NEED opinions please

[M1M]

I am decent with CS2 and am trying to learn post processing a bit.

Did it help or hurt it? I have shown this pic a few times already I know, so bare with me. It's the only pic I have taken where the DOF seams perfect to me. I have taken maybe 20 pictures with my Nikon I'm not completely scared to show people. This one captured a ton of detail IMO.


Before

After

 

[Tighearnach]

I personally prefer the original but the second one is good too.

 

[M1M]

I personally prefer the original but the second one is good too.

Why?

Look fake?

 

[Tighearnach]

Yeah its hard to put my finger on. The eyes stand out in the second one nicely but everything thats in black and white just doesnt work for me. Sorry i cant help further but my post processing skills are non existent......

 

[Mav]

I'm not personally a fan of selective color stuff, but I think you did a good job and that #2 looks nice!

 

[LaFoto]

The technical side of your post processing work is flawless. No doubt. Well done. Selective colouring isn't everybody's cup of tea, though. When I first learnt how it is being done, of course I had to try it on my cat's eyes, too, and on a good many other things, but after the wave had flushed over me, I preferred to leave it ... not my thing.

And by the way, I moved your thread out of The Beginners' Place. That forum is more just for questions and answers, see? But the galleries are for presenting and viewing photos.

 

[M1M]

The technical side of your post processing work is flawless. No doubt. Well done. Selective colouring isn't everybody's cup of tea, though. When I first learnt how it is being done, of course I had to try it on my cat's eyes, too, and on a good many other things, but after the wave had flushed over me, I preferred to leave it ... not my thing.

And by the way, I moved your thread out of The Beginners' Place. That forum is more just for questions and answers, see? But the galleries are for presenting and viewing photos.

Hey thanks!

Im still having troubles deciding where to post.

Also thanks for the C&C exactly what I needed to hear.

Any suggestions on what direction I should have went in or what I should try?

 

[LaFoto]

If you wanted to do selective colouring, then ... yes, you did just THE right thing!

Oh, one little remark: once you decide to include a cat's ears into the frame (in most cases I feel including them is a must, but that is just me, and haven't I taken a photo of my cat Mia only this morning WITHOUT her ears???), they must stay WHOLE, I feel. Don't clip them off - ouch. Poor kitty .

 

[M1M]

If you wanted to do selective colouring, then ... yes, you did just THE right thing!

Oh, one little remark: once you decide to include a cat's ears into the frame (in most cases I feel including them is a must, but that is just me, and haven't I taken a photo of my cat Mia only this morning WITHOUT her ears???), they must stay WHOLE, I feel. Don't clip them off - ouch. Poor kitty .

lol I keep hearing that. I will make sure to include ears with my next kitty.

 

[That One Guy]

in addition to selective color......did you sharpen the 2nd pic?

 

[nossie]

M1M keep in mind that for selective colouring you don't have to make the rest fully B+W but instead you can turn down the saturation to create the separation.

 

[M1M]

in addition to selective color......did you sharpen the 2nd pic?

Well I did mess with the mode>curve...

It does tend to make them a bit sharper IMO. And bring out the black levels.

 

[M1M]

M1M keep in mind that for selective colouring you don't have to make the rest fully B+W but instead you can turn down the saturation to create the separation.

Right....I actually made it the way it is because he really favors the edited picture more than the one taken lol. Its kinda weird that he has that dingy yellow color in the original pic. He is actually black and silver.

 

[Phil the Photographer]

Both pretty cool in my view

 

[M1M]

Both pretty cool in my view

Thanks!