learning headshots

[nimitzbenedicto]

Hi Victor,

A couple of suggestions if I may?

1. Get a grey card, and get a reference shot for the general lighting conditions that you're under at the time. It'll give an accurate starting point for white balancing.

2. Lets work through your post-processing. There's no easy way to say this (uh-oh!), but your processing is making things worse, not better; skin tones especially. Whatever you're doing is giving them a "plastic / mannequin" look. Not sure what it is that you're doing, but we need to get to the bottom of it.

Thanks Colin.

Will see if it's my laptop. Maybe try editing in a desk top.

But will get a grey card so I can get better/accurate WB.

Now that you mentioned it, will work out that "mannequin/plastic" look.

[Colin Southern]

Thanks Colin.

Will see if it's my laptop. Maybe try editing in a desk top.

But will get a grey card so I can get better/accurate WB.

Now that you mentioned it, will work out that "mannequin/plastic" look.

You're welcome, but don't be afraid to ask. In all honesty, more often then not, when I hear of folks using a variety of programs like this - but not getting consistent photorealistic results, I usually find that the problems are quite fundamental in the workflow.

In most cases, if you've got a good capture - and have a reference white balance then all you should have to do is set the white balance - adjust the overall exposure / brightness / shadows - and you should be pretty close. It shouldn't need any fancy specialist programs, and you shouldn't need to touch things like clarity / vibrance / saturation / contrast / highlight recovery sliders.

PS: A profiled monitor is pretty much mandatory for this kind of work.

[fmrnykr]

Hi Victor,

You're getting some great CnC.

I don't know if its been asked, but is your monitor[s] calibrated?

Bob

[nimitzbenedicto]

Hi Victor,

You're getting some great CnC.

I don't know if its been asked, but is your monitor[s] calibrated?

Bob

Hi Bob,

Sorry, but not so techie. This was last calibrated Oct 2012 by my grandkiddie. I'll ask her to calibrate it the moment she visits again.

Thanks.

Nimitz

[nimitzbenedicto]

still studying pp in gimp2.8.

pix of my niece taken by her husband on P&S. The window light from the right gave her hairlight. and he used flash for fill lighting


before



after


mostly cloning and healing brush. sharpening, sat a lil.

[Mat Ribut]

Victor, your skill has certain improved quite a lot esp. in pp. I should follow your footstep and get some of my photos uploaded in this forum. I know there are many pros here who are willing to help newbies like us. Or is it just me?

[Colin Southern]

Hi Victor,

Any chance you can post the original full-resolution, un-edited photo somewhere?

[nimitzbenedicto]

I should .......... get some of my photos uploaded in this forum. I know there are many pros here who are willing to help newbies like us. ..

Hi,

Definitely! post/upload your pix here - CiC. That's the best way to learn from them.

I'm sure, just by reading their posts you'll pick up a lot of good tips/info to improve your photography.

Then, put into practice or do [hands on] what they say and observe whether the results are to your liking.

Thanks.

Meanwhile, have fun with your camera/pp .......................

[nimitzbenedicto]

Hi Victor,

Any chance you can post the original full-resolution, un-edited photo somewhere?

Hi Colin,

Sorry. I did ask for a bigger and/or original, but they can't find it. Only this one intended for the web like facebook - social media. However, they assured me they'll email it as soon as they locate it.

I advised them to start saving their original images in a dedicated folder on their hard drive for possible better editing in the future.

Thanks

[Colin Southern]

No worries - I was just curious as to where the softness was coming from. They need to be preferably a bit higher resolution for C&C too.

[nimitzbenedicto]

.


learning how to edit using Darktable.
D3100. f5.6, 1/125, ISO100

[Colin Southern]

.


learning how to edit using Darktable.
D3100. f5.6, 1/125, ISO100

Victor,

I'd love to process an original for you as a comparison -- do you have the RAW file for this shot?

[Colin Southern]

Hi Victor,

Here's what I came up with ...



The biggest issue was it's a very severe crop and it has either a small focus issue or a small camera shake / motion blue issue (you've use 1/125th for a shutterspeed but at an equivalent focal length of around 300mm, which is pretty low). You really needed to get MUCH closer to the subject.

I think your white balance was out a but too (I used the dress strap as a reference).

[nimitzbenedicto]

Hi Victor,

Here's what I came up with ...



The biggest issue was it's a very severe crop and it has either a small focus issue or a small camera shake / motion blue issue (you've use 1/125th for a shutterspeed but at an equivalent focal length of around 300mm, which is pretty low). You really needed to get MUCH closer to the subject.

I think your white balance was out a but too (I used the dress strap as a reference).

Wow! Gosh, I wish I could do it the way you do.

Thanks Colin.

[Colin Southern]

Wow! Gosh, I wish I could do it the way you do.

Thanks Colin.

No worries - but - to be honest - mine was a pretty mediocre result. I really just wanted to get a feel for where the majority of the problem lay - and in this case I think it was with the initial capture (especially with a lens that I suspect isn't overly sharp to begin with).

How about seeing if you can fill the frame more next time so the crop doesn't have to be so severe, and then we'll have another crack at it?