pleased

[BARBARA LUKE]

Just got this pic back from the printers .....I am so pleased with it....
Barbara

[lightwrangler]

The expression is very lovely ... but I have a problem with the floating disembodied head. I would love to see just a hint of shoulder or background to anchor the subject. It would help justify the cropping as well.

Just my 2 cents
cheers,
Adrian

[Melody]

Just got this pic back from the printers .....I am so pleased with it....
Barbara

Hi Barbara,

I'm very happy for you!

As Adrian said a lovely expression as well:)

You don't have a request for a critique, or discussion however if you'd like to discuss the black background and what lighting/setup you used? I personally found the black seamless paper to be quite frustrating, so I quit using it for my low key things.

Melody

[easternherp]

Lovely expression Barbara, but I agree with Adrian, I am not keen on the floating head.
Perhaps there is more detail in the printed version and it is just the compression for the web that has lost the detail.

[BARBARA LUKE]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to comment...I don't mind any critique so fell free i need all the help i can get.... ...... It was not a studio shot, its all PS work .....I feel i have come to a standstill now, maybe just some more practise...... Cheers Barbara

[Swampy]

I think it's an excellent try Barb. The lightning on the face is great, but like everyone said, the floating head thing is very odd.

If you could get just a little bit of light falling on the shoulders to where the arms just start to get lit up, it would give the viewer some tension to go with (they will just imagine the rest of the body with the arm lines being slightly lit).

Don't be at a standstill. Work with it. You're almost there with it!

[Melody]

Thank you all so much for taking the time to comment...I don't mind any critique so fell free i need all the help i can get.... ...... It was not a studio shot, its all PS work .....I feel i have come to a standstill now, maybe just some more practise...... Cheers Barbara

Ok Barb..

There is help here just ask..I'm no expert however I'll be the first to try and the others with more experience can follow. I was just talking to Brian the other day I don't mind a critique at all myself IF the person giving it can tell me how to make it better given the circumstances I shot in.

First it would help a lot if we could see the original file and what you were working with, can you post that? I did try to take this image into PS, it appears you did paint around most of it as I couldn't get any detail back with shadow/highlight, exposure or gamma tools.

Most times you do want to have your subject separated from the background if your seeing an area with the body it anchors the image so to speak...especially if it's dark hair, if you don't they just have a face no hair, does that make sense?

Let's say you go into the studo to 'set' up this shot, black background, make sure your subject is sitting away from it maybe 6 feet or so, turn on your modeling lamp so you can see just where that light is hitting an how much is on the background as well...if you like the effect then shoot. If not and there isn't light on the back and you like that then either a hair light or a reflector behind them so that light bounces back to separate the shoulder/hair from the background will do it. Black on black is similar to white on white for me. I shot a young lady who is black, so very black hair on a black background just to try it I can post the image if you'd like to see it.

Now back to this one if you post the original there are PS folks here who can maybe show you what to do with your image to get that detail in the clothing and yet have your dark background desired. IF that's what you want, your pleased with the image as it is and that's the important part!

Melody

[BARBARA LUKE]

Well Melody thank you so much for the offer of help.....It was only a quick shot that i taken of my grandson......as you can see i have posted the original pic... could not send the large file so its 1000 pix......It was only a quick shot that i taken of my grandson......looks a bit blured to me now... see what you think..... :cheers: Barbara
PS yes i would like to see the image you talked about......XXXX

[Melody]

Well lady you picked a very difficult or time consuming thing to do and you did it well!:clap:

For me personally nothing is more of a pain to do then extract hair;)

I didn't take the time or go into the detail the image would require however here's a quick go and this is what I did..

First I made a layer plain black

Then I used the magic wand and extracted your grandson from the original image

Then I converted it to b&w (my conversion came no where close to yours....UNTIL I adjusted the curves...THAT is where you loose all detail in the shirt:woot:

So I made a duplicate layer...and then placed it over my new original b&w and masked back in the shirt.

I do like the curves adjustment and what it did to his hair your concept there in my opinion is great!

Now I did this really fast and I already see I didn't line up the border line:surrender but you'll get the idea... let me know what you think of this sort of concept, and if you see the difference in having his shirt in there.

It's a lot easier to do it with black paper in the studio!:lol: I'm sure you know that though.

Melody

[Melody]

Just noticed comparing Barbara yours still has more of a curves adjustment (making the hair darker).

Melody

Oops sorry I forgot to include images you wanted...

Colors probably wont' show right I loved her skin it basically just glows under the studio lights...I shoot and print in rgb not srgb as the web likes and I don't change it for it LOL!

One isn't cropped correctly however it will show you black skin, background, shirt, hair and chair all in one.

[BARBARA LUKE]

Melody you are a gem, looks great :goldcup:..... I have had another try .....i gave it a little crop>then B/W> i lightened the blue to lighten up the t-shirt...took it to filter ,distort ,lens correction then ,-100% vignette darken and +40% midpoint.....Then used the dodge tool to finish the dark shading around the hair ... last a touch of contrast and a very small unsharpen mask....What do you think... Barbara

[BARBARA LUKE]

OOOPPPs forgot to upload the pic...... Barbara

[BARBARA LUKE]

WOW Melody thet are beautiful....love the skintone :goldcup::goldcup:...""""I wish I wish"""""....Yes excellent images......Barbara

[Melody]

Thanks Barbara:)

Now your second try I like much better!!:clap::clap:

The only thing I might try differently is to yet again anchor the image for presentation... if you want a vignette around the image then just leave it as a smaller picture with a vignette, the border of white is too far from the end of the subject just my opinion. it's all personal preference try both and see which you like better.

Just play, practice, and experiment, it's the fun of it;) Your not at a standstill at all:cheers:

Melody

[BARBARA LUKE]

Meolody i only put the framing on for the web.... I don't do that on going to print......Thank you sooo much ..Wish my work was half as good as yours....:goldcup:

I have just been to look at a small place to use for a studio but was not very nice, and they wanted too much for rental for the area it was in...........Barbara

[Melody]

Hi Barbara,

I see I didn't know that, good job!

Your quite welcome, thank you for the compliment, I'm happy to help with what I've learned so far, however believe me I've got so much more to learn, others here have much greater experience then I do, someday I'll get where I want to be with it. However maybe not constantly learnng and the challenge of new situations means we'll never get bored :)

I hope you find a place you like it's a big task to take lights up and down, keep searching you never know when it will pop up.

Best wishes

Melody

[Igor]

Barbara, I love the first (original) version, really great work!

[BARBARA LUKE]

Thank you Igor... i like that one but at the same time i am so greatful for all the help and advice i got from Meoldy.... her portraits are sooo good.....I wish i lived near her....LOL.... Not having a studio i don't get enough pratice.....Cheers Barbara