Portrait and sitting on a bench

[WouterV]

Hello everyone!

I'm new to photography as well as this forum. I've been photographing for around 1,5 months now since I first got my old canon eos 350D. After two weeks I started learning photoshop. Here are two photos I recently shot. The first one is actually a self portrait and the second one is someone sitting on a bench.

Before:

smoking before by wouterverhoeven1, on Flickr
exif: Canon eos 350D
aperture: f/2.0
Shutter: 1/320
iso: 100
lens: nifty fifty 50mm prime f/1.8


After:

black and white me by wouterverhoeven1, on Flickr

Before:

2014-03-17 14.21 by wouterverhoeven1, on Flickr
exif: Canon eos 350D
aperture: f/2.2
Shutter: 1/250
iso: 100
lens: nifty fifty 50mm prime f/1.8
after:

bank watermerk by wouterverhoeven1, on Flickr

If anyone wants to see what I did (or has some tips on how to do it easier) you can view the .psd files here: Wouter-V (Wouter Verhoeven) on deviantART
Almost all of the edits have been done using curves adjustment layers and a few dodges, burns and a gradient map.

I don't think either photo is completely done. I might have overdone the first one and I want some more highlights on the guy on the second photo. Maybe some vignetting to but I just don't know anymore.

 

[ronlane]

Welcome to the site. Not bad conversions. I would suggest trying a square crop on the second one.

 

[WouterV]

What do you mean exactly by a square crop? selecting a square around him and making it lighter or...? Thanks for the reply

 

[ronlane]

No, it won't lighten it. Here is what I mean, cut it in a square and loose the other bench and make the focus on the man.

 

[BrickHouse]

I really like the sepia self portrait. I feel like I lose the right contour of the face against the chair though. Maybe could burn that in a little.

 

[WouterV]

Thanks ronlane, maybe that is a good idea yea . And thanks for your reply brickhouse, you mean making it a bit lighter on that side? You're right, the contour is gone.

 

[BrickHouse]

Making the countour of the face a little darker to give some separation from the background.

 

[WouterV]

And here I am thinking I already had really dark. True, the way to go on this picture is darker. I changed it a little but somehow I see a bigger difference in photoshop.


black and white me iets lighter by wouterverhoeven1, on Flickr

 

[Designer]

My version:

 

[Braineack]

you lost a lot of information in your face in the conversion.

 

[WouterV]

Well yea but what do you mean exactly? Should I try and brighten up the area. Should i make my adjustments less visible? Which parts of my face do you mean in particular? Are the shadows maybe to dark?

 

[The_Traveler]

I think the conversion of the first is a little too harsh and contrasty. (the picture is great)
It has a film look but you are losing a lot of detail in the face.

The second one is a real miss for me. I can't tell what he is doing and it ends up as a guy with athletic shoes on.

 

[WouterV]

Thanks for your reply. I guess I'd have to start over on the first one. Or cut down all my adjustments with about 30%, which does make a good rule; anything you like in photoshop, trim it down atleast 20%, haha. The self portrait is hard because I'm trying to achieve something I can't, or what the photo itself won't allow me to do. Your edit looks nice, did you also boost some clarity or something? My skin seems to have even more detail than the original one.

How is the second one like this? I disliked the cars on the top of the frame but if I cropped it I didn't want half of the other bench to be there so i clonestamped it out. Since I'm still so new to photography I find myself trying to hold on to the rule of thirds on this photo. Maybe its done and I should be out shooting more


bank by wouterverhoeven1, on Flickr

Its a homeless man from my town by the way, he's rolling a sigarette. I guess if I have to explain it isn't a good photo.

Thank you all for the comments, it has been very helpful so far!

 

[BrickHouse]

That's a better crop.

 

[The_Traveler]

did you also boost some clarity or something?

No, I'm trying to remember.
Converted with a B&W layer in Photoshop
Then burnt in the face and the upper right corner.
Did some creative sharpening to bring out detail

Nice shot, especially for a self-portrait.

Lew