Need feedback on retouching :)

[Vidash]

Hi!

This is from my first wedding shoot.

What could be improved? What do you think?

See below for edited and unedited version.

[tmsc]

Honestly I really like the color of the flowers in the first. It seems to have lost the green punch of foliage also the back ground color of the first goes well with her. the new color of back ground seems to have made her blend in the background to much.I would use soft light layer in photoshop to her hair to bring out the streaks or highlights in the hair. I would also do a soft blur to her skin and clone out the spots. on her arms

[tmsc]

you can use softlight layer to bring out details and lower shadows or enhance shadows. The background would be nice with a fasx effext then with a blur added

[Stecyk]

I like that her dress is beautifully white in the retouch. You also did great work on removing the blue cast on her hair on her left side.

I like strong colors and I like contrasting colors. Therefore, I prefer the background in the first image (cool blue against warm skin tones) and the flowers looked a little punchier in the first iteration.

I disagree with some earlier comments you received. I would not Photoshop her at all. I'd leave her hair alone and wouldn't touch her freckles/moles or other perceived imperfections.

Look at her--she's gorgeous. When brides are that beautiful, let them be their natural selves. It'll mean more to them when they older--that's how the really looked on their wedding day. I think you exercised excellent judgement in leaving her in her natural state.

You did well.

[Vidash]

Thanks for the feedback!

Stecyk : You're absolutely right about the natural selves and I didn't want to do too much editing. Maybe I did too much. Bridal stuff is not glamour or fashion. I didn't want to remove to many freckles, since I find freckles really charming.

The first picture (cyanish) is edited. The second (redish) is straight from the camera.

Tmsc :Thanks. I don't understand if you feel that the left(cyanish ) or the right(leftish) is the edited. Do you feel that the left needs more low end/soft light?

[Stecyk]

Originally Posted by Vidash

Thanks for the feedback!

Stecyk : You're absolutely right about the natural selves and I didn't want to do too much editing. Maybe I did too much. Bridal stuff is not glamour or fashion. I didn't want to remove to many freckles, since I find freckles really charming.

The first picture (cyanish) is edited. The second (redish) is straight from the camera.

Okay, I had the pictures backwards.

One quick test I do when I look at pictures is the following:

1) Open into Photoshop
2) Arrange my Info Palette so that one side reads RGB and other LAB (always set up by default)

Look at your image that I have enclosed. See her hair. It's minus 3, which means it's blue. She doesn't have blue hair.

Similarly, her dress has a blue cast as well.

Regardless of which colorspace I am working in, I think in LAB.

A channel Values: Magenta Positive - Green Negative
B channel Values: Yellow Positive - Blue Negative

So when I am dealing with people, I just look for A and B to be positive. People are more yellow than magenta (unless they're newborn babies).

Hair color, unless dyed, is never green or blue.

So with my Info palette always displaying LAB values, I can quickly scan my photos to see if my colors are looking correct. For her wedding dress, it should be neutral. That is, A and B should be 0. It's hard to get exactly zero everywhere. In your case, however, I am seeing a persistent -2 to -3 everywhere, which means you introduced a blue cast.

I trust you have a larger image. Check the whites of her eyes and her teeth. Again, they should be warm (meaning positive values) in A and B channels.

Another exercise for you: Look at your before and after using the LAB info. That'll tell you where you introduced unnatural colors.

I hope this helps.

[lurch]

What Stecyk said. To my eye, the original looked better. Plus, I can see liquifying her upper arm a bit, but why her hair? Makes her head look skinny.

[Stecyk]

Originally Posted by lurch

What Stecyk said. To my eye, the original looked better. Plus, I can see liquifying her upper arm a bit, but why her hair? Makes her head look skinny.

Actually, when I view the two images in rapid succession, I see that entire body has been altered. Her head is narrower, arm changed, and chest changed. She looks beautiful in the original. I don't see a need to alter her body. And I suspect, she is proud of her looks and wants to look the same. In my opinion, the emphasis on body reshaping is misplaced. Instead, I would focus on colors and contrasts. But it should be subtle. A wedding photograph, especially when they are excellent out of the camera, should represent something close to reality.

If it were me, I would address the red spot on her chest, which you have done. If you look closely, you can see strap marks running up her chest from a bathing suit while out in the sun. If you're able, temper the strap marks. Reduce the sheen where appropriate, but don't eliminate and don't erase texture. And if you're able, introduce a bit more pizzaz into her flowers. Then, I think you're done.

She's stunning to look at. I think the job of the creative team is to by and large get out of the way and let her beauty and radiance shine through.

Free advice is often worth the price paid, so use my comments with caution.

[Vidash]

Stecyk: Wow. Thanks for the info palette in lab mode tip. I didn't know. And I agree on the editing as maybe overdoing it and the chest/straps. Really usefull tips here. And great feedback. Just what I hoped for.

[gho64]

Hi Stecky,

When viewing jpg files of people in Photoshop CS5 and the A and B chanels are negative.

Please explain (in detail) how to change the negative A and B chanels to positive.

Thank You,
Hersul