What can I do with this?

[point-&-shoot]

heres my quick lightroom edit
TPF edit BrysonShane010111-1-10-2 by kyle.emley, on Flickr

 

[Dominantly]

Oh boy.
You've had some encouraging comments, so I'll balance them out with saying that the best thing you could do is right-click delete.

 

[oldmacman]

So far I like Swedberg's edit the best. It's unfortunate that the towel backdrop is so close as it provides a lot of texture against the subject. The lighting is harsh, but I assume this cannot be reshot as it is time sensitive with the "12 days old".

Here is my take, which seems quite different than other edits. It might look over exposed, but as gsgary points out, the lighting needed to be made much softer.

Shooting without a flash would be challenging, but don't forget about white balance and DOF.

 

[oldmacman]

Masking is kind of like covering up a window before you paint the wall... it prevents the paint from getting where you don't want to.

Starting with a separate layer was a good idea, but what you want to do instead of erasing parts of it using the eraser tool is use the selection tool to outline the baby, feather that selection, and then use the selection to create a mask layer. Then you can apply your blur to that layer (with the mask applied) and the baby will be unaffected.

The nice thing about this approach too, is that you can always go in and edit the mask if you realize the selected area needs cleaning up. Getting the selection process right is kind of time consuming when you're first learning it though - be patient!

Actually, painstakingly masking with selection takes a lot of time and you invariably miss something. If you start as kerri did, then apply an add/substract mask (depending on which is more efficient) you add or subtract from the layer with black and white. This becomes quite easy when you start varying the softness of your brush. Just another way to do the same thing, but I find it saves a lot of time.

 

[Dominantly]

Re-Mask 3..... Makes masking easy, even for most of the people on this board.

 

[gsgary]

Oh boy.
You've had some encouraging comments, so I'll balance them out with saying that the best thing you could do is right-click delete.

Hey i normally say that :x

 

[oldmacman]

Re-Mask 3..... Makes masking easy, even for most of the people on this board.

The benefit of an add/subtract mask is that it doesn't have to be all or nothing. Depending on the effect in the new layer, you can partially apply it to the lower layer by reducing the opacity of the brush (or tool) you are using at the time.

 

[Zrock]

Looks to me like you had your lighting to high. Probably would have gotten rid of alot of shadows if you would have brough the light more down to the babys level. and possibly used your flash for front end fill to remove shadows. Not sure if your camera has the AEB function but it comes in handy on whots like that. I have used it several times when i couldent get the lighting right. I have also held my hand infront of the flash to sofen it up a bit... Usually when im bored ill play around with the flash and holding difrent objects in front of it.. Some of the results were pretty good. I would have used a dark towel and flash. I took a pic of my baby on the couch (Dark brown) and it turned out to be my favorite pic. With a quick edit i made the dark couch disapear and my little girl jumps of the page and this was with my old point and shoot... Have fun with it i always have my camera within arms reach and take pic's whenever possible. Im no way a expert but just a few things i would have tryed

 

[Syco]

This any better?

 

[swedberg311]

Babies and young children are my specialty so here are a few idea for your next shoot

first ditch the couch and buy a bean bag thy are maybe 20.00 and either get more beans to fill it or find a way to make it firmer

second use blankets and make them tight to avoid that shadow that makes you tell that its a couch hes on. plus then you can find a window to put it infront of to make sure you have enough light and use clips to clip the blanket to something to hold it tight. like an end table or couch fireplace exct.

thrid take your time a mother would rather spend more time with you and have great pictures and dont be ashamed to pull them up on your computer to make sure you have something workable before they leave.

then it comes down to practice and editing. babies require alot of detailed editing make sure you soften the skin but not around the wrinkles fingers toes and what not also when it comes down to it thier skin is going to be red and require alot of lighting and trail and error to correct the tone.

Keep trying! Practice makes perfect!

 

[Karri]

Oh boy.
You've had some encouraging comments, so I'll balance them out with saying that the best thing you could do is right-click delete.

Well thank you for your opinion but if you don't have anything useful to add to the thread, then I can do without your opinion. Obviously, if you read the thread, I rigged up a setting without the 'proper' equipment so I don't need you to balance out the thread, I can use better ways to work with what I do have.

 

[Karri]

This any better?

I like; thank you! I still think he could use more fill light around his face but I will keep working with it. The mommy will love these regardless but I want to make it and the few others the best they can be. Thank you again!

 

[Karri]

Babies and young children are my specialty so here are a few idea for your next shoot

first ditch the couch and buy a bean bag thy are maybe 20.00 and either get more beans to fill it or find a way to make it firmer

second use blankets and make them tight to avoid that shadow that makes you tell that its a couch hes on. plus then you can find a window to put it infront of to make sure you have enough light and use clips to clip the blanket to something to hold it tight. like an end table or couch fireplace exct.

thrid take your time a mother would rather spend more time with you and have great pictures and dont be ashamed to pull them up on your computer to make sure you have something workable before they leave.

then it comes down to practice and editing. babies require alot of detailed editing make sure you soften the skin but not around the wrinkles fingers toes and what not also when it comes down to it thier skin is going to be red and require alot of lighting and trail and error to correct the tone.

Keep trying! Practice makes perfect!

Great advice!! Thank you! It is my stepdaughter's baby so I know I will have more opportunities in the near future. I was trying to work around the umbilical cord not falling off yet and not wanting him too close to the edge of the couch. Getting a bean bag or something comparable will definitely help with mobility and positioning. Thank you again!

 

[Karri]

Masking is kind of like covering up a window before you paint the wall... it prevents the paint from getting where you don't want to.

Starting with a separate layer was a good idea, but what you want to do instead of erasing parts of it using the eraser tool is use the selection tool to outline the baby, feather that selection, and then use the selection to create a mask layer. Then you can apply your blur to that layer (with the mask applied) and the baby will be unaffected.

The nice thing about this approach too, is that you can always go in and edit the mask if you realize the selected area needs cleaning up. Getting the selection process right is kind of time consuming when you're first learning it though - be patient!

Actually, painstakingly masking with selection takes a lot of time and you invariably miss something. If you start as kerri did, then apply an add/substract mask (depending on which is more efficient) you add or subtract from the layer with black and white. This becomes quite easy when you start varying the softness of your brush. Just another way to do the same thing, but I find it saves a lot of time.

Thank you oldmacman! I ran out of thank you's but I see what you are saying and appreciate the feedback!

 

[Dominantly]

Oh boy.
You've had some encouraging comments, so I'll balance them out with saying that the best thing you could do is right-click delete.

Well thank you for your opinion but if you don't have anything useful to add to the thread, then I can do without your opinion. Obviously, if you read the thread, I rigged up a setting without the 'proper' equipment so I don't need you to balance out the thread, I can use better ways to work with what I do have.

Hey, you asked on an open forum what you could do with that photo, and I told you exactly what needed to be done with it. There is not one thing about that photo that works, except maybe for the fact that you didn't cut any limbs off.

You started off your thread admitting that your lighting setup was junk, and that you didn't have the proper equipment, then refused to experiment with your on camera flash (why is that?). Once I got through the excuses, and scrolled down to see the edit, what else was there to say?