editing Question for total picture

[jolie_dickson]

<p>Hi.. I am looking for help in editing this photo. I am stumped. I have tried many times and nothing I am doing seems to give me that "wow" factor. I can't seem to balance the contrast and color. I love the picture, but it needs some work. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.</p><div></div>

[john_a5]

<p>Everyone has a different idea of what a wow factor is. This is a nice photo--might clone out the hairs that have gone into her nose--as it is. But honestly, I have no idea what would make it wow for you. If it were mine, I could see some work being done to bring her out a bit (brighten her up) and add a little sharpening. Each decision raises another as one works an image to their satisfaction.</p>

<p>I don't know that images need to have the WOW factor. Sometimes making one have the WOW factor involves over working an image until later you don't WOW you go OMG! I think the WOW factor in an image is something that just happens and is integral to the capture. It can be embellished, but not created, in post.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Mostly what's missing here is enough light to catch the eyes and show iris color. If you try to tease that up too much, it will look like bad special effects from a SciFi channel b-movie. Be very subtle, here, and try to maintain the natural feel of things. Next time you're out shooting in this situation, consider a reflector or some off-camera fill flash to give you a little more to work with (just don't light dead-on, for a a too-flat look).</p>

[john_deerfield]

<p>I agree with everything that has been said! What works for me may not work for you. And, if you don't think an image has a "wow" factor, chances are it is the <em>lighting. </em>In this case I would say the lighting is the main issue. The 2nd is that the image isn't sharp. The shutter is 1/125th which is cutting close with a 35mm equivalent of 105mm. Better to raise the ISO a bit and use a faster shutter. Finally, a better lens will help with the background blur (right now it is harsh and unforgiving) and bloom. In any event, this is my quick PS job.</p><div></div>

[jason_hall5]

<p>I am with Matt on this...what is missing here is better lighting on the face and mostly the eyes. It can be improved in Post Process, but probably never a "wow" type photo.</p>

 

[James G. Dainis]

@John. Wow!

 

Back in the film days, the OP's shot would look like Astia, and your shot would look like Velvia. Astia proponents would say that Velvia looked cartoonish and Velvia proponents woulds say that Astia looked flat and colorless. Both were right and both were wrong. Jolie could set her camera to a VIVID setting if it has something like that and give that a try (like switching to Velvia).

[Matt Laur]

<p>Here's 2 minutes in NX2. The main strategy is to try not to overcook things, and to bring the subject, and her eyes farther forward while not also boosting the saturation/contrast of the background (so they don't compete so much). So, most of these changes are localized.<br /><br />It's a portrait, so it's the eyes you look at first, and most. I brightened up her irises and allowed the small catchlights/reflections there to also pick up a little more brightness. I knocked back the red saturation a bit, but masked that change out on her lips. The hair got a more contrasty tone curve. A couple of cloning clicks (like that one hair), and then lastly: I cropped some so that her face moved closer to a rule-of-thirds placement, and so that some of her hair - nice as it is - takes over less of the image (which takes you away from her face).</p><div></div>

[jolie_dickson]

<p>Thank you everyone! UGH...I am totally a novice at this and so confused. Both are beautiful and WOW to me. I appreciate you taking the time. I am not sure what NX2 is, and I happen to love the contrast in the first photo as well as the natural lighting in the second. I am not quite sure how to just brighten the eyes. Again, thank you!!!!! ps. I do have this image in Raw but needed to change to jpg for posting purpose.</p>

[Matt Laur]

<p>It doesn't really matter which editor you use, Jolie, as long as it allows you to work with masks and/or layers, so that you can apply different changes to different areas of the image. I think I over-did the eyes a bit in my example, but I was just trying to show you that you don't have to hammer the whole image in order to make changes. <br /><br />If you don't have much experience or the more powerful tools for post production, it's that much more important to get your lighting and composition right as you shoot. It can be as simple as a piece of white foam core from the craft store to use as a reflector. Nothing you do in post will look as good as real light, thoughtfully controlled.</p>

[tom_mann1]

<p>Hi Jolie -</p>

<p>Your question and image reminds me of a similar thread just a week or two ago:<br>

http://www.photo.net/portraits-and-fashion-photography-forum/00ZA0p</p>

<p>Somewhat like your image, one of the participants in that thread posted this image:<br>

http://static.photo.net/attachments/bboard/00Z/00ZBmc-389805584.jpg</p>

<p>which has a bit of a jittery, distracting background, with the subject(s) standing out perhaps a bit less than optimal.</p>

<p>I posted a series of tweaks, culminating in this one, and described how I made the changes:<br>

http://static.photo.net/attachments/bboard/00Z/00ZBsq-389941584.jpg</p>

<p>Perhaps this might be of interest to you.</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

[jcuknz]

<p>The first thing I saw in your photo was the distracting bright background which upsets the viewers appreciation of the girl. I'd suggest get rid of the background a try again. In my book you need to crop from the right as she is on the wrong side of the picture and looking the wrong way for where she is. There is something about the eyes too.</p>

[charlie_novice]

<p>Perhaps wow is not really what you want. I reduced contrast with a technique called inverted blurred luminance blending and toned down the red with a couple of tools.</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

[tom_mann1]

<p>How 'bout something along these lines? ...maybe a bit less saturated?</p>

<p>Tom M</p>

<p>PS - Pls ignore the lousy masking job around her hair. I really didn't want to spend the time necessary to do it correctly.</p><div></div>

[tom_mann1]

<p>Humm... definitely too much skin texture & ruddy shadowing in my previous post. Try this instead...</p><div></div>

[tom_mann1]

<p>For quick reference, I down-rez'ed the original to 698 px wide so that it would display in-line in this thread.</p><div></div>

[purplealien]

<p>Here's my go Jolie. Thought I'd try high contrast B&W.<br>

1. Selectively brighten the right hand (shaded) side of her face to even it up<br>

2. Selectively brighten the eyes a little<br>

3. Convert to B&W, heavily boosting both contrast & brightness<br>

4. A little work removing the shadows under the eyes<br>

5. Add a pink tone<br>

6. Resize and sharpen</p>

<p>Chris</p>

<div></div>

[Matt Laur]

<p>Good call, Chris.</p>