Maisie

ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
edited April 28, 2005 in People
This is my niece, Maisie. She's turning into one of my favorite subjects, though she is very hard to hunt down.

Taken at my sister's birthday party. The final frontier, event photography.

20333432-L.jpg
If not now, when?

Comments

  • KhaosKhaos Registered Users Posts: 2,435 Major grins
    edited April 23, 2005
    Beautiful girl and shot of her, but I wish the other head wasn't in the shot. Ain't that the thing though? Candids are hard some times.
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2005
    Khaos wrote:
    Beautiful girl and shot of her, but I wish the other head wasn't in the shot. Ain't that the thing though? Candids are hard some times.

    It's her mother. I debated cropping, etc. But decided to leave well enough alone.
    If not now, when?
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2005
    rutt - she is gorgeous and it's a lovely candid. i think you need to get some color into this girl though! i'm not going to advise how, though i can say that the pic seems a bit (bit!) washed color-wise. would love to see come redder lips too :D
  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2005
    It's a good shot. Eyes and complexion really nice thumb.gif
    The overall look makes me a little tense, but then again I've come back a couple times to look, so thats real good too thumb.gif
    IMO maybe a real tight crop might work ne_nau.gif, might make it even more tense headscratch.gifuhoh
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2005
    OK, you guys talked me into playing with it some more. This picture has an interesting feature, no real highlight. So perhaps I overexposed the raw conversion in an effort to spread the right end of the histogram.

    Here is a darker conversion:

    20372080-M.jpg

    Took to LAB and steepend the L curve through the highlights and high midtones to bring out skin detail (maybe wouldn't do this with an adult woman) and again in the low midtones and shadows to bring out detail in her eye.

    20372092-M.jpg

    20372214-S.jpg

    Added saturation by steepening the A+B curves symmetrically:

    20372121-M.jpg

    Finally, cropped and did a little cloning to isolate her from her mother (more easily done in PS than real life.)

    20372979-L.jpg

    Each step got sharpening, but that hair takes a real light touch, perhaps I overdid. The originals are availalbe, take a look if you like.

    Comments?
    If not now, when?
  • bfjrbfjr Registered Users Posts: 10,980 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2005
    Top notch Job thumb.gifthumb.gifthumb.gif
    IMO very compelling portrait clap.gif
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2005
    coloring looks to me much better, john!
  • lynnmalynnma Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 5,208 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2005
    Thats beautiful Rutt.. I really love it without the second figure in there.. even if she was the mom... beautiful texture and color and no I don't think you oversharpened anywhere.. congrats.. it's lovely clap.gifclap.gifclap.gif
  • GREAPERGREAPER Registered Users Posts: 3,113 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2005
    Great shot Rutt, perfectly improved.
  • USAIRUSAIR Registered Users Posts: 2,646 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2005
  • ginger_55ginger_55 Registered Users Posts: 8,416 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2005
    I love it, though I guess I also like anemic photos of kids. A touch of pink in the lips, etc. From high key to low key, smile.

    I certainly do love the finished product, here..............except the upper left corner bothers me. Does it bother you? It looks me me like you were trying to keep the hair.......the easy way.

    g
    After all is said and done, it is the sweet tea.
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited April 24, 2005
    Very nice, John. I agree that photographically speaking her mother had to go. I thinkthe increased color saturation was helpful also. Very nice.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • david_hdavid_h Registered Users Posts: 463 Major grins
    edited April 24, 2005
    Very nice work. I appreciate that you are sharing your LAB colour techniques with us.
    You've opened my imagination to how I can improve some of my own work. Being pretty new to digital, I learn something new about using PS everyday.
    ____________
    Cheers!
    David
    www.uniqueday.com
  • coldclimbcoldclimb Registered Users Posts: 1,169 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2005
    Oh man Rutt, that last one is awesome! Taking out the other face made it a LOT better. Makes me ALMOST wish I had a little kid or two around to take pics of. :D Too bad though, my sister and neice live thousands of miles away. ne_nau.gif
    John Borland
    www.morffed.com
  • Phil U.Phil U. Registered Users Posts: 1,330 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2005
    rutt wrote:
    Finally, cropped and did a little cloning to isolate her from her mother (more easily done in PS than real life.)

    20372979-L.jpg

    Each step got sharpening, but that hair takes a real light touch, perhaps I overdid. The originals are availalbe, take a look if you like.

    Comments?

    There ya go Rutt - you took a shot with potential and brought it to reality. clap.gif

    (what's with the blue line at the top of the image though? ne_nau.gif )
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited April 25, 2005
    Thank you everyone. I appreciate the feedback, especially the early feedback from Andy and Khaos which led me to improve the color and crop and clone away the other face.
    If not now, when?
  • AngeloAngelo Super Moderators Posts: 8,937 moderator
    edited April 25, 2005
  • mereimagemereimage Registered Users Posts: 448 Major grins
    edited April 28, 2005
    Great job Rutt
    Perhaps just a slight Gaussian blur to cheeks and forehead feathered of via a layer mask to give her an even creamier glow to her skin. Not a critisism since its already better than I can do. I enjoy your work and insights and have fun following yours and pathfinders discussions////Mereimage
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited April 28, 2005
    mereimage wrote:
    Perhaps just a slight Gaussian blur to cheeks and forehead feathered of via a layer mask to give her an even creamier glow to her skin. Not a critisism since its already better than I can do. I enjoy your work and insights and have fun following yours and pathfinders discussions////Mereimage

    Thanks. Criticism, feedback, suggestions are always welcome. Gaussian blur isn't really in my bag of tricks, but I've been thinking I should explore it more.
    If not now, when?
  • ruttrutt Registered Users Posts: 6,511 Major grins
    edited April 28, 2005
    Phil U. wrote:
    (what's with the blue line at the top of the image though? ne_nau.gif )

    A cropping blunder. I cought it before I read your comment. Why does PS make this so easy to do?
    If not now, when?
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