When to stop editing... - DPChallenge Forums

09/01/2007 12:46:32 PM · #1

I'm still learning about my personal tastes as far as post-processing goes. I feel that I'm getting better at the "subtle editing" aspect, but I rarely know when an image is "completed".

Well, here is my latest -- and I don't know if it's completed :-)

(with the original, from camera)

Orig

Edited

Any thoughts or comments are always appreciated!

Beetle

Canon EF 24-105mm f/4.0L IS

09/01/2007 12:54:03 PM · #2

I left you my $0.02 worth.

Tez

Canon EF 180mm f/3.5L Macro USM

Canon EF 85mm f/1.8 USM

09/01/2007 12:56:42 PM · #3

Hey man,

I like your editing job :) Only beef I have (and this isnt with just yours) is that people have strange fixation with overdoing people's eyes. The lady on the right- her right eye (on our left) looks a little strange. Maybe its the dodge/burn you used on it but it caught my eye immediately.

But i like it, i checked out the original and you've defo done a great job of drawing the attention to key areas.

As to your initial question of when is something finished? It never is. I usually stop working on mine after i've put a frame/border around it but since its digital, i can always go back and tweak certain things. If i'm doing a painting, it's finished (to me) when I sign it and paint the edges black and hang it on my wall. Otherwise it's still 'alive'.

Chinarosepetal

Canon EOS-1Ds Mark III

09/01/2007 12:56:53 PM · #4

That's a lovely image, your partner has such a wonderful natural beauty, I much prefer the unedited version. I think you can fiddle with it a bit, but not on her face :)

Atropos

Nikon D40

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

09/01/2007 01:31:09 PM · #5

I like aspects of your unedited version and aspects of your edited version. I tried combining the traits that I liked from both, and I also did a few other minor things. If you like how this looks let me know and I'll tell you what I did and how.

(And, I'm not trying to turn this into a "see who can edit it better" thread. I apologise if it looks that way... I just like your photo and thought a few things that I thought might add to it)

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

09/01/2007 02:32:16 PM · #6

How's this?

Contrast masking (cntrl-alt-tilde technique) faded to 51% both layers, merged down, copy BG layer, touch of shadow/highlight, slight vignette in "lens correction" panel.

R.

Atropos

Nikon D40

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

09/01/2007 02:41:31 PM · #7

Couldn't resist, eh Bear_Music. Just had to make me look bad. Well, I have a lame laptop with a monitor that can't be calibrated so you have an advantage. That's my excuse and I'm sticking with it. =D

levyj413

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

Tamron SP AF 17-50mm f/2.8 Di II LD Aspherical (IF) for Nikon

09/01/2007 03:14:42 PM · #8

I think your initial edit looks good, as does Bear's. I agree that it's never finished. I usually stop when I get tired of finding more things to change. :)

My only suggestion on your initial edit is to reduce the saturation a bit. Oh, and you could crop off most of what's to the left of your daughter.

Finally, gettings kids's heads and adults' to the same level is hard, esp. when you want to do a close-in crop like this. So if you can, try seating your daughter on a chair or something to get her higher. She looks a little cut off as is.

Neil

Fujifilm X-T30

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

09/01/2007 03:21:07 PM · #9

I think the edit is great, except it's a bit too close of a crop to your wife's head, and you could have left just a bit more on the right as well.

You are done when you feel it's ready for framing. That doesn't mean you won't come back to it in a year and do it even better :)

09/01/2007 03:29:47 PM · #10

Originally posted by Beetle:

I left you my $0.02 worth.

Thanks!

09/01/2007 03:32:47 PM · #11

Originally posted by levyj413:

Finally, gettings kids's heads and adults' to the same level is hard, esp. when you want to do a close-in crop like this.

Especially when the mother is 6'1".
:-)

09/01/2007 03:35:29 PM · #12

Originally posted by nshapiro:

except it's a bit too close of a crop to your wife's head

I agree... I blame the moron behind the camera. :-)
I'll definitely keep that in mind when I'm framing my shots in the future.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

09/01/2007 03:36:41 PM · #13

Thanks for the edits, people!

Not that we're scoring here, but

Bear_Music's got the advantage. ;-)

Atropos

Nikon D40

09/01/2007 03:39:28 PM · #14

Hey, I already admitted that... noneed to rub it in. I have a crap monitor, remember? ;]

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

09/01/2007 08:13:52 PM · #15

Originally posted by Atropos:

Hey, I already admitted that... noneed to rub it in. I have a crap monitor, remember? ;]

I wouldn't say yours looked "bad" at all. I did mine before I saw yours. What you have done that I didn't is delicately smoothed out the mom's face, and reduced an overload of red there. Where I have the advantage is more natural balance of shadows to highlights, and perhaps a better-looking BG, not sure. I'd call it a wash.

R.

yanko

Carl Zeiss 50mm ZE f/1.4 Planar T for Canon

09/01/2007 09:07:36 PM · #16

When to stop editing? When you like the result? If you find yourself spending too much time editing a photo it helps to just take a break and return to it later. That'll give you a new set of eyes on which to judge your edit.

sabphoto

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

09/01/2007 10:45:15 PM · #17

commented on the edited version...nicely done...now if you can just get the little one to smile as pretty as her mom. lol

jpochard

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS USM

09/01/2007 11:10:16 PM · #18

I prefer the unedited version myself, but the edited one isn't bad. There is something a little odd about the editing to the right of the photo, along her left arm. There is also quite a blue cast to the shadowing of her shirt on that side.

It is a beautiful shot just as it is, I think. Definitely a keeper!

09/02/2007 09:14:03 AM · #19

Originally posted by yanko:

When to stop editing? When you like the result?

Gotcha. That's always tough for me, though, since if I choose to post-process the image, that means I liked it from the beginning. Then as it gets 'better' through PPing, the decision becomes: is there an even 'more bettah' to be found/created? Or is this where it is good.

All in all, it doesn't matter. As long as the image doesn't make me puke...or at least, when I look at the image on my wall, I won't critique the heck out of every time I walk past. That would just be plain annoying.

09/02/2007 09:16:06 AM · #20

Originally posted by sabphoto:

now if you can just get the little one to smile as pretty as her mom. lol

Not that easy at all, since I'm her daddy. :-)
She's all smiles around me all the time, until I pull out the camera. Then it's all serious-face-misunderstood-supermodel-pouty. That, or she'll stick her tongue out. :-)

For instance:

Message edited by author 2007-09-02 09:28:52.

09/02/2007 09:17:50 AM · #21

Thanks everyone for your opinions...

Here's another one.

Message edited by author 2007-09-02 09:29:10.

sabphoto

Samsung Galaxy S8/S8+

09/02/2007 09:31:40 AM · #22

matt

Just realized where these were takin...you all live there or vacationing? I'm about to transfer down to Lejeune this month. I leave here on the 7th (YEAH) and check in there on the 28th. Can't wait to see that side of the US again...I haven't been there since 93 when I left for Charleston.