how to make this image better

Six Bees

Hi everyone, I have someone interested in using this photograph in a medical research brochure (they found it by searching smugmugs popular images of he day). I have done a bit in photoshop to clean up the background, cleaned up her face a tad....what do you all suggest from this point on? Since this will be printed and distributed, I don't want to look back in a year and say....ahhh the exposure was way off etc.
Should I run a sharpening filter on it? Does the fact that she has little to no catchlight in her left eye bother any of you...it does me but I am not sure that putting one in will look wrong. Should I lighten her eyes? UGH, I am excited and nervous, and I just want it to be the best I can make it.
Thanks in advance everyone!
Carrie

Pupator

Can't see it :cry

[edit] Okay, I copied/pasted in the link into a browser and can now see it.

The lack of catchlight doesn't bother me because of the angle. It looks very, very good as is. The only thing I might suggest is smoothing her skin just a touch.

Six Bees

Pupator wrote:

Can't see it :cry

not sure why you can't see it in he post...but here is he link

http://carriebassettphotography.smugmug.com/photos/128345715-M-1.jpg

DoctorIt

even with the link, I can't see it

DavidTO

Bees,

Make sure you've read the link in my signature about how to post a picture.

Also, know that the Whipping Post is about Critique. If you're looking for shooting advice, the it's off to Technique with you, and if it's post-processign advice, then you should be posting in Finishing School. Here you get the cold, hard truth via critique.

Six Bees

DavidTO wrote:

Bees,

Make sure you've read the link in my signature about how to post a picture.

Also, know that the Whipping Post is about Critique. If you're looking for shooting advice, the it's off to Technique with you, and if it's post-processign advice, then you should be posting in Finishing School. Here you get the cold, hard truth via critique.

Thanks, I didn't have the right think clicked off to have it show in forums (atleast I think that was what the deal was). Thanks for helping out with that.
I am looking for hard truth here via critique. Thanks for your time.

DavidTO

Six Bees wrote:

Thanks, I didn't have the right think clicked off to have it show in forums (atleast I think that was what the deal was). Thanks for helping out with that.
I am looking for hard truth here via critique. Thanks for your time.

Yabbut you're asking for post processing advice, not critique, so off to Finishing School you go!

edgework

Mostly she looks too red and with not enough contrast. As a last step I used a High-Pass filter in Linear Light mode, 50% opacity with a .5 pixel radius. Also lightened the eye area slightly. It shouldn't be as bright as the other eye, but it's getting lost in an unnecessary shadow. These are all small moves but they add up.

Duffy Pratt

I took a shot at this. I did curves in CMYK, then sharpened the black channel. Then moved to LAB, and did applied the A and B channels to themselves in overlay mode, at 15%.

Edit, flattened the AB curves some, to pull the excess saturation out (called too red in another post).

Duffy

Six Bees

thanks all for the advice...I am going to work on those issues! I appreciate all your time.
Carrie

Pupator

FWIW -
both edited versions are far to bright for me (the 2nd is far too red). I may just be my eyes, but I find the OP version to be the most pleasing of the 3.

Six Bees

Pupator wrote:

FWIW -
both edited versions are far to bright for me (the 2nd is far too red). I may just be my eyes, but I find the OP version to be the most pleasing of the 3.

I attempted to address the various issues mentioned...I smoothed the skin a bit, lightened her eyes and made it a bit less red, but I didn't want to lose the red in her hair too much. I hope I have done her MORE justice, but I am sure there is still room for improvement.
Thanks again for checking it out!!!

Pupator

Ahhh, yes! I think this is excellent.

xris

Six Bees wrote:

I attempted to address the various issues mentioned...I smoothed the skin a bit, lightened her eyes and made it a bit less red, but I didn't want to lose the red in her hair too much. I hope I have done her MORE justice, but I am sure there is still room for improvement.
Thanks again for checking it out!!!

Looks good. Just one little heads-up. Are you in touch with the Creative Director in charge of the brochure project? He/she can kill ya, or crown ya, so an open dialogue can be very useful.