engagement portraits ~ post-processing help wanted

[jemmy]

hi guys, yesterday i shot some engagement portraits for friends of ours... nothing formal or paid, just wanted to get some nice shots for them as an engagement present. Used my new 50mm1.8lens which i need loads more practice with (hence lots of out of focus bits & pieces! ) Anyway, in my other thread i was asking for post-processing advice so thought posting might help...Any comments/feedback always appreciated xx:heart:
PS.. just noticed some things look over sharpened - i did this converting my RAWS, bumping the sharpening to mid-high...still have originals so will fix this later x (markc was definitely right, sharpen later! thanks x)

#1... here is the 'regrowth' dilemma!! any photoshopping ideas to help her out????? also, aperture was 1.8, leaving only front eye in focus - is this ever acceptable and if she was facing the camera directly, would both eyes then be in focus???? please excuse the oversharpened hair in this one!:blushing:

#2... in this one, just lopped off the regrowth! kinda like it though??

#3...

#4...slight curves adjustment, tried to whiten teeth and whites of eyes by lasooing and upping curves?? any better ideas????????

#6... this is my fave, that i hope to have mounted on matte board for people to sign at their engagement party ~ please help me decide on colour...

or#7, black & white...

thanks for looking xx:heart:

All of my pictures are okay to edit, so long as you promise to share your secrets!!

 

[Sharkbait]

Very cute stuff. This is some of your best work so far!!

#1 looks like it could use a bit of warming...it's got a bluish cast to it that the others don't have, and #2 is gorgeous (even though I usually like very deep, contrasty bw stuff, this is almost high-key and it works very well!)

Cheers mate!

 

[whardman]

I'm no PS expert (as I only have gimp), but try using the airbrush with a rate around 15 and pressure about 4. What I found created the most natural look was Grain Extract. As for the color try to find something that matches her hair color.

 

[Sharkbait]

Regarding that last set, definitely go with the bw. The guy is just a tiny tiny bit soft, and going bw hides that more effectively.

 

[markc]

I really like what you did with #4. It's a subtle edit, but has such a big difference in feel. You are really getting the hang of this.

I like the crop down in #2. The one eye out of focus doesn't work for me in #1 because of the pose, but it does in #2 because it feels so much more intimate. I'd crop #2 square, coming in on each side, so that her one eye in focus isn't on the center line. That feels a little unbalanced.

The last one doesn't work for me because he's looking at the camera and she's looking up at him. It's kind of a pimp-daddy thing (but still an adorable pimp-daddy thing).

 

[ShelleySnapz]

to sharpen you can use your unsharp mask tool
to brighten whites use the dodge tool, these are prety good Jemmy!

 

[AprilRamone]

I like the last one so much better in color. It's just so much warmer and the B&W version seems like it just doesn't have enough contrast. #2 is really cute. I like how you got in closer and it eliminated your problem anyway

 

[bethany138]

WOW! You have improved so much! I really like the second. Its hard not to use 1.8 on that lens isn't it. Lol. I have to force myself to stop down a little...lol

good job!