New Photo Added for Critique!

[itsaphillipsthing]

Hey there! Fairly new to the forums, but would love some feedback on this photo (also not sure if it is appearing blurred somewhat to you all, I've noticed when I view the picture in most windows apps, except Picasa and Lightroom so far, that it appears more blurred than normal):

 

[tirediron]

Moved to a more appropriate forum.

I quite like the image; I think the shadow on the [image] right side might be a little deeper than I would consider ideal, but overall the conversion is nicely done and her personality shows through.

 

[itsaphillipsthing]

Thanks! Yeah, that was the issue I was referring to with certain viewers... in picasa and LR the photo is not as dark either and it appears much more natural looking... Haven't quite figured out how to fix that.

 

[tirediron]

Use a calibrated monitor and better software.

 

[PaulWog]

I like the image, looks great aside from the one criticism already mentioned above: I also agree that the right side of the image is too dark and could be brought up. Depending on how you like your image, you could make the eyes pop a little bit more as well (even just a tiny tiny little bit). The image doesn't look blurry to me, although it's not a big resolution.

 

[itsaphillipsthing]

Decided to upload the other: This is what I see when viewing in Picasa... But when I go to upload the jpeg (vs just hitting print screen) it goes all blotchy and darker..

 

[PaulWog]

I experience the same problem. I'll edit in Lightroom or Photoshop, everything will look just perfect, and then I export as a Jpeg and a bunch of detail is lost (normally the darks just end up blotching together, shadows become darker, and the image loses some of that contrast in the darks ending up making it look worse). I've done everything I can to remedy the issue, but what I've been told (ultimately) is that I need a higher quality monitor, and to calibrate it. That may be your issue as well. I believe the best kind of monitor for editing is an IPS panel, and the offerings range.

One thing you *can* do, if you haven't already, is export as the highest quality Jpeg possible. That does fix some of the issues, if you aren't exporting a high quality Jpeg file.

What I do is I try to edit my darks/shadows just a little bit lighter (somewhere between a 10th of a stop and a quarter of a stop) than what I want the finished image to look like. I end up getting a better-looking Jpeg for viewing on the internet. I don't have a high quality monitor & haven't fixed the problem myself, so I can't really speak on whether this becomes a non-issue once you upgrade your monitor and calibrate it (that is, if different photo viewing software displays the image slightly differently, enough to ruin the shadows).

With that all said, I'd still like to see the side of her face lighter (my opinion).

I've uploaded two edits of your original Jpeg. I don't have the original RAW file to work with, so there's a slight bit of banding. The first image is still too dark, and yet I edited it to look exactly as I wanted it to look in Lightroom. Once exported, it looked too dark. The second image I edited 0.5 stops higher in exposure, looked way too bright in Lightroom, and the export came out looking like I originally wanted. So I'll upload the two to give you an idea of the same issue:



EDIT: And funny enough, now the first image looks on this website like it does in Lightroom... so, in fact, the version of the image I like is the first one (the darker of the two I've uploaded). Go figure. Nevertheless, I'd go with a brightness that is inbetween the two I've uploaded here, one is a bit too bright and one is a bit too dark (as I see it on my monitor, which who knows what it looks like on yours). I need a new monitor as well...

 

[itsaphillipsthing]

Glad to know I'm not the only one having that issue... well, here it is lightened, I was trying to avoid making the left side seem too bright, but I see the difference between the two now... Thoughts? Left side doesn't seem too much?

 

[PaulWog]

Just use your brush feature to lighten up the side you like. I brightened the entire thing up by a tiny bit, but I would personally edit the side with the brush and just bring up the shadows or blacks a bit, and the exposure just a tad. Edited my above post.

 

[itsaphillipsthing]

Thanks ya'll for the advice! Here's another shot from a different shoot... Would love some feedback.

 

[BrickHouse]

How can you go wrong with such a wonderful model to work with!! I love the first photo, especially with some of the lightened edits posted after it. The second photo is also wonderful, but I think I would have spent a few minutes with the skin softening brush in LR to work on the cheeks just a bit. Maybe it was a little cold outside and she got a little blotchy? Thanks for sharing!

 

[The_Traveler]

Posting such small pictures means that the feedback you get is limited.
You aren't being charged by the pixel.
Post images 900 high, that will allow the viewer to make sensible statements based on actually seeing the image.

 

[itsaphillipsthing]

Hey thanks! I will try this when I get off work later.

 

[DevC]

I'm really digging the lighting here. I like how the lighting gives great detail to the face and the shadows create emotion. Although one thing, I don't believe this kind of lighting works well with your model here. It creates a darker more mysterious feel that may not seem right to add to a toddler. Regardless, there is some great effort put into this shot.

 

[Heather Koch]

Im really liking what you did with the first image. I like the attitude and creativity that the image brings. Very appealing (IMO).