Masie is hard to capture. Missile defense is easier than shooting her.

Nice photo Rutt...I like the eyes going off to the side...

Hi Rutt,


I liked this photo, but thought it needed a little something. I did a little post on the low res version posted here. I hope you don't mind.

Sam

Originally Posted by rutt Masie is hard to capture. Missile defense is easier than shooting her.

Beautiful Rutt.. it's a tad dark on my monitor..

Originally Posted by Sam Hi Rutt, I liked this photo, but thought it needed a little something. I did a little post on the low res version posted here. I hope you don't mind. Sam

Sam, very nice. What exactly did you do? It looks like you improved the shadows mostly, but was there more? Thanks.

Originally Posted by rutt Sam, very nice. What exactly did you do? It looks like you improved the shadows mostly, but was there more? Thanks.

Let me prefice this with the disclaimer / fact, I am a beginner, and have limited knowledge. That said.........

Again I did this pretty fast on the low res web version.

Now if I can remember....................

I actually used a cooling filter a little, levels adjustment, saturation, contrast, and ran Neat Image over it.

I am never sure how it's going to look on someone elses monitor, but I thought it needed something to make it stand out more, and the photo is definitly worth some post processing time.

Sam

Originally Posted by Sam Let me prefice this with the disclaimer / fact, I am a beginner, and have limited knowledge. That said......... Again I did this pretty fast on the low res web version. Now if I can remember.................... I actually used a cooling filter a little, levels adjustment, saturation, contrast, and ran Neat Image over it. I am never sure how it's going to look on someone elses monitor, but I thought it needed something to make it stand out more, and the photo is definitly worth some post processing time. Sam

I fussed with it a little before posting yesterday, but now I'll give it a little more work. Thanks again.

Originally Posted by Sam Hi Rutt, I liked this photo, but thought it needed a little something. I did a little post on the low res version posted here. I hope you don't mind. Sam

rutt good shot sam nice work on my puter it looks softer and more flesh tone good job

Hey rutt,

while a tad (and only that) dark, I think your photo is quite cool. The skin tones look excellent, very natural to me. Also, the exposure suggests there wasn't much light there, which I think might also *add* to the photo instead of detract from it.

However, using the curves on it is *your* choice, even if I think it's already great!

Take care!

-- thiago

I intend to print this out big, get framed, and give to my sister (Masie's mom) as an Xmas present. So it's worth quite a bit of work. I think I'm closing in on a final version. What do you all think?

Originally Posted by rutt I intend to print this out big, get framed, and give to my sister (Masie's mom) as an Xmas present. So it's worth quite a bit of work. I think I'm closing in on a final version. What do you all think?

Rutt I love it but I still think it's a bit dark.. (could be my monitor) I lightened it a tad and contrast a little.. but it may not be the look you are wanting...

Rutt, I like it dark. That is just me. As in any art form some things are a matter of preference.

I know light photographs are called high key, and I really like them, I assume (my assumptions and my memory are about equally defective by now), but I assume that dark photographs are called low key. They are a style.

I think this was shot low key. I love both "keys". Low key puts me in mind of the old masters. I, personally, would not try to push low key into the norm. IMHO, you then lose the "art" in which it was shot. The unique ness.

That is just my opinion. I love the shot of Masie, always have. Yes I think you are getting close, if not there. I would not make the shot any lighter than you have. I think it is a gorgeous photo of a gorgeous child.

Did you do another family shot?

ginger

Originally Posted by rutt Masie is hard to capture. Missile defense is easier than shooting her.

I like this portrait a great deal and I have followed the discussion and your post processing editing. I think the improvement in Masie's face and coloration is better in your last image, but I do not like the all black background.

I prefer the 'brown curtain fade to black' in your first shot. I think it adds to the old master kind of feeling that Ginger was referring to - it matches the soft lighting for me...

Originally Posted by pathfinder I like this portrait a great deal and I have followed the discussion and your post processing editing. I think the improvement in Masie's face and coloration is better in your last image, but I do not like the all black background. I prefer the 'brown curtain fade to black' in your first shot. I think it adds to the old master kind of feeling that Ginger was referring to - it matches the soft lighting for me...

The real background is sooo ugly (hotel room, television set) that I just wanted to be rid of it. At a certain point, I realized that my curve writing wasn't working in part because I was bending over backward to make the background dark enough so as not to be distracting. Now that I have the mask, though, I can apply different curves to to the background and the girl. Maybe that will work; I'll try. Thanks for the suggestion.

Here is my take on PF's suggestion. I let the background back in a little. I darkened it and flattened the A+B curves to get the yellow out of the drapes. I painted out the chrome "Samsung" on the TV. Better than the solid black background?

Originally Posted by rutt Here is my take on PF's suggestion. I let the background back in a little. I darkened it and flattened the A+B curves to get the yellow out of the drapes. I painted out the chrome "Samsung" on the TV. Better than the solid black background?

John, I think if you already have a mask for Masie, I might add a "transparent to black" linear gradient from left to right on the background - that would retain the curtains to the left but blacken the reddish TV set on the right, and a gradient will give a nice smooth transition behind her. Just a thought. And yes, I think this image is better than the previous solid black background.

Might I ask how you achieved your mask of Masie - Masking her hair is a task I would not envy, as I have an idea how challenging that can be.

I looked at the full size file of the above image and I am very impressed if she was masked, because I cannot see any trace of it in the full size image. Well done! She is a little princess!

Originally Posted by pathfinder John, I think if you already have a mask for Macie, I might add a "transparent to black" linear gradient from left to right on the background - that would retain the curtains to the left but blacken the reddish TV set on the right, and a gradient will give a nice smooth transition behind her. Just a thought. Might I ask how you achieved your mask of Macie - Masking her hair is a task I would not envy, as I have an idea how challenging that can be.

Well, you nailed me. I cheated. I have found a guy online who does elaborate masking work at a really reasonable price. I paid $45 to get the mask of Masie made. Look carefully at the hair against the curtain on her left side and you'll get an idea of how hard this must have been. I struggled with it for a few days. He used his wacom tablet.

If you are interested in using this guy, his name is Eric Polsinelli and his email is info@perfectpictureimaging.ca I used him once before (for the dynamic range improvement hall of fame thing.) I think that was a lot easier than this. He seems like a really nice guy.

I love working with curves and sharpening and the like, but I am just hopeless with this kind of detail work. And now I've found out how to outsource it.

John, I upped the sat a little and tightened up the highlights with levels. What do you think? Maybe a little too much?

Rutt and I were discussing in PM how difficult it is to capture little girls (without the use of duct tape and zip ties, of course).

I really like the shot of Masie and prefer the black background...even if you did have to pay for it.


Here's my little one...captured with 17-40/4L on 20D w/ built-in flash. In snappy mode.

There's just something really intriguing about using full auto on a prosumer dSLR.

Originally Posted by tmlphoto John, I upped the sat a little and tightened up the highlights with levels. What do you think? Maybe a little too much?

On my monitor I prefer the softer pastel look of John's image in my previous posts - Thomas, the color changes you made are fine, but just not for the delicate china skin of this little cherub. Just my opinion of course, John may feel differently.

Fish - One of the things I like about Rutt's shot of Masie is that he is DOWN LOW and shooting her straight at her eye level. So many shots of kids are from above looking down. Maybe we should put the kids up on a platform before we begin shooting?

Most of my kid shots are poor also, due to movement, poor lighting etc - but the ones I do like, were all shot at the child's eye level. For example - a picture of my son from 23 years ago with soft window light


And my niece who now has children of her own this age in strong California sunlight


After a lifetime of shooting, I have found an occaisional acorn I like to think. I hope so, anyway.....