Poet Laureate: Re-Edit

[Black_Square]

Hey,

I posted a version of this image some time ago. For whatever reason I was never liked the original version so undertook a total re-edit. I think I'm happy with the new version (would have posted the original but deleted it).

Thanks,

 

[DanOstergren]

It's a bit too dark to me. Details are really muddled together, and I find myself wishing I could make out his jaw and chin structure a bit better.

 

[Black_Square]

It's a bit too dark to me. Details are really muddled together, and I find myself wishing I could make out his jaw and chin structure a bit better.

I think you're probably right. I have a bad habit of editing late at night in total darkness - things always look a tad brighter in such conditions. Its been a challenging image to process given the darkness of the skin tones and also its condition - pockmarks etc, Brightening it shouldn't be a problem.

 

[Black_Square]

Very subtle changes - I'm pleased with it now. Thanks

 

[Braineack]

i dont mind dark, but this is under exposure. the colors look muttled to me too.

 

[weepete]

This one is a bit more natural, the original had a bit more pop. I think it's fine provided it's not viewed on and overpowering white background, but I tend towards a little underexposed as well.

 

[Black_Square]

i dont mind dark, but this is under exposure. the colors look muttled to me too.

out of curiosity, what browser are you using?

 

[DanOstergren]

i dont mind dark, but this is under exposure. the colors look muttled to me too.

out of curiosity, what browser are you using?

I agree with Braineack, even with the new edit. I'm viewing on Chrome.

What does the original capture look like? To me, the under exposure causes a major loss in skin color causing most of his skin to look gray except for his nose, and also causes a lack of recognizable structure to his facial form (jaw line, chin). There is some structure but I have to strain to see it. I think some dodging just above his jaw line would show his jaw structure better, as well as some brightening of the shadow under his chin so that it doesn't have the appearance of melting into his neck.

It's also possible that you have the brightness up too high on your display.

 

[Braineack]

yeah, that's what I'm seeing too, the skin looks a touch gray. The skin looks better in the first post.

When I look at this shot, it reads like it was taken at a decent well-lit exposure, but reduced in post. Looks like there was a BG light and everything, and the shadow under his hair and the large diffused specular highlight on his forehead suggests there was a nice big modifier just over his head.

 

[Derrel]

This looks very obscured, very dim. I am on an iMac on Safari, yet the browser I think is not the issue...this image is just very low in brightness. The shirt front, almost totally invisible. I dunno...Wondering if your monitor brightness level is set too high, and the working in total darkness thing, if those two factors might affect the way you're processing.

 

[Black_Square]

This looks very obscured, very dim. I am on an iMac on Safari, yet the browser I think is not the issue...this image is just very low in brightness. The shirt front, almost totally invisible. I dunno...Wondering if your monitor brightness level is set too high, and the working in total darkness thing, if those two factors might affect the way you're processing.

The only reason for asking about the browser is because the image does look very dark in IE which has no colour management. Anyway, thanks for the feedback - much appreciated.

I'm going to scrap this image and start again from scratch.