Newborn **WARNING!!! SELECTIVE COLORING - view at own risk** ;)

[Rebekah5280]

Here is my latest newborn. She was an hour late (boo!), peed and pood on daddy (who after 1 week with her, still had not changed one diaper), but was a great newborn model, who smiled a lot in her sleep. I have alot of good stuff, I may share more later (having issues with PSE9 at the moment).

 

[The_Traveler]

DO you want comments on the picture or is this just a show and tell kind of thing?

 

[Rebekah5280]

Oh, no, comments are always appreciated. I can only get better if I'm being told what I'm doing wrong.

 

[Trever1t]

By your title it's obvious you already know the outcome.

 

[The_Traveler]

For lots of reasons, this is not a good picture.
The angle of the baby's face and the tongue-out are not flattering.
The foreground is completely blocked up.
The conversion makes the baby just grey.

Why would a colored bow not attract the eye away from the baby?

 

[Rebekah5280]

For lots of reasons, this is not a good picture.
The angle of the baby's face and the tongue-out are not flattering.
The foreground is completely blocked up.
The conversion makes the baby just grey.

Why would a colored bow not attract the eye away from the baby?

I think the baby is too horizontal in the picture. I will edit so baby is more at a diagnol slant. I like the tongue out, as this was how the baby was from day 1 (according to mom) and everytime she made the face mom and dad giggled behind me, so I captured it because that was how they saw their newborn most of the time.

Yes, the colored Bow does take the eye away from the baby, but I think with the babies face/hands being the focal point, the eye would go to the face, and the bow would be a second thought.

What do you mean "The foreground is completely blocked up"?

I guess the B&W conversion is not good? I've tried darker B&W's, but I've always favored the brighter B&Ws. Perhaps you could show me (or send me a link) to something else I should consider?

 

[Sw1tchFX]

nevermind.....

 

[subscuck]

Yes, the colored Bow does take the eye away from the baby, but I think with the babies face/hands being the focal point, the eye would go to the face, and the bow would be a second thought.

Not really. My eyes are pulled straight to the bow, and it takes a conscious effort to make my eyes look elsewhere. This is pretty much a classic example of where 99% of SC pics go wrong. You did the edit, so you can look at it differently, maybe. When I look at it, my eyes detect a bright blob of color and are automatically drawn there. The baby's face is the "second thought".

 

[Rebekah5280]

Yes, the colored Bow does take the eye away from the baby, but I think with the babies face/hands being the focal point, the eye would go to the face, and the bow would be a second thought.

Not really. My eyes are pulled straight to the bow, and it takes a conscious effort to make my eyes look elsewhere. This is pretty much a classic example of where 99% of SC pics go wrong. You did the edit, so you can look at it differently, maybe. When I look at it, my eyes detect a bright blob of color and are automatically drawn there. The baby's face is the "second thought".

I think your right. I made the edit so I am seeing the picture defferently. I will take a second look at the edit. I also think I see what Traveler is saying with the baby being "just gray". I'm going to play with the a little bit to bring out more detail...

 

[mishele]

What.....there is a baby in the picture!!!

 

[mainiac4775]

I am new at this forum (just tonight). I LOVE this picture! I think if I were to change anything, I'd give the baby a tiny bit of color and mute the color of the flower.

 

[Rebekah5280]

Ok... reluctantly.. I agree. I missed on this one (though mom and dad LOVE it!).

Here is another one..

Baby was jaundice, I tried to remove some of the yellowing, but there is still some residual... What do you think?

 

[Rebekah5280]

Jeesh.. that looks a lot more yellow than it looked in my editing software.. I'll have to go back in and take another look...

 

[Bitter Jeweler]

Ok... reluctantly.. I agree. I missed on this one (though mom and dad LOVE it!).

Of course mom and dad love it!

First, it's their baby.
Second, you did magic.
And third, they don't know anything about art.
You have to decide for yourself whether doing something poorly because the ignorant like it, or doing something well because you are the expert, is the path you take.

Don't be mistaken. Selective coloring can be used quite successfully. But only after you understand how it works.

 

[Rebekah5280]

Bitter: I want to improve in the art of photography. I do not want to do anything poorly, and if I do, I want to figure out what I did wrong, and not ever do it again, or do it differently.

I respect everyone's opinions here in this forum, and I consider everything very carefully while trying to improve my skills and find my style.