How do you choose which edit is best??

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

01/30/2007 11:02:31 PM · #1

I'm just curious at what other people look at when they decide which edit they like best. Right now I'm editing a series of photos. And every photo (the ones that I actually edit) have anywhere between 5-10 edits each. Of course it's impossible to like all 10 the best. But there are times where I have 2 or 3 that I can't choose from. One of the biggest choices I have had in choosing edits is a simple question....Green eyes or blue eyes. They both look good to me, just can't choose which color I like better.

So how do other photographers choose which edits they like best?

yanko

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

01/30/2007 11:06:17 PM · #2

What's the purpose of the edits? Is it for the challenges? paying clients? yourself?

Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 USM

01/30/2007 11:07:37 PM · #3

Just in general. For your portfolio would probably be the best example to use.

Blue Moon

Canon EOS-40D

01/30/2007 11:07:46 PM · #4

1) email people who LIKE you
2) green eyes ;)

fotomann_forever

01/30/2007 11:13:04 PM · #5

Personally, I have an idea of what I want and edit towards that. I rarely do more than one edit of a photo, unless I learn a new technique and want to try it on an old photo.

yanko

Canon EOS-5D Mark II

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

01/30/2007 11:13:40 PM · #6

Just edit to whatever you like best. Don't make it harder than it is. If you are changing something like eye color than base that on the other colors in the photograph so that the eyes stand out. Over time you'll probably will fixate towards a certain style and these issues won't be so troublesome. Good luck!

idnic

Canon EOS-60D

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

01/30/2007 11:13:52 PM · #7

Line them all up on your monitor....Leave the room, watch TV or something for a few minutes, come back in and look at all of them at once. Go with the one that immediately draws your eye.

That's one way.

kteach

Nikon D50

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 28-80mm f/3.5-5.6

01/30/2007 11:20:54 PM · #8

I agree with idnic... sometimes just a break away is all you need. If it's nothing you need right away, maybe even put them away for a few days, then take another look.

hihosilver

Nikon D200

Nikon AF-S Zoom-Nikkor 28-70mm f/2.8D IF-ED

01/30/2007 11:21:18 PM · #9

Nothing beats the honesty of my six year old daughter! ;-)

Tim

Nikon D300

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 50mm f/1.4G

01/30/2007 11:27:35 PM · #10

I usually ask my wife and then go with the one that she doesn't like...

01/31/2007 07:37:16 AM · #11

Most of the edits I do are the same edit...but I'll change the layer style and change the brightness/contrast. For example, one edit will use the multiply blending mode, and then the next will use screen blend mode. Multiply will sometimes give you a darker blend and screen will extremely brighten (sometimes over expose)...and they both look good.

I may have to start asking friends which they like better. But my friends generally know nothing about photography at all.

As for chosing different colors...I try to edit using the natural colors first, then if I see a color in the photo that might stand out more, I try adjusting to that color.

I prolly am just over complicating everything.