I am still digging through the mountain of pictures from Matt's (mrsollars') wedding last weekend. Here is one that I thought came out pretty well I am including a cropped version to show more detail on the face as well Shot with a D80, 50mm f/1.8 wide open with available light through a stained glass window Did some levels and softening of the skin with PS CS3 Comments and suggestions are always appreciated Thanks Blake
Nice work Blake, After your skin work, I would consider doing one more tiny bit of sharpening on the shot. I did a small amount on your posted image and it held up well, and the skin stayed smooth, but the eyes and hair and lips were better. Just a thought, You could also do some selective sharpening too. Not much was needed, I used in NX 18, 7, 2 I am sure some of the portrait pros here will have more accurate and viable comments and details about your shot than I. cheers, Wade
I really like the tinted light that is coming on the right from that stain glass window you mentioned. I wonder if the same thing can be accomplished with colored gels on a flash. Strobist project anyone?
She's very beautiful. He's a lucky guy... :wink: I'd probably hit it with a little more USM though as Wade mentioned.
i agree, the posted images could definitely use some sharpening. Does exporting to a jpeg lose some of the sharpness? The .PSD documents look razor sharp on the eyes, but I agree these jpegs look a little dull Thanks for the comments Blake
Nice shot! If I would like anything it would be to be a little sharper. But the angle and shot is great just like it is.
It's very likely there is some loss in the conversion, however... it would surprise me if it would be enough to make the difference. I would probably at least hit it with another USM with 50-65%. I do want to note the skin looks uneven and almost like an airbrushed job... what does the original look like? She's a gorgeous bride though. :wink:
Well, you asked for critique, so here is my critique: I find the PP way overdone to the point where you will probably insult the bride. The skin is so retouched that I can see your brush strokes and there is some posterization effect. It almost looks as if she had a black eye and you we're trying to hide it. Can we see the original?
I'm not sure if your degree of softening was purposeful. To me it is overdone. It is too far past natural, even beyond artistic for my taste. I tend to prefer as little touching up work on skin as is absolutely necessary in order to maintain a natural look. The lighting, pose and composition are excellent.
I agree with NB23 and Walter. Her skin looks a bit too close to being airbrushed. A bit of texture to keep it looking natural is never a bad thing. Otherwise, an excellent shot.
