2nd Attempt Added to Original Post: C&C requested

System

This is my first C and C post. I welcome all feedback as I am a newbie to photoshop and need all the practice I can get. The images below are of my baby girl. The first is straight out of the camera and the second is after a few adjustments in CS3.

BTW: what I was trying to accomplish was to remove some of the dirtiness of the picture and give her a kind of angelic look.

Steps I took:

1. Levels adjustment
2. Curves adjustment
3. Hue's and saturation adjustment (toned yellows done)
4. Photo filter (warming filter 81a)
5. dodged and burned the eyes
6. Flatten image
7. Filter -> distort _> diffuse glow
8. erase diffuse glow around and including her
9. clone and heal to pull the dirt out of the slide
10. photo filter (warming 85b)

Straight from Camera:



First photoshop attempt:



2nd photoshop attempt after valued C&C: Opinions requested!!

same process as first attempt removing the diffuse glow effect and paying more attention to fine tuning details
Added a causian blur.



Thanks for looking

jeffreaux2

Two comments.

1- The watermark is a big distraction.

2- The photo appears to have been heavily photoshopped. Was that your goal...to make the photo appear as though it were heavily altered?

System

watermark removed
Sorry about the watermarks, they are gone now.

I wasn't nessecarily looking to make it appear as if it had been heavily photoshopped.

I have seen some very interesting pictures that have this angelic type look to them almost making the subject appear very real but with this brilliant glow surrounding them. So maybe I was looking to make it look heavily photoshopped.

super star

Your original





After



Hi Barrotj,

Very very beautiful baby model you got...

Keep always your image looks reality when you not planned for any dreamy kind of shot... Reality which is very important in people photography ...

I did't do anything much in this picture.. i just followed a basic flow in PS...

* Curves adjusted
* contrast increased
* BG saturation decreased
* Subject sharpened
* Framed and Watermarked

Hope you like the changes....

PS: sorry for workshoped your image without asking.... hope you like my work

Super star

System

to superstar
very nice work, I have actually gotten alot of response stating the same. Less is more with children. Thanks for the work and the input!!

david-low

When come to portraiture, my liking is the original, at most with some tweaking on lighting or contrast. To make it looks angelic is quite artificial. Sorry, that's how I see it. But you have a nice gal.

System

To david-low and everybody
Please don't be sorry for your comments. I am asking for your opinions and they all count. In order for me to grow as a photographer, an artist and as a business; it is crucial for me to receive all feedback possible.
In my honest opinion, to only receive positive is not conducive to learning. Yes praise is ultimately what we strive for and I honestly crave it myself. But I would rather have the comments that those have already posted to help inspire, encourage and grow my abilities.

Thank you to all that have replied thus far!! Please don't stop!!

System

2nd attempt added to original post C&C requested
Please take a look and provided feedback. Thanks for looking!