Portrait of Lori at the Conservatory

[daq7]

We like going to the conservatory at Denver Botannic Gardens to read on freezing days.

I wanted to get a portrait with this fern as a back drop. It was brightly back lit by the sun and looked kind of cool. I still only have the camera built in flash, and the fern needed to be flashed pretty hard to expose it. It didn't occur to me until just now to drag the shutter (if that is the right term). A lighter flash on her face and then some longer exposure on the fern. Might have blurred the fern though. Maybe that is ok.

On the whole I think it came out ok-ish. This lighting stuff is hard.

[Frog]

The fern is ok but she is just too washed out and she is the important thing in the photo.

[daq7]

Yeah, would darker work? I might be able to pull that back, but was trying to avoid bad coloration and unflattering texture. As I said, not really the right way to light a portrait I don't think. But maybe it is possible to do it with the equipment I had...

[daq7]

Frog, I think the washing out is somewhat a fatal flaw of how I did it. I was not using a ring light, but a direct flash must be at least kind of similar in that it flattens out the facial features as one would in extreme fashion photograhy. This picture REALLY needs a light either above her face or to the side to give it some definition, since it wasn't a fashion shot: and if it were a fashion shot it maybe isn't washed out enough.

I really need to get an external flash.

[jetrim]

Yeah, would darker work? I might be able to pull that back, but was trying to avoid bad coloration and unflattering texture. As I said, not really the right way to light a portrait I don't think. But maybe it is possible to do it with the equipment I had...

Not darker, duplicate the layer and set the blend mode to "multiply" then adjust the opacity (80%+/- should do the trick) then balance for color afterward. This one really is too washed out as it is, but fear not! It can be saved :wink5:

[daq7]

I layered and did about a 70% multiply, then masked and painted the fern back in and did a bit of work on the minor red eye.

[daq7]

I did not mess with color balance. But the reason it seemed washed out in the first place is I was trying to eliminate some of the yellow of the light on the cheeks. Messed around a bit with color balance but could not fix it to my satisfaction.

[jetrim]

Much better. As far as the yellow...when all else fails break out the airbrush and paint over it at low opacity, just like they did in the old days (take your dropper sample from the lightest part of the cheek)

[Grandpaw]

The thing that jumped out to me when I looked at this the first time is the glass and whatever else is on the arm of the bench. Neither of these things should be in the picture to me. Always look for the things like this that can cause problems and are very easy to eliminate before taking the photo. The other things have already been talked about, Jeff

[LeeIs]

I like your edited version. much better skin tones. I also agree about the cup. Nice spot though, looks peaceful.