"You Look Better In Red"

[Derrel]

I do not think you should crop frame number one, but I think you should consider cloning out that highlight on the left side in the background.

 

[twocolor]

I used photoshop's stamp tool, a bit of the patch tool and some hand painting in some spots.

Can you explain what those first two tools do? I don't think there's anything in paintshop with a similar name, but they might just be called something else.

I'll also check out Youtube.

The stamp tool can sample a portion of an image and stamp it in another spot in the image. So I "sampled" a portion of the hood that wasn't blown out and "stamped it" on the blown highlights! The patch tool takes imperfections in an image and using the information in the pixels around the imperfection recreates the area without the imperfection! I recommend trying creative cloud photographer's subscription. It's $9'ish a month and gives you photoshop, bridge and lightroom!

 

[ElNico]

The stamp tool can sample a portion of an image and stamp it in another spot in the image. So I "sampled" a portion of the hood that wasn't blown out and "stamped it" on the blown highlights! The patch tool takes imperfections in an image and using the information in the pixels around the imperfection recreates the area without the imperfection!

Cool, paintshop can do the first of those (it's called "clone,"), and I have another program that can do the latter (this is the tool I mentioned earlier that can "make an object disappear"). I'll see what I can do tomorrow by combining those.

I recommend trying creative cloud photographer's subscription. It's $9'ish a month and gives you photoshop, bridge and lightroom!

That's sounds like a good deal, and I've heard good things about lightroom. I'll check that out, thanks!

 

[weepete]

ok, so 2 and 3 are much stronger shots than 1. Your model has really nice eyes so it's a bit of a shame not to use them. Out of 2 and 3, I think 3 is the best shot, it's composed better within the frame. People are naturally drawn to others eyes, it's one of the things we are conditioned to look at to try and understand how someone else is feeling.

Something to think about: Photography, like all art is a visual language and in order to communicate your ideas effectively to a random viewer you need to drop a few hints into work you create. These can be subltle, or implied but without them things can be difficult to interperate.

You mentioned the concept of serenity and wanting to make it appear that your model was in a forest. Serenity is a little bit of an abstract concept, however you could use the things that are accociated with that in your shot. Limited colour palatte
(particularly pastels) blues, purples, greens, yellows, browns, calm water, soft light, relaxed posing are all things I'd associate with the idea of serenity. Some of the major things I associate with forests is trees and ferns. Inclusion of one of these elements would really help the viewer be lead in the direction you want them to go.

 

[ElNico]

Serenity is a little bit of an abstract concept, however you could use the things that are accociated with that in your shot. Limited colour palatte
(particularly pastels) blues, purples, greens, yellows, browns, calm water, soft light, relaxed posing are all things I'd associate with the idea of serenity.

Well I think that 1 (which to be clear is the one of these three that I was trying to create a serene feel with) is a very relaxed pose. As for limited color palate; hence the two entirely B&W edits of this image, 1C and 1D. I thought that 1D especially looked very serene and peaceful; between the expression (including the closed eyes), the lighting on the face, and the way that the lighting combines with being B&W. Do you disagree?

The edits aside, I think it has a somewhat limited color palate already, as there are basically two main colors, red and green. I realize that red and green are contrasting colors, but as the premise of the scene is "Red Riding Hood in a forest," both colors are kind of unavoidable. Do you think it would look better if I edited the leaves to be less green and more brown, so as to contrast less with the red?

Some of the major things I associate with forests is trees and ferns. Inclusion of one of these elements would really help the viewer be lead in the direction you want them to go.

I'm a bit confused by this, as it seems to me that I have that already. 1 and 3 are basically shot against a solid background of leaves, and 2 is on a path through trees. (Okay, they're actually bushes; but again, it's a solid wall of leaves with no top in sight.) Granted there are no tree trunks, but I was working with what I had.

If I'm going to try the concept again in the future, I can try doing it in a location that is more like an actual forest. I chose this location because it had a variety of backdrops that I wanted to use for different sets, including the woods-like area; but I can try this concept in a place that goes further in that one direction.

Your model has really nice eyes so it's a bit of a shame not to use them. [...] People are naturally drawn to others eyes, it's one of the things we are conditioned to look at to try and understand how someone else is feeling.

I'm aware of this, and I agree that the model has very effecting eyes. I took plenty of photos in this shoot that focus on the eyes; I just had a larger number of closed eyes photos in this particular set, as I felt it went well with the fairytale theme. Even then, I still made use of her eyes in this set, #3 being just one example.

I plan on posting some images from the other sets in this shoot (in a different thread) at some point in the future, once I've got more of them edited. This is one of my favourite shoots I've done so far.

 

[ElNico]

Okay, how's this for fixing the main hot spot on the hood? I know there's other spots to fix, I just want to know if I'm on the right track. Thanks.

 

[bulldurham]

The right track is not to try to fix this image but to reshoot and take all the suggestions into account when doing the poses, lighting and dress/makeup. One rarely learns by fixing a crappy shot, but by figuring out what went wrong, plan a newer and better shot and keep doing that until it's right - and trust me, you'll never forget.

 

[ElNico]

The right track is not to try to fix this image but to reshoot and take all the suggestions into account when doing the poses, lighting and dress/makeup. One rarely learns by fixing a crappy shot, but by figuring out what went wrong, plan a newer and better shot and keep doing that until it's right - and trust me, you'll never forget.

Sure, but I don't think I can redo this shoot as I think that the model doesn't model anymore; and there are definitely some images from this set that have this problem that I otherwise really like, such as #3 above on this page. And I was told earlier in this thread to "fix" the blown highlights on her hood. So if you don't think I should spend a lot of time trying to edit the blown area so that it looks perfect, then for the purpose of these images that I like, do you think I'm better off trying to fix what I can so that it looks obviously edited (or does it not look that bad?), or am I better off not editing the blown area and just chalking it up to a casualty of a mistake made in the shoot that I will learn from?

In other words, is the fact that "the real answer is to not make the mistake in the future," and the fact that it "can't" be properly fixed, a reason to not try to fix it? Given that I can't reshoot but want to add these images that I really like to my portfolio, which would look more professional/respectable; trying to fix it or not trying to fix it?

 

[bulldurham]

My opinion for what it's worth is to chalk it up to a learning shoot and go on from there...putting this shot in a portfolio would not impress me, fixed or as shot. The ones that suggested fixing the blown highlights, I think were trying to be encouraging without totally giving you a thumb's down. I've graded way too many shows, portfolios and projects to be that kind...sorry, but fixing these images is putting lipstick on a pig.

 

[weepete]

I totally agree with bulldurham here, there's issues with your shot that can't be fixed in post. That's not to say your idea or shooting is without merit. I think your concept is good, it just lacks a little maturity in execution which can only come from experience and a bit of refinement in post. You have some really nice aspects here, but it doesn't quite come together to form a cohearant image. You are doing the right things, and clearly thinking about your shots which is great.

Ok, so this exact model isn't avalible, so run with the concept, refine your technique, keep thinking about your shots, gain experience and I'm sure you'll get to a place you aspire too. To get an idea of what's possible have a look at Dan Ostergren's work on here to see what you can do with sympathetic post processing, good light and a good eye.

 

[ElNico]

putting this shot in a portfolio would not impress me, fixed or as shot. [...] I've graded way too many shows, portfolios and projects to be that kind...sorry, but fixing these images is putting lipstick on a pig.

I totally agree with bulldurham here, there's issues with your shot that can't be fixed in post. That's not to say your idea or shooting is without merit. I think your concept is good, it just lacks a little maturity in execution which can only come from experience and a bit of refinement in post. You have some really nice aspects here, but it doesn't quite come together to form a cohearant image. You are doing the right things, and clearly thinking about your shots which is great.

Ok, so this exact model isn't avalible, so run with the concept, refine your technique, keep thinking about your shots, gain experience and I'm sure you'll get to a place you aspire too.

Two things regarding this.

First, as I see it, I need to keep my portfolio updated with the best images I have, even if those images still leave a lot to be desired, in order to make my portfolio progressively better; so that I can get shoots with progressively better models, and/or progressively more often. So if an image shows what I can do but is nevertheless flawed (for example, in #3, the pose and the expression are good but the blown out hood holds it back), that's still better than nothing, yes? If I don't put any images on my portfolio that aren't professional quality, then I'm never going to get enough shoots to gain the experience necessary to produce professional quality images. Am I wrong?

Now, that's not to say that the images I've posted in this thread are the most portfolio-worthy images from this set; I probably want to use only one or two images from this set, if that, and there are probably more respectable looking ones than these. With respect to these two blown out hood images specifically, the second thing I wanted to say is that when I said I really wanted to use these images because I really like them, "portfolio" wasn't actually the right word for what I wanted to do with them - apologies for not being more clear. I have two public profiles, specifically so that one of them, my Instagram profile, can be used to post the images that I "like" and that I want to display somewhere, without worrying too much about keeping the numbers down or using only the absolute best one or two images from a given set or shoot. (The fact that on Instagram you can put multiple photos in a single post without taking up more space on your wall, helps with this.) So that's the context I was actually thinking of when I asked whether no edit on something like the blown out hood was better than a bad edit. (I'm suspecting that the answer is still yes.)

On a related note to that second point, as noted in my signature, I'm a hobbyist. I do this because it's fun. I'm always trying to get better, and I also value feedback that lets me get better at recognizing flaws in my work and judging how big of a deal they are (eg this blown out hood problem); but my objective in all of this isn't to make money or win contests, my objective is to have fun and create art. With this in mind, while I'm not really hurt by bulldurham's harsh words, I do think they suggest that the standards he's judging these by are such that I'm probably never going to meet them.

 

[bulldurham]

And again, my words are never meant to hurt, only to help. These are the same words I would use with my high school students and I fully expected growth through each assignment. When you used the term "portfolio," I took it to mean a professional portfolio and critiqued accordingly. Had you have noted in the beginning you were strictly a hobbyist and these were just for fun and your own wants and needs, I might have been a little less severe in my comments. However, I will stand by my original assessment that this set of images needs to go into its won folder labeled, "A Good Try," and in this folder you need to make self critiques on what you did, why it failed, and what do you need to do in the future to prevent a recurrence. Self-reflection is the best learning tool there is. Getting accolades takes a lot of work and accolades should never be your driving force, getting better through critique needs to take that place. I wish you well and I encourage you to drive your enthusiasm as far as you can take it... Finally, don't take critiques personally...no one is on here to bust your cajones, only to help.
Cheers!