Should I touch this?

[wildmaven]

This was from my very first wedding. Ambient light from an open church doorway. This photo has been untouched, so C/C away. :greenpbl:

 

[The Phototron]

It's like there's only kicker...which isn't really good.

 

[wildmaven]

That's what I was wondering, if it was even worth messing around with. I do love the loving look he's giving her in the background...

 

[subimatt]

I like it the way it is. Has a very genuine feel to it.

 

[cindyg2024]

My only problem is that his face is a little dark, but I have a feeling that if you lightened it up, then she would be blown out.... but who knows.

 

[LaFoto]

It's like there's only kicker...which isn't really good.

Somehow I don't understand this sentence ...

... but anyhow, I like the light and don't think this is a blooper.
The groom's face might be a bit dark, and you could still SELECTIVELY lighten it, if you wanted to, so that the sunlit part of the bride's veil would stay all untouched by any changes.

 

[JimmyJaceyMom]

My only problem is that his face is a little dark, but I have a feeling that if you lightened it up, then she would be blown out.... but who knows.

Not if you use layers though, I think. That would work. I like it.

And Lafoto, I don't know what that means either.

 

[JimmyJaceyMom]

I was thinking also that you could blur him a tiny bit more, give the illusion that he is a bit further away from her? I don't know. Just thought I'd throw that out there, saw that your photos are ok to edit so I played some. I can take it away if you like.

 

[wildmaven]

Thanks everyone. Kathi, thanks for the edit! Is there any way to brighten her face without overblowing the veil? Everytime I try, the veil gets way to bright.

 

[JimmyJaceyMom]

You can use layers and erase the veil back to the original but I dont think it kills anything to have it be a bit vright because the image is so nice. I didnt have time to do the veil itself, my kids are nuts and their naps are too short!

 

[elsaspet]

It's a great first wedding photo and you can use it for your resume. However, as time goes by, you will find that this photo won't really hold up. The more you do, the better you get, usually.

 

[LaFoto]

I tried to work on selective parts on this photo and this is what I came up with in the end:

I myself am too little versed with PS to be working with layers much, though I understand that that really is the thing to do. But I am stuck at being a lasso-tool+levels-person. So these were my steps:

Step 1:

Since this photo is only small in size (the version for me to work with, that is), I feathered the lasso tool at 40px ... and the little crumbling of black on the highlight end of the levels-scale is the shiny rim of light on her face which I could not avoid.

Step 2:

After I had added highlights to the area shown in Step 1, I still felt the groom's face might want to be made a bit lighter, so again I selected only that area and went up ... and you see, the curve is still quite flat and I could have gone up further, but I feel there's already building a halo around his face, so I stopped where I did.


Step 3:

After that I tried to bring back some detail into the bright part of the veil, so I worked on the shadows and midtones for that bit.

And after that I felt the photo was definitely too yellow with the low sunlight, so I added to the midtones in the "blue"-section of the levels just a little, from 100 to 120.
With that, I hoped to preserve the magic of the light and still get back to some more natural skin tones.

Step 4:

I don't know if you like this now?

 

[glaston]

I think the bride might appreciate a little blemish removal on the side of her face.
5 minutes with the spot healing brush would be sufficient.

 

[heip]

You need to pay attention to highlights, especially in digital. You could have had a killer shot here.
The posing and DOF is great and with flash or a reflector you could have brought the light together.

Lafoto: I like your edit.