Improve this "Bride at the Window" picture?

seeker

I'm not sure whether this post belongs here or in the "Techniques" thread, so I will just post it here for now.

I have been playing around in Photoshop, trying to improve the following picture I took a couple weeks ago at a wedding I shot:



I think the picture has some good potential; I just can't seem to draw anything more out of the image than I have done so far.

Anyone got any ideas?

Brian

digismile

Brian,

What more are you trying to "draw out"? Are you happy with the blown out window? I think the effect gives a bit a of a magical, fantasy like feeling. Or were you wanting better detail in the window?

If anything, you might want the overall image to have a soft focus feel. The bottom of the dress shows a bit sharper detail than the top half. Maybe try a soft vignette around the edge to give focus to the bride.

A much tighter crop might assist in this. Maybe 8x10 format of just the window area. You'd lose a lot of the dress, but end up with a soft, highkey image.

It really depends on what you want this picture to be.

arodney

You have the Raw or it's an in-camera JPEG? IF the former, there's lots that can probably be pulled out of the window as far as detail is concerned. If JPEG, you're kind of stuck. Highlight clipping means no data in a rendered image.

D.Rodgers

I would high key the window,this will put some focus on the bride and a little more contrast after that.
Then crop the little bit of red wall on the right out ,its taking away from the bride.
Last maybe try a bit of selective blurring on the bottom half to soften it a bit.

jfriend

seeker wrote:

I'm not sure whether this post belongs here or in the "Techniques" thread, so I will just post it here for now.

I have been playing around in Photoshop, trying to improve the following picture I took a couple weeks ago at a wedding I shot:

I think the picture has some good potential; I just can't seem to draw anything more out of the image than I have done so far.

Anyone got any ideas?

Brian

I like this shot.

As others have said, the window highlights are gone from this JPEG so you'd need a RAW original to try to recover some of them. But, leaving the highlights as they are, there are things you can do with the foreground to add contrast and pull out some more detail.

• Some shadow/highlights
• A curve with a contrast mask to raise contrast in just the foreground
• Some selective sharpening

Modified version on the left, your posting on the right

edgework

Seems to me the point of the image is the gown. Could bring some more drama out of the intricate folds of cloth.

D.Rodgers

Heres my quick edit on it ..
I dont believe in doing heavy processing but in this case I would have shot it this way..

Betzi

Lovely photo...but the thing that detracts me is the color. Even with the red dulled down...there are still those two competing color spots...the green and the red. I am thinking that it might just make a very rich black and white.

cabbey

Betzi wrote:

Lovely photo...but the thing that detracts me is the color. Even with the red dulled down...there are still those two competing color spots...the green and the red. I am thinking that it might just make a very rich black and white.

Agree 100%.

pyrtek

Another B&W.

RogersDA

Quick mode:

z_28

Betzi

I love it in black and white ! One little thing....is that window lock...in the way visually? I think it could...go away

lindse

How about these takes? I used lightroom..






and my fav:

lindse

Betzi wrote:

I love it in black and white ! One little thing....is that window lock...in the way visually? I think it could...go away

I cloned it away on all mine - cause it disturbed my eye

fehlinger

I think a 5 x 7 crop where you start in the upper left corner and crop for removal of any red paint from her right side looks nice. I also like the way it looks with a soft blur in both color and B/W.

kimhayes

I tried b&w with a soft focus. :shrug:

chrisjlee

kimhayes wrote:

I tried b&w with a soft focus. :shrug:

There a different angle?

kimhayes

chrisjlee wrote:

There a different angle?

I was messing in PSP, and did a soft focus on it. Not sure what you mean.

seeker

Wow, thanks for all the feedback and samples! I have made some changes, based on some of the suggestions made, as follows:

- brushed out the window handle
- provided two different versions, one cropped in closer

In addition, I noticed this horrible red tint to the dress, no doubt due to bouncing my flash off that VERY red wall, so I took the tint out of the dress.

Here is what I ended up with:





- Brian