give me editing feedback please

[Wendel]

I have been playing with my camera and editing for about 9 months. I edit in gimp 2.8. What would you do with this photo to make it better. Here is what I did. Lighten and added little contrast in curves. added a layer in channel mixer, monochrome, soft light layer at 30% opacity (this seems to even out skin tones) dodged the eyes at 12 exposure, and unsharpened mask just the irises, and then unsharpen mask to the whole image, at 15.

Also, I shoot in RAW, and I just use my canon software to convert. I adjust the warmth of the image during that process.

Thanks all.

 

[sscarmack]

A tad underexposed on my monitor.

 

[jryan5646]

I would agree it looks a bit underexposed, maybe a bit brighter. A little less warmth I think may make it pop a bit more. Great work on the eyes and a lovely shot!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

 

[BGeise]

Did you crop any or is this out of the camera? I am not sure that i like her leaving the frame and you cropped her head. Put your negative space on the other side

 

[Designer]

Maybe a little too warm. Her teeth look yellow.

 

[Ysarex]

Welcome to TPF.

A little dingy and flat -- histogram tells all -- see inset. I agree with Designer you've gone a little yellow.

Joe

 

[hombredelmar]

Welcome to TPF.

A little dingy and flat -- histogram tells all -- see inset. I agree with Designer you've gone a

Is histogram always right?

 

[sscarmack]

Welcome to TPF.

A little dingy and flat -- histogram tells all -- see inset. I agree with Designer you've gone a

Is histogram always right?

The histogram is not always right! 9/10 I would say its "pretty spot on". Just like the built in light meter. I always use that as a 'guide' but never solely rely on it.

 

[Ysarex]

Welcome to TPF.

A little dingy and flat -- histogram tells all -- see inset. I agree with Designer you've gone a

Is histogram always right?

There's always room for artistic expression and there are exceptions to every rule, but you can't have an exception until you have a rule first. In this photo the histogram falls short of the right corner indicating the photo's highlights are pushed down and the entire tonal range is compressed. The rule says don't do that. If you break the rule make sure you know that you broke it and have a good reason.

Joe

 

[Wendel]

I would agree it looks a bit underexposed, maybe a bit brighter. A little less warmth I think may make it pop a bit more. Great work on the eyes and a lovely shot!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk

Thanks for the great input.

 

[Wendel]

Thanks for the wonderful input, and now I can see all the negatives you are all mentioning, will help me develop an eye for what looks right and what is not working! Oh my, so valuable this is for me!

 

[Wendel]

Thanks Joe, and thanks for taking the time to help me out.
Wendy

 

[The_Traveler]

It doesn't look to me that there are highlights in that image that need to be that bright.
I do think the face is a bit too bright and flat and slightly green tinged and undersaturated.
It looks to me like she is looking up into a bright light.
I would rather a bit more actual color in her face.

But there is no arguing with individual taste.

 

[Wendel]

So with editing exposure, or brightness, what do you guys use...curves, levels? Do you always go by the histogram?

 

[KmH]

For people, I look at the luminosity value of the skin highlights in the Red channel using Camera Raw (ACR).

For Caucasian skin I want the highlights to be between 235 and 240 in the Red channel (R or RGB) display right under the histogram display in ACR.
I usually select the subject, and make an Exposure Adjustment layer of that selection so I can do a local edit rather than a global edit.