Okay, back to Elly's sample photo, of the blonde woman whose eyes really stand out
Flickr Photo Download: :::Ania O:::
I downloaded the sample photo in its largest size,and applied a very steep curves shift to it to look for evidence of heavy-handed fakery. I can see none. THe photo has been lightened quite a bit in post; with a slight downward movement of the curves, it's possible to see more easily that she has some actual real skin pores under her eyes; the hair at her temple area on both sides, is very crisply rendered--even the wispiest little hairs. Pulling the curves downward even more, it is clear that her lips are in focus and very slightly chapped. The photographer's outline is clearly visible against the simple skylight that is illuminating her. This photo is not heavily processed or photoshopped extensively.
What you are seeing is the way a full frame D700 and a the superb Nikon 85mm f/1.4 AF-D renders a close-up subject when shot at ISO 200, at f/1.6 at 1/320 second. One of the things that makes her eyes stand out is simple: shallow depth of field due to a wide aperture, used on a large sensor d-slr, from close range, and very carefully focused. If you pull the curves down, you can see MORE detail in her cheeks,hair,and lips, and that competes for attention with the eyes. With her light blonde hair, raising the curves up and lightening the images makes the darkest in-focus area, here eyes, go Pop!
The 85mm 1.4 AF-D has superb defocused areas, and superb bokeh--it was long considered Nikon's "bokeh king" until the new 200mm f/2 AF-S VR-G overtook it. I would suggest anybody who is interested simply download the photo,and pull the curves down,and see that this is a straight, unmanipulated photo, made with about $4,000 worth of premium equipment. You cannot make this photo using a DX sensor and an 85mm lens that tops out at f/5.6--this is FF, shallow depth of field, wide-aperture work. This photo could have been made on a full-frame Canon or a Nikon or a Sony, with the premium 85mm lenses of any of the three systems with its aperture set to f/1.6.