I don't do much people photography, processing C&C please.

benlonghair · May 12, 2011

A friend of mine while on a trip to VT. I'm not really going to talk about what I did to the photo, because there's things here that I see but I don't think are noticeable by a person looking at it for the first time.

35mm | f/1.8 | 1/1600 | ISO 100

AgentDrex · May 12, 2011

Over-exposed, under-saturated, left hand fingers cut off...right hand cut off at the wrist....just a few things I noticed....

Geaux · May 12, 2011

^ that, plus the reflection in the glasses is either you shooting or someone else sitting there.

c.cloudwalker · May 12, 2011

Not knowing what you were trying to achieve, it is hard to C&C the processing.

Now if you want to talk about the shot in more general terms, I would have plenty to say

AgentDrex · May 12, 2011

Since you allow for edits, here is mine (silly as it may be):

Did I really do selective coloring? Yes, yes I did. I apologize. :sexywink:

jmtonkin · May 12, 2011

What do you think of this?

I just cropped it down and did some burning of the overexposed hair. I think makes it better compositionally (not the distraction in the background of the cars on the street, looks like the hands/arms were intentionally cut off, not so much wasted space on the left side, better RoT usage)

AgentDrex · May 12, 2011

Um....may want to re-check that last link...

jmtonkin · May 12, 2011

I think I fixed it!

AgentDrex · May 12, 2011

Sure looks like it :lol:

....its a good edit considering what you had to work with,...

Aye-non Oh-non Imus · May 12, 2011

The slouched posture is a killer. There is no fixing that unless you crop it very tight.

Peanuts · May 12, 2011

Nice shot. I like the attitude. Underexposed by less than a third of a stop (easy fix). The composition definitely needs some work but it isn't horrible by any means.
Overall - I quite like it.

c.cloudwalker · May 12, 2011

Peanuts said:
Overall - I quite like it.

Why?

Peanuts · May 12, 2011

c.cloudwalker said:
Why?

Because I do. Must there be an explanation for everything?
But if you want an explanation here. Sure there are things that need to be improved upon. But, the light is very pretty, I like the separation from the background. I am actually totally loving her glasses and even how she is dressed. Pose and composition are really the only two things I am not gaga over. Is it a brilliant portrait that will go on a magazine? No. But I like it nonetheless.

benlonghair · May 13, 2011

Thanks for the comments, folks. First of all, this is a single-image pseudo-HDR. I really like the shot. Not a fan of the reflection in the glasses, I agree, but I could work on that. Drex said overexposed. I actually wanted that overexposure because it gave the late-afternoon bright sunlight feel. To look at the top of the railing hurt your eyes, if you know what I mean.

I supposed I should have moved her to the right of the frame to not cut the hands off. I'll have to look to see if I have another one among the raws that's better placed in the frame.

I do like the crop by jmtonkin.

And speaking of selective color, I kinda liked this shot because it looks like selective color while not at all.

c.cloudwalker · May 13, 2011

Peanuts said:
[Because I do. Must there be an explanation for everything?

No, lol. Far from me this idea but it is nice for newer photogs to hear the why when there is one and I thought you would have more to say. The pose doesn't bother me but I agree with the composition problem. jmtonkin's crop works pretty nicely although I'm sorry to somewhat lose the slouch.

The reflection in the glasses doesn't bother me either. No, it probably won't make it into the pages of a magazine but it makes for a nice, whimsical portrait of a friend.