but stopped because it wouldn't get across the "feel" ........ so that tells me it's also a composition thing (I didn't realize that until just now, Wow...... thank you).

Bojin..... when I started reading your post and saw phrases like "len's flarin' up and spilling all over my nice 'seamless studio'" .... whew, I knew I had some explaining to do...... I sure didn't take the picture, it was Caden's school picture.... my photo would have looked a lot like a big tennis shoe..... never mind, I'll attach it.......

CJ...... I'd like to employ your translating services..... that's exactly what I meant to ask....... thank you and thank you for your sweet comment re: Caden ...... I guess Photoshop's Filter > Render > Lighting Effects is no match for real lighting..... and interesting cropping is no match for composition...... Gahhhhhh man...... now I gotta' learn something else......

Craig......... I'm still laughin' my guts out ........ last night, when I was writing my post, I Googled ...um....... "EndangeredRareAnimalsInAfrica" ....... a list of animals appeared so I scanned down and clicked the funniest sounding one, Numbat. There was a short paragraph about it's range and diet....... which was fine since I was only after it's funny name ........ THEN ...... I was reading your post and clicked on your Numbat link and have been laughing ever since....... I love you!

A huge thank you to each of you.

Beth

[CJ Swartz]

Beth -- I wasn't being "sweet" when I said he was handsome -- it's just the simple truth.

Window lighting could be the best for a head/shoulders portrait, and would be possible without having to buy equipment. You need an uncluttered background, a chair a few feet from the window, and a chance to read/think a bit about it before you do it. I'll look for a nice summary for you to look at.

I love the sneakers photo, and you did get her face in the shot -- this will probably be one of those treasures in the years to come -- a special moment remembered in a funny way.

You and Craig may keep this up -- you're a good comedy team!

[solitear]

Thank you, CJ.... Caden is our oldest grandbaby (3 yrs) and thinks I'm his toy.... even drags me around around the house like one......

Thanks for the info. about getting a head/shoulders shot..... it not only gives me practical tips for capturing a nice shot but the feedback has helped me understand some things about my perception.

I'm seeing that I want to create a feeling in the person looking at my "photography". Until you said you loved the sneaker photo .... it could become a treasure in years to come... a special moment captured in a funny way....... I had only kept it because it was what that day was, fun! Nothing pretty about the shot for sure..... big ole' tennis shoes..... half of a face.....

I had thought the emotions I felt when looking at someone's work was due to some technique, film or camera..... I didn't get that it is the capturing of the moment (whatever moment) that means most to me....... I now realize I liked the school photo because it captured Caden's serious side without him looking angry........ WOW, what clarity now ........ I CAN SEE ...... I'M HEALED ....... hehehe ..... but seriously, it does feel good to be able to get to the root of this thing....... thank you, CJ...... oxoxo!

I also see I needed to post this in a different thread....... but if I had, Craig might never have seen it.........

Beth

[superkoax]

well it's possible to get som enice portraits out of these cameras the only flaw is that the noise ratios is much higher and resolution on big size isn't good...


here is my try

[Duffy Pratt]

I gave this one a try. Contrast was a bit off, and the skin tones were too strong in both cyan and magenta. All it takes are some fairly simple curves to fix that. The mystery to me in this shot is what color the sweatshirt is. I decided its not black, and probably some deep greem. But it's very hard to tell, and I thought it would be a mistake to set a black point on it.

I think you have a good start. Practice more, think about what you are doing and what you want to see, and you can do very nice work with what you have.

Duffy

[solitear]

Thanks superkoax and Duffy....... Duffy, his shirt is supposed to be navy blue... but I'm thinking about somehow trying to stop this thread because very kind people, like yourselves, are taking time to correct this photo and I realized along the way in this thread, that my question was probably more suited for a photography thread......

I truly appreciate the results and instructions from everyone and knew I would be able to tap into a wealth of talent, knowledge and experience..... but I feel like I wasted it all with the wrong question...... that'll teach me to run it by my hubby before I post it......

Still...... I liked seeing my little fellow through others eyes....

Beth

[Kraellin]

beth

when you first posted 'numbat' i thought you were making it up, which is why i had to look it up. so, i had a bit of a chuckle also and you already know i love your wit

and cj, you're welcome

so, in appreciation of beth falling in love with me (do let your hubby down gently), here's one possible rendition which might handle what crop to use.

[solitear]

Craig..... your rendition is beautiful, thank you! And I'd like to respond to your comment about thinking I'd ever make up something...... after I declared my love and everything......... oh, the "humanity".........

(play like I'm Emily Dickinson when you read this)....

Could I e'er mislead you
Yes, of course I could
When all the grains of sand are counted
Yes, that is when I would....

Could I crush the one I love
Yes, in fact, tis so
When the Malabar Thrush has lost it's song
Yes, that is when you'll know...

Could I forgive rejection
Yes, for I've known that
But a slight for cause of homeliness sake
And that'd be Numbat's !

Mike and I laughed thinking that it looked like God put a big ol' too-heavy-at-the-hem, striped sweater on him ...... then, as He was making a plain old tail, right at the end thought..... naw, I'll hurry up and put a puff there.... and it must have been getting late cuz He just used some leftover regular ears He had laying around.....

Oh yeah, Mike said I get to keep you........ ....... man, I always get goofy when it's this late/early ......

oxoxo
Beth

[Kraellin]

beth, thank you

well, you'll have to forgive me. when i first read 'emily dickinson' i was thinking 'emily post' and thought you were correcting my grammar or etiquette and i couldnt quite figure out what a numbat had to do with manners. i think i've got it now, though. nice poem!

actually, when you stop and think about all the oddball animals in australia, i think God was either playing a large joke or quite drunk. or maybe that's where he practiced. it does sort of remind me of some of my work in psp.

well, not having ever spoken to mike, i can still say that i think you made a good choice

oh, and have a look in the restoration forum. cj has posted a piece to work on that is apropo to this thread

[solitear]

Craig, too funny...... Emily Post....... not your fault but rather the result of me being punch drunk. . . And Mike is still surprising me even after 34 yrs. of married life...... what a hoot, huh!

CJ was kind enough to email me some links that are helping me with the photography side of things...... I'll go take a look at that thread, thanks. This just opens up a whole new batch of photo phun!

oxox
Beth

[Kraellin]

beth,

excellent... on all points mentioned

[gvardich]

Hi,
From snapshot to portraiture is possible!!!
Check this out:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...5731&rd=1&rd=1

[Bojin Taylor]

Yep! .99 cents

seems a little high

[solitear]

gvardich, thank you for the link ....... I liked the darker toned photo of the woman with her profile flipped and fainter in the background....... I would never have thought ebay to be a viable way to reach customers but.... why not..... thanks!

Bojin, hehehe...... I'd have to cut back on the "cherry pull-apart" candy I've grown quite fond of....... but I'd probably have to go into a rehab place that deals specifically with "cherry pull-apart" addiction ...... now we're talkin' thousands......

oxox
Beth

[CJ Swartz]

Originally Posted by solitear

...that'd be Numbat's !

Mike and I laughed thinking that it looked like God put a big ol' too-heavy-at-the-hem, striped sweater on him ...... then, as He was making a plain old tail, right at the end thought..... naw, I'll hurry up and put a puff there.... and it must have been getting late cuz He just used some leftover regular ears He had laying around.....Beth

Okay, now! Enough of the numbat bashing, Beth and Craig.
The first time I saw one (when Craig googled one for us), I thought it was adorable, and I am not changing my mind. And I'm not the only one -- the numbat has its own coin, it is the choice for animal emblem for the state of Western Australia, it's cuter than the Tasmanian Devil, and it eats up to 20,000 termites a day -- which can be very helpful to people (if not to termites).
http://www.westernwildlife.com.au/we...als/numbat.htm

The third image below shows its reaction to reading its erroneous descriptions here... it was too polite to say anything mean.

[Kraellin]

rofl, cj

ok, so we'll make a national numbat day or something. i'll even have my mother get out and wear that numbat stole i gave her for christmas that one year. (*duck*)

ok, all kidding aside, i agree; it is kind of a cute animal. reminds me a bit of a fox squirrel only more colorful. and please, dont send me pm's about my crude jokes. they were only jokes meant only to tease cj a bit

now, what was this thread about?

[solitear]

Oh....... after reading your post, CJ, I wish I could take it all back...... the snickering, the laughing.... the crudely worded insults......... I'm just relieved I never said some of the harsher things we thought like, it was awkward looking with it's squirrel shaped body and little pointy fox head and, now that I've seen it, frighteningly snake-like tongue........

And Craig, if we do institute a National Numbat Day, I think it should be November Nineteenth....... if your Mom wears her Numbat stole, I'll try to find my Mom's old Mootan jacket..... and I can guarantee nobody could find a picture of a Mootan......

heheheh.......

[Kraellin]

lol. were we brother and sister in another life, beth?

edit: and what in the world is a 'mootan jacket' ?

[CJ Swartz]

Originally Posted by solitear

...And Craig, if we do institute a National Numbat Day, I think it should be November Nineteenth....... if your Mom wears her Numbat stole, I'll try to find my Mom's old Mootan jacket..... and I can guarantee nobody could find a picture of a Mootan......

heheheh.......

Hmmmmphh! Now it's getting worse!!!! Mootan abuse, Mootan jackets -- so I google images of a Mootan and what do I get? Your mom wore a jacket made out of this??!! Please say it's not so! The Mootan is even cuter than the numbat...

http://plaza.air-nifty.com/diary/ima...otan062406.jpg

Originally Posted by Kraellin

....ok, so we'll make a national numbat day or something. i'll even have my mother get out and wear that numbat stole i gave her for christmas that one year. (*duck*)

now, what was this thread about?

Remember, Beth said she was thru with the original subject in this thread, so it's fair to let the numbats and mootans play with it...

[Cupcake]

A very handsome young man.

[solitear]

I'll just bet, without a shadow of a doubt, no teacher in the world would've let the 3 of us sit next to each other in class.........

CJ...... I can't believe you found that picture of a Mootan...... it's even the same color as my Mom's. . . hehehe. . . I'm tellin'....... man, that made me laugh so hard.......

And Craig, I learned in that previous post about Phyllis Diller, that we are brother and sister.......... what if the 3 of us are AND Phyllis is our real mother.....

Hey, I just looked it up and it's Mouton as in Bonmouton...... here are pictures of a mouton coat...... my Mom's was exactly like these..... I remember that it was unbelievably heavy...... my Dad was always buying my Mom presents (he was a sweetie) and he bought her this coat..... I never saw her wear it though because, in Houston, Texas, ....... enough said..... HA

[solitear]

Cupcake, I love what you've done with Caden's photo...... very creative backgrounds on each one, I would have never thought of that ...... I'm going to have to give his parents the link to see these... thank you!

oxoxo
Beth