My fave photograph

[Dinardy]

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a keeper.

 

[Benco]

^ Good edit Gavjenks, reckon you've nailed it.

 

[DiskoJoe]

Processing seemed fine to begin with. The framing could be a bit better imo. The small piece of ear on the left is a bit odd.

 

[pixmedic1]

I decided to give it a go.
Gav's edit is really good too.


View attachment 50943

 

[BrieKayee]

I just followed what Gavjenks did to my image and got this. Any other improvments?

 

[o hey tyler]

Here's my go.

 

[o hey tyler]

I just followed what Gavjenks did to my image and got this. Any other improvments?

View attachment 50945

What's your jpeg save settings at? When I viewed your edit full size the image contained more artifacts than a natural history museum.

 

[eswebster]

Here's my edit
View attachment 50896

1) Upped yellow a lot and red a bit
2) Sharpened it a good deal, more in the eyes and lips and hair than elsewhere
3) Pulled back the highlights a few points
4) Tried to accentuate freckles a tad more
5) Upped vibrance a bit on her and reduced saturation a bit on background
6) Tiny bit of vignetting

If you want to accentuate fair skin, I'd suggest upping saturation on eyes and lips instead of blowing out skin. You'll get the same perception but without loss of detail.

Nailed it, well done. The forehead is blown out but not sure what can be done there without making it look unnatural.

 

[Buckster]

Any other improvments?

Yeah, here's an improvement for you: Stop listening to strangers on the internet pretending to be experts and giving their "advice".

The original was just fine, as is, which is why it was chosen to be included. It wasn't blown out. "Blown out" means it's gone to photographic white, and this hadn't. She's fair skinned and your focus may have made her skin a little soft in places, like the forehead, which is just fine - beautiful for this portrait even. The details important for portraits were there.

Not every photo has to be color-perfect either. That's why sometimes we choose to use gold reflectors, or morning light, or afternoon light, or sunset light, or gels on strobes.

Personally, I thought every edit after your originally posted one at the top of the thread made it worse.