Tips on PP this image

TiaS · Mar 9, 2010

I use GIMP and I have worked on the background and lightened her eyes and sharpened them abit. I don't know how to fix the skin tones or anything else really. Any tips would be great. The first is the original. The second is what I have done so far. I am using this photo to work with to improve my skill in PP. I am especially not happy with the way the skin tone was captured. Also the flare in the sky. But her skin tones are what I am trying to figure out how to fix, the most.

Big Mike · Mar 9, 2010

I think the biggest issue is that she's underexposed. That tends to happen when the background is so bright with all that snow & sky. If you had properly exposed for her face, the background would likely have been blown out...but that's usually a better option than an underexposed model. A reflector or fill flash can allow you to light up the model while keeping the background in check.

I know you're asking about the PP, but it all starts with the exposure. PP should be for 'fixing' images, it should be for enhancing images.

Getting rid of the wires etc. looks pretty good. I might have rotated it, so that the horizon was level (a pet peeve of mine) and maybe cropped closer to the model, as the background isn't really adding much.

You did lighten her face, but it's still a bit dark, especially her eyes. Maybe in a bigger version, we could see some light in there, but at this size, they look pretty dark.

TiaS · Mar 9, 2010

I purposely chose this photo learn from. This photo is not the best and so I figure that I can really learn from it, as opposed to posting a better one. We live on the shore and so some of the horizons just are curving. The only way to have straight horizens when the shore line is curved is to have the subject lean way over and hope they don't tip over, lol. If I rotate this than she would be crooked.

Thanks for the comment though. You are right, this is one of those many situaitons I find myself in where I have to choosen between a blown out subjet or a bown out background.

I am going to research and see what a reflector fill flash is. Maybe that will help me in these senarios.

Should I post this bigger or is this adequate?

indeedies · Mar 9, 2010

Curving horizons? That's new to me. Seems like just turning the camera a few degrees usually corrects horizon tilts.

Gaerek · Mar 9, 2010

That background looks like a lake to me. If it is, it should be perfectly level, unless you live in a gravitationally challenged area of the world. If you're talking about the subject being on uneven, curvy ground, it's still far better for them to be tilted than the horizon. The 15ish degree tilt of the background is the first thing I noticed on the shot.

Bitter Jeweler · Mar 9, 2010

TiaS said:
We live on the shore and so some of the horizons just are curving. The only way to have straight horizens when the shore line is curved is to have the subject lean way over and hope they don't tip over, lol. If I rotate this than she would be crooked.

Ok.

So what about the telephone poles, and the road? Are they all crooked in real life too?

TiaS · Mar 9, 2010

ok ok, lol. Crooked horizon. Point taken. It is an ocean rather than a lake, and the whole area, including where she was standing, is ocean and craggy rock with very little level ground. Looking out with the human eye, the horizon is not straight. However I can see your point, it is way skewed and a camera tilt and shifting the lean of my subject would have made the photo better. Also pay more attention to how straight I am holding the camera and if I am on level ground or not. I can see your points that the camera should have been held at a better angle here. Thanks for the feedback on the horizen. I will use that feedback on future shots. Any tips for PP?

Bitter Jeweler · Mar 9, 2010

You need to learn about perpective, horizon lines, water, and gravity.

Looking out with the human eye, at ground level, large bodies of water are ALWAYS level. Regardless of the shoreline. There are often other cues as to the the tilt of the horizon as well.

Gaerek · Mar 9, 2010

TiaS said:
ok ok, lol. Crooked horizon. Point taken. It is an ocean rather than a lake, and the whole area, including where she was standing, is ocean and craggy rock with very little level ground. Looking out with the human eye, the horizon is not straight. However I can see your point, it is way skewed and a camera tilt and shifting the lean of my subject would have made the photo better. Also pay more attention to how straight I am holding the camera and if I am on level ground or not. I can see your points that the camera should have been held at a better angle here. Thanks for the feedback on the horizen. I will use that feedback on future shots. Any tips for PP?

Unless you're intentionally tilting the camera for effect, horizons should almost always be as perfectly level as possible. If you meant it for an effect, it's not enough of a tilt for that, I don't think. As for suggestions for PP, you can fix this in PP. Most photo editing programs have a leveling tool. Other than that, there's not much you can do to improve the image. It's not really a great shot, and there's not much interest. The white balance looks a little on the cool side on my monitor, but it's not bad.

If you're trying to use PP to improve a not so good shot, it really isn't worth it. I only use PP to improve shots that are already good out of the camera. Why don't you post a better shot (which you say you have) and ask for suggestions on that?