An image file to play with

[Tareq]

Hi all,

Here is a RAW file of a shot with bad lighting, let me see what you can do to fix or enhance it and say manipulate it at best if you could.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/m9yohb...5/A0000113.3FR

Here are some editing simple i did so far

http://img152.imageshack.us/img152/820/a0000113b.jpg

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/9804/a0000113d.jpg

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/2852/a0000113bw.jpg

[Tony W]

Thanks for the chance to play with this image. I am curious about this as when I brought it into PS in Camera Raw it appeared to be around 2 stops underexposed. Was the original underexposed or has something happened in the translation?

Anyway a nice sharp image to play with (for a change). Frankly I did not want to do too much with it - so this is my take/interpretation.

Briefly steps taken: Correct exposure etc in Camera Raw. Then in PS Crop, Curves, brighten eyes, heal skin blemishes (tried not to go too far due to the subject being male), apply sharpening layer. Also started but did not complete work on shirt !

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by Tony W

Thanks for the chance to play with this image. I am curious about this as when I brought it into PS in Camera Raw it appeared to be around 2 stops underexposed. Was the original underexposed or has something happened in the translation?

Anyway a nice sharp image to play with (for a change). Frankly I did not want to do too much with it - so this is my take/interpretation.

Briefly steps taken: Correct exposure etc in Camera Raw. Then in PS Crop, Curves, brighten eyes, heal skin blemishes (tried not to go too far due to the subject being male), apply sharpening layer. Also started but did not complete work on shirt !

Very nice treatment, i really need to learn and practice more on retouching and editing.

Yes, you are right, it is about 2 stops underexposed as original, and i intentionally posted it to see what someone can do to recover it, but if you want another shot which is proper exposure to play with i am ready.

[W.Smith]

Originally Posted by Tareq

Hi all,

Here is a RAW file of a shot with bad lighting, let me see what you can do to fix or enhance it and say manipulate it at best if you could.

http://www.mediafire.com/file/m9yohb...5/A0000113.3FR

Here are some editing simple i did so far

[...]

Thanks for posting, Tareq.
But it downloads kinda excruciatingly slow! Next time you might want to use e.g. (free!) WeTransfer.com (upto 2GB per transfer).
Just send the image(s), or other files, to your own email address, open that mail message, copy the link in it, and post it here* so that people can download.
Those links expire in about a week, afaik.

Like so (80MB Tiff file): click to download.

*those links are often well over 100 characters, so you may want to shorten them with e.g. TinyURL.com.

The lighting isn't bad at all, imo, if you treat it as a low-key image. I would call it an attempt at Rembrandt/Vermeer lighting. Here's what I made of your image, in Lightroom and PS, before and after: recomposed (rule of thirds), cleaned up skin, brightened eye whites, enhanced catchlights, removed some red and a lot of yellow, USM.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i3...t/b4765a8c.jpg

Have fun!

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by W.Smith

Thanks for posting, Tareq.
But it downloads kinda excruciatingly slow! Next time you might want to use e.g. (free!) WeTransfer.com (upto 2GB per transfer).
Just send the image(s), or other files, to your own email address, open that mail message, copy the link in it, and post it here* so that people can download.
Those links expire in about a week, afaik.

Like so (80MB Tiff file): click to download.

*those links are often well over 100 characters, so you may want to shorten them with e.g. TinyURL.com.

The lighting isn't bad at all, imo, if you treat it as a low-key image. I would call it an attempt at Rembrandt/Vermeer lighting. Here's what I made of your image, in Lightroom and PS, before and after: recomposed (rule of thirds), cleaned up skin, brightened eye whites, enhanced catchlights, removed some red and a lot of yellow, USM.

http://i75.photobucket.com/albums/i3...t/b4765a8c.jpg

Have fun!

Thank you very much for the link, but it is strange why you have slow download from Mediafire, i get fast download from it, and because it is free and the files are there for long long time, i still have files uploaded 1 year ago or long in addition to many files i uploaded few months ago up to 1 year, but i will use another options you gave me if that are better, thanks again.

I like your attempt as well but i see it as still underexposed, like you added about half stop or 1 stop more of the original, at least if half face is about proper normal exposed and the other half is dark it will be nice, but anyway, i always prefer underexposed shots over the overexposed shots because i can recover the shadows better than burnt blown out highlights, and i also like going with low key and Rembrandt effect most of the time with dark or black backgrounds.

[Phaeton]

Hi Tareq
Like W.Smith, I didn't think the light was super bad; underexposed but quite interesting. The main problem as I saw was the heavy skin tones: heavy on the red, oranges and saturation. Plus some shadows were completely plugged with no chance of recovery: the hair, eyebrows, etc.
Overall as a a portrait I quite liked it, great gaze from the subject and a strong stance. I cleaned (heal/clone) up the shirt, background and skin blemishes. Then a bit of DB to sculpt the light a bit around him and to open up the background. Then a bit of colour to solve the skin tone heaviness and to add a bit more light to the scene. A round of sharpening.
Finally decided to tilt his head a bit to aid composition.

Cheers!

Here's a larger version: http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/962...artobjectl.jpg

PS. How did that photoshoot of yours go? The one you were unsure how to approach? Is it this one?

[gse123]

Hope you like it - stuck with the low key vibe

http://www.gedwards.co.uk/test/A0000113.jpg

Embedded as attachment due to the size restriction

[Alison]

Hi Tareq,

I had no problem downloading the file. Thanks for the chance to play with a great image

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2349979...n/photostream/

This one is a bit lighter.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2349979...n/photostream/

This one is more contrasty

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/...4437e17f_o.jpg

I have the larger file if you want it.

[jonjon925]

Hi Tareq and all! Here is my try...

I liked the lighting btw!

http://rapidshare.com/files/433987409/A0000113.3FR_.jpg

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by Phaeton

Hi Tareq
Like W.Smith, I didn't think the light was super bad; underexposed but quite interesting. The main problem as I saw was the heavy skin tones: heavy on the red, oranges and saturation. Plus some shadows were completely plugged with no chance of recovery: the hair, eyebrows, etc.
Overall as a a portrait I quite liked it, great gaze from the subject and a strong stance. I cleaned (heal/clone) up the shirt, background and skin blemishes. Then a bit of DB to sculpt the light a bit around him and to open up the background. Then a bit of colour to solve the skin tone heaviness and to add a bit more light to the scene. A round of sharpening.
Finally decided to tilt his head a bit to aid composition.

Cheers!

Here's a larger version: http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/962...artobjectl.jpg

PS. How did that photoshoot of yours go? The one you were unsure how to approach? Is it this one?

WOW, amazing, i think i must find a retoucher for myself.

About that photoshoot, i don't want to remember that day, it was a bad day for me, dropped my H4D-60 so i forced to photoshoot a person with my 1Ds3 only.

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by gse123

Hope you like it - stuck with the low key vibe

http://www.gedwards.co.uk/test/A0000113.jpg

Embedded as attachment due to the size restriction

Not bad, but that reddish tones is not lovely much as i like, but not bad

Thank you very much!

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by Alison

Hi Tareq,

I had no problem downloading the file. Thanks for the chance to play with a great image

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2349979...n/photostream/

This one is a bit lighter.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2349979...n/photostream/

This one is more contrasty

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4133/...4437e17f_o.jpg

I have the larger file if you want it.

Thank you very much!

I prefer and like the last one, contrast is my favorite factor/adjustment in many photos i want to shoot.

Yes, please, would like to have the larger file if you wouldn't mind.

[ihearcolors]

Hope you like this
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/2528/a0000113s.jpg

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by ihearcolors

Hope you like this
http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/2528/a0000113s.jpg

I appreciate your effort very much, don't know what to say but i feel he is not a natural human photo now, or say not realistic or logical retouch, but maybe you have something or a concept to do that retouching by yourself.

[Sengra]

hallo Tareq
im new here in this forum and i hope this Thread here is not dead 8)
I have try it too at your picture you can take a look if you want
hope you like it
greetz
http://img153.imageshack.us/i/mytrysmall.jpg/

[2mittsphotog]

Figured I would have a go at this one too. http://www.black8studios.com/Tareq/Tareq_Edit_sized.jpg If this is usable in my online/printed port. please let me know. Many thanks!

*edited the collar as well, was flipped up and wrinkled on the right side.

[pellepiano]

I went black and white.