Engagement Session (CC Welcomed)

[ruggedshutter]

This is the first image from an engagement session today. Trying to get some thoughts on processing and general appeal of the image. Let me know what you think. This was taken in natural light under a tree during mid-morning on a sunny day. Thanks

Edit: I removed the image while I'm reediting it. thx

 

[paulvgmip]

Not to bad, did you smooth her skin it doesn't look natural. Also I would add more fill light, and try to avoid the hot spot created by the sun on her neck. But overall not to bad.

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[ruggedshutter]

Yeah I did smooth her skin a bit but I was trying to keep it from looking unnatural. Guess I'll give it another shot.

 

[gsgary]

Who is she getting engaged to, no way of telling from this photo

 

[ruggedshutter]

Who is she getting engaged to, no way of telling from this photo

Working on the rest of them now, that was the first one and I didn't want to get far into editing them if my processing looked bad.

 

[sscarmack]

^^^^^This!!!


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[KmH]

She is under exposed and the WB looks odd.

The dappled sunlight may have 'fooled' the camera's light meter, particularly if you were using matrix/evaluative metering rather than spot metering.

 

[Derrel]

I think the noise reduction or skin smoothing solution has killed the detail to the point that it looks more like a colored pencil drawing than a photo. I suppose that could be considered a "look" if others in the set are processed the same way.

 

[CdTSnap]

Looks almost CGI

 

[IzzieK]

All the cons have already been said...

 

[CAP]

Look into portrait professional. I use it on almost all my portraits. CS5 for the more advanced editing but portrait professional is my go to.

 

[AggieBecky]

Might not softener her skin so much but otherwise I think it looks nice. Very pretty eyes and her hair looks good too. Her scalp looks kind of pink where her part is..... for some reason I kept looking at that. My only thing is when I read "Engagement Session" I expect to see a woman and a man.

 

[AmberAtLoveAndInk]

Oh please do not follow CAPS advice and use portrait professional. (sorry CAPS, not picking on you) I have the software and it always over exposed and doesn't even adjust the background, lighting, ECT. Only a few options for sliders and you cannot annually go in and fix up someone's eyes. Also, the skin retouching is overkill. I don't ever touch someone's face any more, not unless they ask me to before hand. Showing someone's natural features in an attractive way does not have to come from skin smoothing and over the top eye enhancement. Get Lightroom 5 and PS6, you will not regret it. I do 95% of my editing in LR5, only photoshopping if I need to cover a scar or distort the image. I also agree with all the critique above, not that you're doing bad, just needed better skin tones and a lighter hand on the airbrushing.

 

[robbins.photo]

Oh please do not follow CAPS advice and use portrait professional. (sorry CAPS, not picking on you) I have the software and it always over exposed and doesn't even adjust the background, lighting, ECT. Only a few options for sliders and you cannot annually go in and fix up someone's eyes. Also, the skin retouching is overkill. I don't ever touch someone's face any more, not unless they ask me to before hand. Showing someone's natural features in an attractive way does not have to come from skin smoothing and over the top eye enhancement. Get Lightroom 5 and PS6, you will not regret it. I do 95% of my editing in LR5, only photoshopping if I need to cover a scar or distort the image. I also agree with all the critique above, not that you're doing bad, just needed better skin tones and a lighter hand on the airbrushing.

Ok, well I don't do a lot of portraits. Plus - I am a non-Canon shooter (may I be roasted forever in the eternal fires of sheol, preferably with a tasty BBQ sauce) - but I've found the method I like best for dealing with skin in portraits is to just clone/airbrush out any really noticeable blemishes and leave it at that.

Opinions vary widely on this one of course, but that's my preferred method.

 

[paulvgmip]

For portraits, I will also usually use Lightroom unless the subject has many blemishes.