Can I get your opinion please?

System

Tried a new dodge and burn technique and wanted to know what ya thought. Let's try and keep the discussion focused on the technique / results and not the merits of the original image ok?

original


and reworked

System

41 people with no opinion?

Well, you're lucky. Tonight I'll give you mine and you can pretend it was yours. The reworked image is better and the technique is a good one. You should try it.

gus

I think its better. Takes that slight blowout to the left of the shot away.

ian408

The first one isn't too bad. But it lacks shadow detail. You've managed to
recover some of it in the second print. As Gus notes, the blown sky benefits
from this technique too.

System

It's an interesting approach to dodge and burn which I usually find to be difficult to control. It seemed to offer a much more subtle application of the tools. I'm looking forward to further exploration. I'm such a photoshop n00b it'sm constantly blowing me away with just how powerful it is in the right hands.

Derno

i love the shot itself.. just a question, do you just go up to random people and ask if you can take their picture, i always wondered that with photographers, because i see a lot of photos with ranom people on the street that are all up close and stuff. i dunno it just seems weird for the person to be like yeah! take a picture of me!

judah

truth wrote:

41 people with no opinion?

Well, you're lucky. Tonight I'll give you mine and you can pretend it was yours. The reworked image is better and the technique is a good one. You should try it.

Hi Chad,
I found the first shot already quite good. It is difficult to pick out details in the face but the same goes for the reworked image. Both are very nice, I see just a little bit more of contrast on the second.

Halliday

You seem to have improved parts of the photo but not the most important part to me, his face. Being too dark that is

DoctorIt

I see only a very very slight difference... so that says 2 things, its a very subtle technique and/or an already good photo.

photogmomma

I see some very subtle differences and I'm not sure if it improves it enough. I think both shots could benefit from lightening his face. He has so much character I think bringing it out would only improve the shot. The few other things I can see (sky, shoe) do help, but I think that would help the most.

I am very impressed with the fact that I can't really see where it was done without studying the image at length. that's one reason I never dodge/burn. I'm going to have to check out the technique later when I have time!

HTH.