My kids on the beach..

[TamiAz]

I'm having so much fun taking pictures on the beach since I don't get to very often. Here's a few I took today.

 

[kathyt]

Beautiful tones.

 

[frommrstomommy]

really love the coloring on these

 

[Tiller]

That girl doesn't look like she's having a good time lol.

 

[TamiAz]

Thanks, ladies..

That girl doesn't look like she's having a good time lol.

What, you've never taken a picture where someone wasn't smiling?? I take pictures of my kids in all sorts of moods... No need to limit the pictures I take.

 

[The_Traveler]

Nice kid pictures
In #2, if there's lots of empty space, I suggest you crop it off rather than making that huge vignette

 

[jwbryson1]

Beautiful tones.

Agreed. Please explain how you get these effects. Thanks!

 

[jenko]

I think #2 is a great "serious" portrait. For me, it reveals much more about her character than a put-on camera smile.

 

[Tiller]

Thanks, ladies..

What, you've never taken a picture where someone wasn't smiling?? I take pictures of my kids in all sorts of moods... No need to limit the pictures I take.

Calm down, I was just making a joke. FWIW, I rarely smile for photo's either

 

[jwbryson1]

Beautiful tones.

Indeed, but can somebody (OP?) please tell me how to get these effects in post processing?

Thanks!

 

[amolitor]

Looks to me like a curves adjustment: Grab the dead center of the curve, and lift straight up to taste.

 

[jwbryson1]

Looks to me like a curves adjustment: Grab the dead center of the curve, and lift straight up to taste.

Okay, please don't shoot me for this one---curves in LR or PS? I have both but am so new to PS that I really know nada. I don't get much time to use it.

EDIT: Photoshop it seems it the answer. And I found this video which shows how to do much of the same thing using LR4.

[video]http://tv.adobe.com/watch/learn-lightroom-4/adjustments-with-tone-curves/[/video]

 

[amolitor]

Either one! I was talking about GIMP, actually, but they should all work pretty much the same

The effect in all cases is roughly:

a little more contrast in the darker tones
a little less contrast in the lighter tones
a generally lighter flavor in the midtones, where skin usually lives

Here's a before and after:



and here's the curve that made the After:



If this isn't what you're seeing that you like, sorry I like it, though!

 

[TamiAz]

Beautiful tones.

Indeed, but can somebody (OP?) please tell me how to get these effects in post processing?

Thanks!

I used a Lightroom preset I purchased through Clickinmoms and then tweaked it a bit to tone it down. I adjusted the blue and aqua for the water and sky. I added a tiny bit of haze then I took it into PS and used a soft light blending mode and brought down the opacity.

 

[Derrel]

The single most-valuable tool is the Curves tool. Well, make that the crop tool. THEN the curves tool. No, not kidding either.