Alex again

anonymouscuban

Here is another edited headshot of Alex. Anything different you'd do?

Bryce Wilson

This could just be me and how my old mind works, but this looks more like an artists rendition than a photograph to me.

Not that that's a bad thing...

Depends on whatcha are going for.

Qarik

I would tone down the high light on her nose..and her skin looks a touch leathery (maybe over sharpened?)

anonymouscuban

Interesting replies so far, especially Bryce's. Is it the lighting?

Hmm. Maybe a little too much tonal contrast?



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Bilsen

Calling on my expertise from literally DAYS of studio work, I think the light is a bit harsh. Her nose and her right cheek seem a little hard. Maybe back off the clarity setting in PP?

divamum

First off, great shot. All comments below made with that in mind (in other words, this is serious photographer nit-picking NOT necessarily things that make or break the shot.

Disclaimer: on a pos monitor at the college, so will not comment on brightness/exposure etc. I will say on this monitor I'm seeing the skin a little "crispy" - looks like you've done fashion-retouchign (rather than smoothing) and gone a little too far. I'll chime in on that when I'm back at home on a decent monitor, since it's entirely possible it is only because of the rendition on this thing.

Other things I would do (Bryce, Hack, Qarik and Zoomer will all tell me it's a complete waste of time since nobody will notice, but hey - it's the way I roll ):

1. Camera right: stray hairs above her shoulder. I wouldn't take all of them out since it will look unnatural, but I would clean it up a bit there.
2. Camera right decolletage: stray hairs just above the neckline
3. Camera right neck: extra piece of hair about an inch under her jaw.
4. Camera left neck: maybe take out the stray piece of hair sitting on her neck under her jaw.
5. The frayed edge on her sweater bugs the crap out of me. I'm sure that's the actual garment, but - especially because it isn't uniform around the entire neckline - it looks messy to me.
6. Smooth sweater creases at armpit/top of bra on both sides.
7. Possibly clean up stray hairs on camera right sweater at arm (pretty much same area as number 6)
?8. Looks like some smudgy cloning on camera left hair (approximately mouth height, where the hair is against the background). Just tidy it up a little.
?9. is that a bra strap or shirt under hair hair, camera left?

NY photographer Sean Turi used to have a cool retouch video on his site, but i can't find it anymore (you may have better luck than I do - please share if you find the link!) However, here are some before/afters; I really liked the shots he took for some singer friends, and I can say they most definitely "looked like them on a good day" (the ultimate goal in headshots). His philosophy is pretty much the same as mine:

"Any professionally used image should be retouched. Good retouching not only corrects a lot of the small things such as redness, blemishes, shine, wrinkles, fly away hairs, etc. It also deals with light and color management, bringing vibrancy and depth back into your shot. Good retouching shouldn’t change what you look like, in fact it shouldn’t look retouched at all."

anonymouscuban

Could be the sharpening as Daniel mentioned. Although, I didn't push it more than usual. Could be her skin tone and the lighting though. I'll rework and post it. And thanks guys. Something about the shot was bugging me but wasn't sure what.

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puzzledpaul

Whilst I know I'm trespassing, it has a 3D rendered model feel ... think it's the symmetry (bar eye size) and the even-ness of shadows.

pp

Dooginfif20

Man I must be either blind or bat $hit crazy because I think this rocks! You are making me want to by the tri reflector holder! I am loving the light produced!

Mitchell

I just don't like the pose. She is just too square to the camera and looks broad. Her chin being tucked down a bit really elongates her nose and makes the tip of her nose look droopy. Then the shadow under her nasal tip makes it worse. Not a flattering pose of a beautiful gal.

anonymouscuban

Mitchell, I have to completely disagree with you on that. Yeah, I know it's a big no-no to traditional posing to place a gal square to the camera but this girl is tiny. And maybe I'm biased but I don't think the pose makes her look at all broad shouldered. Also, I don't find her nose objectionably long or distorted by the pose. Guess will just agree to disagree on this one.

Here is a rework of the photo. I cleaned up some of the stuff that Diva mentioned. I also toned back the sharpening, primarily on the skin. And I toned down the highlight on the bridge of her nose as well.

Better?

windoze

Bryce Wilson wrote: »

This could just be me and how my old mind works, but this looks more like an artists rendition than a photograph to me.

Not that that's a bad thing...

Depends on whatcha are going for.

im not one to judge but this is exactly word for word what i was thinking....
i suppose this is where im suppose to offer a suggestion, but i dont really have one.

win

Dooginfif20

I like the reworked one better Alex. I happen to like the pose and it works straight on in this case. Great work and please keep them coming!

Qarik

2nd rework looks good alex. sometimes I think you make mistakes "on purpose" so we can "correct" them and up the post count on your own threads. *wags finger* no worries though..I will take the bait every time!

anonymouscuban

Thanks guys. Lol Daniel. Honest I don't. Seriously, I get lazy sometimes. I saw a lot of the things that were pointed out, but I didn't feel like fixing them. I posted it to see if they would get noticed. Now, the crispy skin, that I didnt really catch. Well, I knew something was off, just not sure what. Also, I'm still trying to figure out how to process for the headshot look.

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Hackbone

What was your focal length?

Mitchell

anonymouscuban wrote: »

Mitchell, I have to completely disagree with you on that. Yeah, I know it's a big no-no to traditional posing to place a gal square to the camera but this girl is tiny. And maybe I'm biased but I don't think the pose makes her look at all broad shouldered. Also, I don't find her nose objectionably long or distorted by the pose. Guess will just agree to disagree on this one.

Sorry to disagree, but I'm a nose doctor. When we look at ideal nasal esthetics, the nasal tip should not extend below the nasal spine (the root of the nose). To my eye, she looks like she has a droopy nasal tip due to your angle and her pose. The shadow below makes it appear even worse. I think your main light was too high and she needed to lift her chin a bit.

Look at diva's last series. That woman did not have a small nose, but all the poses were uplifting.

kdog

Mitchell wrote: »

I just don't like the pose. She is just too square to the camera and looks broad. Her chin being tucked down a bit really elongates her nose and makes the tip of her nose look droopy. Then the shadow under her nasal tip makes it worse. Not a flattering pose of a beautiful gal.

FWIW, this is precisely what I was thinking when I saw the shot. The eyes and smile almost pull it off, but not quite.

anonymouscuban

Hackbone wrote: »

What was your focal length?

125mm

divamum

:lurk