Sarah and Tifa C&C

e.rose · Feb 17, 2012

Derrel said:
Pretty girls!!!! Looks like they're keeping the manufacturers of purple eye shadow happy and wealthy. I think the skin smoothing is a bit too much (a real surprise, right?). I like shot #1 and #2. The sideways pose in most of the others leaves a big gutter of dead space all along the left side of the picture area. The "lighting" looks acceptable....maybe even good...but the posing in the last couple just doesn't do much to showcase her, or her clothes.

Thanks for your feedback! :sillysmi:

Bossy · Feb 17, 2012

Hah I thought they were 2 different girls!

Like, on #2 specifically, there isn't any catchlight on her eye, nor is there any shadowing from where the eyeball curves. I had a similar issue with an image I posted recently so it def could just be the lighting if you didn't do anything to it.
As for her mouth on 4, there doesn't seem to be that little... crease? the dent under your nose? its just rounded. Like she had her tongue under her top lip (which she obvs didn't). But you can see the crease on 3.
Her thumb-line looks super wonky on #2 also.

rexbobcat · Feb 17, 2012

Wait...I'm just curious...are these based off of video game characters? Specifically characters created by Squaresoft/Square-Enix? There is an UNCANNY resemblance.

If this is true then the pink hair works. Love it. A very different take on the related subject matter

Bossy · Feb 17, 2012

BTW, I don't feel these are beginners work at all

Just my .02 cents

Robin Usagani · Feb 17, 2012

To be fair, she does have purple hair. I doubt Emily was trying to make it look as natural as possible. The skin smoothing doesnt bother me at all.

Bossy · Feb 17, 2012

You mean you don't see people with purple hair all the time? LOL. I don't mind most of the skin smoothing, just certain parts like on the hand, the eyes, around the mouth.

e.rose · Feb 17, 2012

Bossy said:
Hah I thought they were 2 different girls!

Like, on #2 specifically, there isn't any catchlight on her eye, nor is there any shadowing from where the eyeball curves. I had a similar issue with an image I posted recently so it def could just be the lighting if you didn't do anything to it.
As for her mouth on 4, there doesn't seem to be that little... crease? the dent under your nose? its just rounded. Like she had her tongue under her top lip (which she obvs didn't). But you can see the crease on 3.
Her thumb-line looks super wonky on #2 also.

OOOOOOH, okay, I see now. :lol:

Yeah, I think that was just the way the light caught her... what do you call that part? Mouth to nose connector? :lol:

I generally try not to smooth out that part, because you're right, it looks super weird when you do, but I do recall that image not having that area very defined to begin with SOOC... so I think that was a curse of the lighting. :lol:

But yeah, I definitely see what you're saying now.

Thanks for explaining that, haha.

rexbobcat said:
Wait...I'm just curious...are these based off of video game characters? Specifically characters created by Squaresoft/Square-Enix? There is an UNCANNY resemblance.

If this is true then the pink hair works. Love it. A very different take on the related subject matter

Yes, Sara and Tifa... :lol:

I think it's FFVII? I'm not too familiar with the games other than that my husband sits and yells at the TV when he plays XII. :lmao:

Bossy said:
BTW, I don't feel these are beginners work at all Just my .02 cents

Thank you :sillysmi:

My reason for wanting to post them in the beginner's section isn't because I think it's beginner's work... it's because, like everyone else who keeps fighting for that thinks, it gets more traffic.

I've posted other threads at 4am before and come back to it at 3 in the afternoon and it's had responses... but the second I do the same thing anywhere OTHER than the beginner's forum... I have to bump the thread, or no one sees it. :lol:

Schwettylens said:
To be fair, she does have purple hair. I doubt Emily was trying to make it look as natural as possible. The skin smoothing doesnt bother me at all.

Haha, thanks Schwetty.

Yeah if this was a straight up portrait session... of a girl with dyed pink hair... I wouldn't have pushed the skin smoothing as far. :lmao:

Everyone is welcome to their opinion though. I appreciate the feedback. :sillysmi:

e.rose · Feb 17, 2012

Bossy said:
You mean you don't see people with purple hair all the time? LOL. I don't mind most of the skin smoothing, just certain parts like on the hand, the eyes, around the mouth.

Skin smoothing on hands is admittedly something I struggle with. I have a hard time finding the right settings to make it look cohesive to the rest of the body, but not weird. If that makes sense. :lol:

I'm having a hard time with words today too, apparently. :biglaugh:

Bossy · Feb 17, 2012

Mee too.

I think its probably one of the harder things to nail in post processing. I usually only do enough to soften/ remove blemishes, I haven't been "brave" enough to do some serious smoothing. There's a fine line too I think, because Glamour Shots are kinda famous for the over-softening and then you risk looking like a newb trying to imitate it. Buttt I think you've successfully NOT looked newbish here... That came out in a nice way right? I need a button "I'm saying this in a conversational tone".

e.rose · Feb 17, 2012

Bossy said:
Mee too. I think its probably one of the harder things to nail in post processing. I usually only do enough to soften/ remove blemishes, I haven't been "brave" enough to do some serious smoothing. There's a fine line too I think, because Glamour Shots are kinda famous for the over-softening and then you risk looking like a newb trying to imitate it. Buttt I think you've successfully NOT looked newbish here... That came out in a nice way right? I need a button "I'm saying this in a conversational tone".

Thanks.

The_Traveler · Feb 17, 2012

cgipson1 said:
Hey Miz E!

So did you do a lot of skin smoothing? If not, she has some unusually nice skin (or too much makeup!). I normally love your work.. and it breaks my heart to say I don't care for these! The pink hair.. just looks wrong. And she is a bit bright on the face... don't you think so? She looks like she has a lovely color.. but the highlights hide it!

what he said.
Pink hair, ugh
too bright imo.
First pose, the white no-interest shirt flat to the camera?

both women look smooth and sleek and sultry and the look of the images does carry that out.

DiskoJoe · Feb 17, 2012

[/QUOTE]

No? Yes? :lol:

Uh... I dunno, it just felt better to me. I guess it felt like her face needed room to breath since she's facing more left than front? :lol:

[/QUOTE]

hey darrel concurred! I really am learning something from this site!

cgipson1 · Feb 17, 2012

The_Traveler said:
cgipson1 said:

Hey Miz E!

So did you do a lot of skin smoothing? If not, she has some unusually nice skin (or too much makeup!). I normally love your work.. and it breaks my heart to say I don't care for these! The pink hair.. just looks wrong. And she is a bit bright on the face... don't you think so? She looks like she has a lovely color.. but the highlights hide it!

Click to expand...

what he said.
Pink hair, ugh
too bright imo.
First pose, the white no-interest shirt flat to the camera?

both women look smooth and sleek and sultry and the look of the images does carry that out.

Much nicer.. she IS lovely!

Chann · Feb 17, 2012

Great work! To me, this is not intended as general portrait work so the skin smoothing fits. These could easily be used for advertisement, just add a watch/necklace/beer for an instant ad.

e.rose · Feb 17, 2012

The_Traveler said:
cgipson1 said:

Hey Miz E!

So did you do a lot of skin smoothing? If not, she has some unusually nice skin (or too much makeup!). I normally love your work.. and it breaks my heart to say I don't care for these! The pink hair.. just looks wrong. And she is a bit bright on the face... don't you think so? She looks like she has a lovely color.. but the highlights hide it!

Click to expand...

what he said.
Pink hair, ugh
too bright imo.
First pose, the white no-interest shirt flat to the camera?

both women look smooth and sleek and sultry and the look of the images does carry that out.

I'm sorry you don't like the pink hair, but again, it was to portray an actual character, from a video game, that actually has pink hair. :lol:

HOWEVER... I do like your edit. Thanks for taking the time to do that. :sillysmi:

This is probably gonna sound *really* bad... and I don't intend it to be whatsoever... but I was speaking with a photographer once who was speaking about the differences between shooting someone with light skin vs. shooting someone with dark skin, and Jazzmin is the first model that I've shot with darker skin, so I think I kept finding myself thinking the shots were slightly underexposed, when clearly they weren't, and my post processing pushed them to be *too* bright.

I'm actually doing another shoot with her when I get back from tour in April, so I will try to work on this and be more conscious of my lighting and processing on her images. :sillysmi:

Thanks again!

Chann said:
Great work! To me, this is not intended as general portrait work so the skin smoothing fits. These could easily be used for advertisement, just add a watch/necklace/beer for an instant ad.