Before and after

[cathmc]

EDIT: OK TO EDIT!!! (rookie mistake )
I knew taking this picture it would be a disaster, indoors with sunlight flooding in from the side. So looking to improve - appreciate any suggestions!

on the Before picture:
1. Is there anything i could have done with the exposure to compensate better at the time? (Though I don't remember the settings I used...sorry!) Of course in retrospect I guess I just needed to move to where the light was behind me. What can i say, I was in a hurry...

And on the after picture: Is there any way to lighten up just the right side of the background a bit more, without re-overexposing the overexposed part? (Again, an easier solutioin might have been not to put 2 black-haired girls in front of a black thing :x )

 

[elsaspet]

I love expressions on the little girls in the photo, so I gave this one a whirl. (I think that's what you were asking, right? If not, I will remove it immeditately.)
I did two treatments seen below: In the first, I moved the midshadows in Curves, lightly burned the left side, dodged a slight bit on the right side of the girls eyes, to make it seem like the light was spread a little bit more evenly, and then added a healthy bit of contrast. In the one below that, I turned my redo in a mocha colored toning, in an attempt to disguise the hot area to the left of the photo:

 

[cathmc]

Elsaspet - thanks, yeah no problem to take a crack at it (I edited OP to clarify that). I love the expressions too - those little girls were shy but sassy - they let out just a little sass when I asked for a pic.
I will be going over your post with my photoshop-savvy brother for translation but thanks a lot for demo-ing that more improvements were possible.
I'm still kicking myself for not adjusting the shot better in the first place. My eye for lighting and color still needs work.

 

[Raindrops]

A picture within a picture ... looking outside the box. :mrgreen:
What do you think?
I think with a bit more cleverly done messing with contrast and such like, it would look fabbo!

 

[Raindrops]

A couple more.
Thanks for that - a great picture with loads of fun to be had.
I hope you llike them and enjoy some more tweaking to your taste.

I discovered this picture in a picture thing recently when my files were so big that different things starting jumping out from the screen. It's brilliant! :mrgreen:

 

[cathmc]

Thanks raindrops. The two separate pics approach is a good idea
Though I do really like the two of them together too...one of the things that drew me to them was that one of them was totally dolled up - makeup and hair, and the other was not at all. (It was at a wedding). And the way one of them looks kind of innocent and doe-eyed and the other is looking at me askance, like she's more world-wise.

 

[Raindrops]

Thanks raindrops. The two separate pics approach is a good idea
Though I do really like the two of them together too...one of the things that drew me to them was that one of them was totally dolled up - makeup and hair, and the other was not at all. (It was at a wedding). And the way one of them looks kind of innocent and doe-eyed and the other is looking at me askance, like she's more world-wise.

Their expressions are wonderful aren't they?! And agree with the innocent and world-wise look!

Yes, I would agree that my versions have changed their feel completely but I don't have the manipulation skills to play with under and over exposure! I'm sure someone will be along soon!

 

[monicam]

A picture within a picture ... looking outside the box. :mrgreen:
What do you think?
I think with a bit more cleverly done messing with contrast and such like, it would look fabbo!

i like this one..
edited picture within a picture pretty awesome