First attempt at Aperature

robandjazzy · April 23, 2009

I've been thinking about getting into wedding photo's a little more I'm an insurance agent and have never shot professionally, I was a friend of the bride and they actually like my photo's better than the paid photographer, I was in the right place at the right time for a lot of shots, shot this with a D2xs with a 50mm 1.4. The original picture has a few people standing behind them I wanted the image to pop so I used aperature and cloned the black as well as i could (her hair is very hard). Any Tips or praise?

Shima · April 24, 2009

robandjazzy wrote:

I've been thinking about getting into wedding photo's a little more I'm an insurance agent and have never shot professionally, I was a friend of the bride and they actually like my photo's better than the paid photographer, I was in the right place at the right time for a lot of shots, shot this with a D2xs with a 50mm 1.4. The original picture has a few people standing behind them I wanted the image to pop so I used aperature and cloned the black as well as i could (her hair is very hard). Any Tips or praise?

The bottom part of her hair could use a little tweaking still to get it just right, but overall I really like it, the effect is great, it has a very intimate feel to it!

dank-photo · April 24, 2009

I agree, it's a great intimate shot...but my eye leads right to the light gray area on the bottom of her hair...and this might be nit-picking:D , but the small area on the left edge where it looks like his jacket in flipping up...it looks off for some reason...don't know why...I think maybe his suit jacket should continue along the same line coming down from his elbow? just my 2 cents... Good luck.

-Dan

beetle8 · April 24, 2009

I don't know what the original looks like but I think this isolation is too much work for aperture.

nicoleshilliday · April 24, 2009

beetle8 wrote:

I don't know what the original looks like but I think this isolation is too much work for aperture.

I agree...but if you did do this in aperture, do show original and how you did it???

robandjazzy · April 25, 2009

nicoleshilliday wrote:

I agree...but if you did do this in aperture, do show original and how you did it???

I've yet to shoot professionally, got a power mac dual quad core, and have spent a fortune on lenses and body, so I spent 99 or 199 on aperature with the new mac, I will eventually get photoshop because I'm sure that program has an easier way of doing it, (in aperature I zoomed in did as close to the subject as possible and cloned the deep black from the picture to the rest of it at maximum opaqueness. It took a long time) For a hobby, My wife will love me spending more money (sarcasm since I haven't made a dime yet) on Photoshop since this is a hobby and an expensive one as we all know, but I love it.

zoomer · April 25, 2009

Looks like they are having a great time. Nice shot.

robandjazzy · April 25, 2009

robandjazzy wrote:

I've yet to shoot professionally, got a power mac dual quad core, and have spent a fortune on lenses and body, so I spent 99 or 199 on aperature with the new mac, I will eventually get photoshop because I'm sure that program has an easier way of doing it, (in aperature I zoomed in did as close to the subject as possible and cloned the deep black from the picture to the rest of it at maximum opaqueness. It took a long time) For a hobby, My wife will love me spending more money (sarcasm since I haven't made a dime yet) on Photoshop since this is a hobby and an expensive one as we all know, but I love it.

PS i see what your saying about the jacket I think but I left the subject alone.

dank-photo · April 26, 2009

robandjazzy wrote:

PS i see what your saying about the jacket I think but I left the subject alone.

After seeing the original, it looks like you just cloned into his coat a little bit when getting rid of the white area on the left. Areas like this I find aren't quite as easy with aperture as they are with photoshop. Aperture is a wonderful and powerful program for image management; and it really speeds up workflow if you have things looking pretty good out of the camera. I really wish it had layers/better selection options like photoshop though.

-Dan

beetle8 · April 26, 2009

Well no doubt it took you a boat load of time. When I said it was too much for aperture, I didn't mean I didn't believe that you did it in aperture, I lust meant that the task is way over the head of aperture.

My opinion on this shot is that it's a great shot of a great moment and this drastic isolation you've gone through doesn't add to it, and is pretty rough.

Possibly a slight crop to reduce the space above their heads, try to reduce the bit of yellow color cast, and a gentle vignette. But that's just what I'd do, Oh, I'd clone out the exit sign too.

My only other note about your post, I think it's tacky to include...

robandjazzy wrote:

"I was a friend of the bride and they actually like my photo's better than the paid photographer, "

There are a lot of pro shooters on here, and that statement is cliche, and indicative of the mentality that people who say this

robandjazzy wrote:

"I've been thinking about getting into wedding photo's a little more I'm an insurance agent and have never shot professionally"

have. The paid shooter you are referring to may have been on a forum somewhere saying the same thing last year.

robandjazzy · April 26, 2009

beetle8 wrote:

Well no doubt it took you a boat load of time. When I said it was too much for aperture, I didn't mean I didn't believe that you did it in aperture, I lust meant that the task is way over the head of aperture.

My opinion on this shot is that it's a great shot of a great moment and this drastic isolation you've gone through doesn't add to it, and is pretty rough.

Possibly a slight crop to reduce the space above their heads, try to reduce the bit of yellow color cast, and a gentle vignette. But that's just what I'd do, Oh, I'd clone out the exit sign too.

My only other note about your post, I think it's tacky to include... There are a lot of pro shooters on here, and that statement is cliche, and indicative of the mentality that people who say this have. The paid shooter you are referring to may have been on a forum somewhere saying the same thing last year.

WOW Dude, thank you for your critique of the shot, much appreciated it, and I'll keep it in mind. The truth is they DID like my shots better, making me wonder why don't I get my feet wet that's all I'm saying. I KNOW you weren't referring that I was lying about aperature. Again I'm new and I know it's a simple program compared photoshop. there is a wide range of quality photographers when it comes to paid photographers you don't know if he was being paid 300.00 or 3000.00. Dont read so much into posts, chill out. I would bet that half the photographers on this site probably more, left a line of work in corporate world to do what they love to do when they thought there work was getting good compared to professional shots. I don't think that is Tacky to do or say.

beetle8 · April 26, 2009

OK, guess I was out of line,

robandjazzy · April 26, 2009

beetle8 wrote:

OK, guess I was out of line,

That's cool, PS looked at your site, some nice shots. TTYL

First attempt at Aperature

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