Post-processing help?

[Chiuy]

Hey guys,

Usually I don't do portrait photography, but a friend really wanted me as a last minute. So I lack practice and experience in terms of post-processing for portrait photography. If you guys can give me tips / suggestions / examples on how to make the photo shine out, that would be amazing. Critiques are welcome.

The attached file is my attempt at post-processing.
Here is the link for the RAW / .CR2 file: -Deleted- (No longer needed)
(You have my permission to edit)

 

[Ysarex]

How about like this:

Here's the full-res JPEG: graduate.jpg

Joe

 

[Chiuy]

How about like this:

View attachment 141075

Here's the full-res JPEG: graduate.jpg

Joe

Her skin actually looks more natural and stands out more! May I ask how you did that and what sort of I should practice and look out for? Thanks!

 

[Ysarex]

How about like this:

View attachment 141075

Here's the full-res JPEG: graduate.jpg

Joe

Her skin actually looks more natural and stands out more! May I ask how you did that? Thanks!

I started with the CR2 file in Adobe ACR. I had no white balance reference but I assumed the university lettering was white paint and her dress was white so I started with those. Fortunately there are two pretty good color constants in the photo -- blue sky (I know what color that is), and human skin (that has an average color that is well known). So after setting the white balance from her dress and the lettering I double check those two constants and arrived at an overall color that I prioritized for her skin. Blue sky at that point was close and I simply adjusted the blue directly.

Because it's a photo I in fact selected a skin color just a smidge warm as opposed to mostly like accurate -- we tend to prefer seeing ourselves a little less yellow than we really are. As for standing out I lightened her in the scene using an adjustment brush.

Joe

 

[Chiuy]

How about like this:

View attachment 141075

Here's the full-res JPEG: graduate.jpg

Joe

Her skin actually looks more natural and stands out more! May I ask how you did that? Thanks!

I started with the CR2 file in Adobe ACR. I had no white balance reference but I assumed the university lettering was white paint and her dress was white so I started with those. Fortunately there are two pretty good color constants in the photo -- blue sky (I know what color that is), and human skin (that has an average color that is well known). So after setting the white balance from her dress and the lettering I double check those two constants and arrived at an overall color that I prioritized for her skin. Blue sky at that point was close and I simply adjusted the blue directly.

Because it's a photo I in fact selected a skin color just a smidge warm as opposed to mostly like accurate -- we tend to prefer seeing ourselves a little less yellow than we really are. As for standing out I lightened her in the scene using an adjustment brush.

Joe

Thanks so much for the detail information. I shall practice on that then! I had the idea of brighten her up and stuff, but just didn't know how. I shall look up some practice tutorials.

 

[Ysarex]

How about like this:

View attachment 141075

Here's the full-res JPEG: graduate.jpg

Joe

Her skin actually looks more natural and stands out more! May I ask how you did that? Thanks!

I started with the CR2 file in Adobe ACR. I had no white balance reference but I assumed the university lettering was white paint and her dress was white so I started with those. Fortunately there are two pretty good color constants in the photo -- blue sky (I know what color that is), and human skin (that has an average color that is well known). So after setting the white balance from her dress and the lettering I double check those two constants and arrived at an overall color that I prioritized for her skin. Blue sky at that point was close and I simply adjusted the blue directly.

Because it's a photo I in fact selected a skin color just a smidge warm as opposed to mostly like accurate -- we tend to prefer seeing ourselves a little less yellow than we really are. As for standing out I lightened her in the scene using an adjustment brush.

Joe

Thanks so much for the detail information. I shall practice on that then! I had the idea of brighten her up and stuff, but just didn't know how. I shall look up some practice tutorials.

I actually took a brush (tool) with a very soft edge and set to very low effect and painted over her to lighten just her and not the background. There are lots of options. In LR it's called the adjustment brush. I Photoshop there are other options and specifically I used a brush in Photoshop set to a Screen blend mode which lightens what you brush over.

Glad to help.

Joe

P.S. Look hard and you'll see more that I did -- compare directly above her head for example between your version and mine.

 

[Chiuy]

How about like this:

View attachment 141075

Here's the full-res JPEG: graduate.jpg

Joe

Her skin actually looks more natural and stands out more! May I ask how you did that? Thanks!

I started with the CR2 file in Adobe ACR. I had no white balance reference but I assumed the university lettering was white paint and her dress was white so I started with those. Fortunately there are two pretty good color constants in the photo -- blue sky (I know what color that is), and human skin (that has an average color that is well known). So after setting the white balance from her dress and the lettering I double check those two constants and arrived at an overall color that I prioritized for her skin. Blue sky at that point was close and I simply adjusted the blue directly.

Because it's a photo I in fact selected a skin color just a smidge warm as opposed to mostly like accurate -- we tend to prefer seeing ourselves a little less yellow than we really are. As for standing out I lightened her in the scene using an adjustment brush.

Joe

Thanks so much for the detail information. I shall practice on that then! I had the idea of brighten her up and stuff, but just didn't know how. I shall look up some practice tutorials.

I actually took a brush (tool) with a very soft edge and set to very low effect and painted over her to lighten just her and not the background. There are lots of options. In LR it's called the adjustment brush. I Photoshop there are other options and specifically I used a brush in Photoshop set to a Screen blend mode which lightens what you brush over.

Glad to help.

Joe

P.S. Look hard and you'll see more that I did -- compare directly above her head for example between your version and mine.

Yes. I can see the blue sky actually feels more blue. You also made the sky across the picture / angle and fixed that weird distorture thing I missed.

 

[Ysarex]

How about like this:

View attachment 141075

Here's the full-res JPEG: graduate.jpg

Joe

Her skin actually looks more natural and stands out more! May I ask how you did that? Thanks!

I started with the CR2 file in Adobe ACR. I had no white balance reference but I assumed the university lettering was white paint and her dress was white so I started with those. Fortunately there are two pretty good color constants in the photo -- blue sky (I know what color that is), and human skin (that has an average color that is well known). So after setting the white balance from her dress and the lettering I double check those two constants and arrived at an overall color that I prioritized for her skin. Blue sky at that point was close and I simply adjusted the blue directly.

Because it's a photo I in fact selected a skin color just a smidge warm as opposed to mostly like accurate -- we tend to prefer seeing ourselves a little less yellow than we really are. As for standing out I lightened her in the scene using an adjustment brush.

Joe

Thanks so much for the detail information. I shall practice on that then! I had the idea of brighten her up and stuff, but just didn't know how. I shall look up some practice tutorials.

I actually took a brush (tool) with a very soft edge and set to very low effect and painted over her to lighten just her and not the background. There are lots of options. In LR it's called the adjustment brush. I Photoshop there are other options and specifically I used a brush in Photoshop set to a Screen blend mode which lightens what you brush over.

Glad to help.

Joe

P.S. Look hard and you'll see more that I did -- compare directly above her head for example between your version and mine.

Yes. I can see the blue sky actually feels more blue. You also made the sky across the picture / angle and fixed that weird distorture thing I missed.

You had a great idea to pose her in front of the univ. sign like that -- good job. But you got very close with a pretty wide lens and you held the camera down below her eye level -- basically looking up at her a little. Add those together and there's the distortion you noticed. I used a software program from DX0 called Viewpoint that helps correct distortion problems like that.

Joe

 

[Chiuy]

How about like this:

View attachment 141075

Here's the full-res JPEG: graduate.jpg

Joe

Her skin actually looks more natural and stands out more! May I ask how you did that? Thanks!

I started with the CR2 file in Adobe ACR. I had no white balance reference but I assumed the university lettering was white paint and her dress was white so I started with those. Fortunately there are two pretty good color constants in the photo -- blue sky (I know what color that is), and human skin (that has an average color that is well known). So after setting the white balance from her dress and the lettering I double check those two constants and arrived at an overall color that I prioritized for her skin. Blue sky at that point was close and I simply adjusted the blue directly.

Because it's a photo I in fact selected a skin color just a smidge warm as opposed to mostly like accurate -- we tend to prefer seeing ourselves a little less yellow than we really are. As for standing out I lightened her in the scene using an adjustment brush.

Joe

Thanks so much for the detail information. I shall practice on that then! I had the idea of brighten her up and stuff, but just didn't know how. I shall look up some practice tutorials.

I actually took a brush (tool) with a very soft edge and set to very low effect and painted over her to lighten just her and not the background. There are lots of options. In LR it's called the adjustment brush. I Photoshop there are other options and specifically I used a brush in Photoshop set to a Screen blend mode which lightens what you brush over.

Glad to help.

Joe

P.S. Look hard and you'll see more that I did -- compare directly above her head for example between your version and mine.

Yes. I can see the blue sky actually feels more blue. You also made the sky across the picture / angle and fixed that weird distorture thing I missed.

You had a great idea to pose her in front of the univ. sign like that -- good job. But you got very close with a pretty wide lens and you held the camera down below her eye level -- basically looking up at her a little. Add those together and there's the distortion you noticed. I used a software program from DX0 called Viewpoint that helps correct distortion problems like that.

Joe

Haha, I see. There was actually a reason for me getting up close because I wanted to use my camera's flash to fill in the shadow since lighting was pretty bad at the time with the sun above our heads creating shadow. Since I don't have any powerful lighting flash (I should invest in one soon), I just had to make do with what I had by getting closer to her so the flash can reach and fill the shadow, but I totally forgot about that distortion thing with the wide angle lens.

Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 if you're wondering.

But thanks! I just need more practice.

 

[Ysarex]

Her skin actually looks more natural and stands out more! May I ask how you did that? Thanks!

I started with the CR2 file in Adobe ACR. I had no white balance reference but I assumed the university lettering was white paint and her dress was white so I started with those. Fortunately there are two pretty good color constants in the photo -- blue sky (I know what color that is), and human skin (that has an average color that is well known). So after setting the white balance from her dress and the lettering I double check those two constants and arrived at an overall color that I prioritized for her skin. Blue sky at that point was close and I simply adjusted the blue directly.

Because it's a photo I in fact selected a skin color just a smidge warm as opposed to mostly like accurate -- we tend to prefer seeing ourselves a little less yellow than we really are. As for standing out I lightened her in the scene using an adjustment brush.

Joe

Thanks so much for the detail information. I shall practice on that then! I had the idea of brighten her up and stuff, but just didn't know how. I shall look up some practice tutorials.

I actually took a brush (tool) with a very soft edge and set to very low effect and painted over her to lighten just her and not the background. There are lots of options. In LR it's called the adjustment brush. I Photoshop there are other options and specifically I used a brush in Photoshop set to a Screen blend mode which lightens what you brush over.

Glad to help.

Joe

P.S. Look hard and you'll see more that I did -- compare directly above her head for example between your version and mine.

Yes. I can see the blue sky actually feels more blue. You also made the sky across the picture / angle and fixed that weird distorture thing I missed.

You had a great idea to pose her in front of the univ. sign like that -- good job. But you got very close with a pretty wide lens and you held the camera down below her eye level -- basically looking up at her a little. Add those together and there's the distortion you noticed. I used a software program from DX0 called Viewpoint that helps correct distortion problems like that.

Joe

Haha, I see. There was actually a reason for me getting up close because I wanted to use my camera's flash to fill in the shadow since lighting was pretty bad at the time with the sun above our heads creating shadow. Since I don't have any powerful lighting flash (I should invest in one soon), I just had to make do with what I had by getting closer to her so the flash can reach and fill the shadow, but I totally forgot about that distortion thing with the wide angle lens.

Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 if you're wondering.

But thanks! I just need more practice.

You did good. It's a nice graduation photo that she's going to like. You get a star for posing her with the univ. sign and seal like that.

Joe

 

[407370]

Messing around in Photomatix:

 

[Chiuy]

Messing around in Photomatix:
View attachment 141084

Haha, Thanks, I like HDR, but I usually don't like it when there is a subject.

 

[The_Traveler]

IMO, this is harder than needed because of the posing.
The subject is in the same plane as the large sign with her diploma at her waist. Thus there is a lot of useless space that is sort of trapped in the frame.
If she was in the foreground, holding the diploma up and the shot was from her waist up, with the wall in the background, the entire frame would be easier to edit.

 

[table1349]

This is my quick shot at it.

 

[bianni]

I'd put a light shadow on the wall to separate her from the wall. She looks like she's painted on the wall, part of the sign unless you see her feet.