Woman with Roses

Right on both counts, I think; so, to the extent this forum is just about cropping and Photoshopping, you've made the right choice. Next time, move it.

 

Since I gather you are not of the "never retouch" school, you could suppress the shine on the nose and forehead. You've still got reference highs in the baby's-breath and the earring.

 

We've seen this woman before, and I think this one has her literally in her best light. I'm guessing she liked the look. Here the light beautifully paints what I think of as "features" - nose, cheekbones, luscious lips - rather than details. I know you like existing light (so do I) but "existing" is not the same as "whatever."

 

As you have said, Christopher, the eyes are critical. The rest of the picture has to be awfully good to justify the closed/lowered eye thing. It's way easier, but it holds back something we want to see. This one is good enough to work anyway.

Beyond what has already been mentioned, let me make a couple other observations. I think she could use some light in her hair as no matter how big or how bright I make this, the right 30% of the photograph is just a dark mass. This image also seems to lack any contrast and I think that is more a function of similar shades with the gray background, her darker skin, and roses which are tough in B&W because red and green have nearly the same reflectivity. When I have to shoot a red rose, I usually use either a red filter to lighten to flower, or a green filter to lighten the foliage. Either way, this would give you some punch in this image. I might also just brush the hair back another inch so it is out of her eyes. Her skin looks bery good in the large image I am viewing, but I think she is just a bit too close to the flowers, the babies breath is underneath her chin. It also looks like she is smelling a leaf as opposed to a flower. I think there is just a little too much going on here, it is too cramped. Give her a little space to breathe.

... funny you should mention that scott... this was essentially shot with a Green filter... under flourescent light.

I see nothing wrong with this image. I like the out of focus rose...like ones peripheral vision it is a foreground that draws one closer to the subjects mouth and nose...I smell the rose as I brush by it...Don't do a thing to this compelling portrait. Outstanding!

The out of focus rose is the only thing I would face about this fine.

See if you like this cropping better

click the image to go to it's page :)

OR

This is the requested full color image

click the thumbnail image to go to it's page :)

No on the crop. I still think you were right before, but, like you, I think it's a close choice. Yes on the nose powder. In case I wasn't clear, though, I just meant the specular reflection on the tip - the glow was good. I can't tell for sure but you seem to have toned that down as well - not wrong, but not necessary either.

OK, I agreed, and now it's that way. Thanks Tom! :) As for the cropping... I'm torn. Can't have everything where would you put it???

C.K. can you up-load/add to this page the color edition of this photo??

I really like this, I think the sharp rose in the forground actually helps this shot.

 

It great.

 

Cheers

 

Mark

too much space on top and on right side, try cropping bach to the curled strand of hair in front of her face and down to where you can't see top of her head. before you do this try rotating picture to give a more upright feel. You provided a file big enough for me to copy and work with, I can send you a rendition of what I have done with it. note: I will delete this picture from my computer soon if I don't hear from you.

Yes, I think I like ISIDRO's crop the BEST.

Go with this for the printout. Could be a winner!

I also prefer the colour image. Mainly because it helps tonal separation more. Wide angles always distort a face and sometimes it works with a close up portrait and sometimes not, more often not. This is not a bad effort, her nose is slightly changed but overall the shot works. Do you normally use in PS image>adjustments>channel mixer> click monochrome and play with the red, green and blue channels. This works much better than just converting to grayscale

Actually that's not the method I've done. I'll look at it, but I actually separate the three channels into 3 separate grayscale images. Then discard the blue (most of the time) and then combine the green and red channels for the effect I want. I never just "convert to gray" though :)

WOW... I'd never tried that... it's definitely a quicker way to do that. Thanks. Less post conversion control, but nice anyway. Thanks!

 

As for the wide angle... it was at 35mm which is the equivalent of a 52.5mm (21.33mm ccd instead of 35mm film). I wonder what this would look like at a 105mm Equivalent tho, since don't most portraits get done at 105mm or something like that... a more flattering angle of view?

Thanks for the tip, Christopher. Now I see that if I put the channels in separate layers, I can use layer masks to have a different blend for different parts of the image. (I use GIMP, not PhotoShop, but same idea.)

Bring out tha GIMP ;)

 

you're welcome ;) of course, I think I said thanks, but in case I didn't... thanks, about the channel mixer :)

Great the way it is.

i'm more interested in seeing the woman's face. she seems more interesting than the picture allows her to be. i like her messy hair. i don't like the roses AT ALL. she shld look at the camera. what is she wearing, etc. is this what people look like when they actually smell flowers? i have to look.

yes, this is what she looked like smelling the flowers. this was the first of three shots smelling the flowers... the second two turned out very posed and awkward. I was taking a few shots to share her B-Day present, and saw this one. So... it's really about her AND the roses. I didn't decide, oh let's show some woman with some roses. Most of the shots I've taken thus far for the circle, have been, grab shots... they were there, I took them. I am thinking it might be appropriate to take some planned portrait, we'll see ;)

This was a bit of a grab shot, and a bit posed... I took 2 more after this, but as soon as she knew what I wanted, it was tough to get it. I think the single out of focus rose is a bit distracting, but I like how close the rest of the image is to a really nice portrait. I think it'd be too tight a crop without the rose. Tell me what you think? There are some examples of alternate cropping shown in the comments. Thanks for your feedback and or ratings.