Headshots Redux: Final shots, Ann (C&C please)

divamum · April 11, 2009

Ok, so I heard from one of the students with her choices, and am working on them.

Cf previous thread, crops are pretty much what is possible given the required 8x10 ratio, but I would really welcome all your expert eyes regarding the processing - both style/colour/quality, and any specific details I may have missed.

The agreement was they get 1 hard-copy BW print of one shot; because I'm nice (and trying to make myself work to professional standards), I told them they could pick up to 4 others which I would process and give them as digital copies. (Yes, I must be insane, especially given what the "fee" was. Don't ask. Y'all will strangle me for agreeing to do this much for that little even as a learning experience, although in the context of a "student" gig I believe it was more than the department has ever paid!! I'm not sure if I find that tragic, or amusing.... :rolleyes)

(Note that skin processing is not intended to nor should it be as strong in these as in beauty/fashion work - I'm aiming for a very natural look even though there has been a pretty hefy amount of work to make it look like a perfect-but-unretouched complexion)

Thanks in advance!!!

1. Her primary choice

2. BW conversion of the above, thus the one I have to print (I was happy with this when I did it yesterday; now I'm not so sure... looks a bit flat and bleah to me now... )

3.

4

5. My least favorite, but she asked for it so.... (I haven't cropped this one to 8x10 - there's just no room. It's not her "official" shot, so this one can just stay in the original aspect ratio!)

whiterice · April 11, 2009

IMO - #1 is the best shot. This shot looks very natural to me. The skin looks great, not over-retouched. I love the way you've filled the frame with the crop. The eyes look GREAT!

There is some loss of detail (particularly the lips) with the BW conversion. Perhaps you could slightly adjust the midtones in a curves adjustment? I don't think at all that the conversion looks flat as you mentioned.

Very nice work.

SFGfx · April 11, 2009

Outstanding. These came out really well.

with Whiterice. More contrast on the lips would help out the B&W a lot.

Mike

divamum · April 11, 2009

whiterice wrote:

IMO - #1 is the best shot. This shot looks very natural to me. The skin looks great, not over-retouched. I love the way you've filled the frame with the crop. The eyes look GREAT!

There is some loss of detail (particularly the lips) with the BW conversion. Perhaps you could slightly adjust the midtones in a curves adjustment? I don't think at all that the conversion looks flat as you mentioned.

Very nice work.

Thanks, both of you - appreciate the feedback! I've got 3 more batches to produce, so I hope people don't mind too much that I'm Posty McPosterton - it really REALLY helps to hear what other people are seeing in them.

I like the first one best as well - in fact, it's the one I did even before she picked it. I'll have a look at the lips - the problem is with the red hair that if I adjust the bw red channel darker, it takes her hair and skin tones too dark; I think I'll have to figure out how to do it in multiple layers....

rutt · April 11, 2009

I think I'd like darker hair in the B&W conversion and maybe darker skin as well. It needs contrast and the darker hair would frame her face well. Maybe just use the green channel?

Try USM with a very large radius and low amount (like maybe 20+ radius and 30 amount) after you have converted and curved a bit. That will help with contrast a lot and give a sense of sharpness without damaging her skin.

divamum · April 11, 2009

Thanks Rutt - I was hoping you'd chime in! I'll play with those conversion suggestions.

Btw, I've been using your blue-curves-adjustment technique, and was wondering if I'm getting close? I sometimes find it takes it yellower than my eye likes, but I'm trying to do it by the numbers, especially with the unusual colouring this one has. Comments welcomed!

rutt · April 11, 2009

divamum wrote:

Thanks Rutt - I was hoping you'd chime in! I'll play with those conversion suggestions.

Btw, I've been using your blue-curves-adjustment technique, and was wondering if I'm getting close? I sometimes find it takes it yellower than my eye likes, but I'm trying to do it by the numbers, especially with the unusual colouring this one has. Comments welcomed!

These are still a little too magenta, especially the cheeks. Should never be more magenta than yellow unless there is a good reason. Don't trust your eyes at first on this.

divamum · April 11, 2009

rutt wrote:

These are still a little too magenta, especially the cheeks. Should never be more magenta than yellow unless there is a good reason. Don't trust your eyes at first on this.

Thanks Rutt. What's confusing me slightly - or at least making me wonder if I haven't quite grasped the technique yet - is that when I adjusted it further myself, it just looked *orange* (I was in RGB and checking that blue was less than green - a spread of maybe 2-9 pts between them.) Where'd I go wrong? Thanks for these very helpful pointers - I've been following your many comments on this and am deeply appreciative of your continued generosity in helping those of us just learning this!!