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DPChallenge Forums >> Tips, Tricks, and Q&A >> I can't get a finished look
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 04/23/2007 02:44:31 PM · #1
I took some photos of my friends baby for some good practice but I'm having trouble proccessing them. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice, I can't seem to get the right crop or a finished look. HELP PLEASE!...thanks in advance
 04/23/2007 02:45:40 PM · #2
plus i can't get the darn thumbnails to post i'll try again but in my portifolio obviously they're the baby photos
 04/23/2007 02:45:57 PM · #3
Originally posted by Nowaytotell:
I took some photos of my friends baby for some good practice but I'm having trouble proccessing them. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice, I can't seem to get the right crop or a finished look. HELP PLEASE!...thanks in advance


Maybe if you posted a couple of examples we might be in a better position to help.
 04/23/2007 02:46:05 PM · #4
Can we see some examples of the shots? Then we'll be better palced to give advice, and possibly try ourselves for examples.
 04/23/2007 02:47:48 PM · #5
Would you mind if I try taking a stab at one?
04/23/2007 02:47:54 PM · #6
Originally posted by Nowaytotell:
plus i can't get the darn thumbnails to post i'll try again but in my portifolio obviously they're the baby photos




You mean these ?

Message edited by author 2007-04-23 14:52:29.
 04/23/2007 02:49:21 PM · #7
yeah those...i' keep trying to post them by putting the id number in the insert thumbnail link to site thingy but it won't work! sorry
 04/23/2007 02:50:31 PM · #8
whoever do whatever i just need some help lol..sorry for being a pain
 04/23/2007 02:51:10 PM · #9
Originally posted by Nowaytotell:
yeah those...i' keep trying to post them by putting the id number in the insert thumbnail link to site thingy but it won't work! sorry

Hit quote on Jed's post and you'll see how it should look. Just hit your browser's back button or the cancel button when you are finished. ;)
 04/23/2007 02:55:10 PM · #10
I think drying the babies face with a tissue might help

I can't say I'm a great fan of runny noses : - )

apart from that I wonder whether a smaller toy might have helped (less distracting) and maybe laying the baby down. . . but that's all pre-processing.lol.
 04/23/2007 02:55:52 PM · #11
1) Did you use on camera flash? The lighting looks really harsh reflecting off the baby's forehead and cheeks.
2) What are the shooting details for each image? I'd say you need to pull the baby away from the background and shoot with a narrower DOF to get the background to blur out.
3) The baby looks REALLY scared. Do you have Red-eye Reduction turned on? Tends to freak babies out and you get a really weird expression.

Message edited by author 2007-04-23 14:56:52.
 04/23/2007 02:57:58 PM · #12
he was a drool machine...i kept wiping and he kept drooling..lol...if you lay him down how do you position him?

04/23/2007 03:18:56 PM · #13
no help huh--well thank you all for help u did give
 04/23/2007 03:21:43 PM · #14

Ok here is one I took a really quick shot at.

First I duplicated the layer so I wouldn't be working on the actual photograph.

I used a selective tool on the duplicate layer to select part of the background that I wanted darker.

I then filled it in with black.

After that I changed the opacity of the layer so that the black part blended in with the rest of the picture.

I also added some contrast to the whole image.

Edit to clarify

Message edited by author 2007-04-23 19:41:02.
 04/23/2007 03:24:51 PM · #15
Originally posted by Nowaytotell:
no help huh--well thank you all for help u did give


Its not that we do not WANT to help, its just that the issues with these photos are best taken care of pre-shoot. I believe _eug was right on the money. The lighting is harsh, the shadow distracting, the backdrop is not softened by use of shallow DOF....

I am not trying to make you feel bad, these photos all have a snapshot feel to them more than a studio look.
 04/23/2007 03:34:26 PM · #16
Originally posted by Nowaytotell:
no help huh--well thank you all for help u did give


Might want to give people time to respond. Been less than an hour and a half.
Can start here...
//dpchallenge.com/forum.php?action=read&FORUM_THREAD_ID=417752

Message edited by author 2007-04-23 15:34:57.
 04/23/2007 03:34:57 PM · #17
Originally posted by BAMartin:
Originally posted by Nowaytotell:
no help huh--well thank you all for help u did give


Its not that we do not WANT to help, its just that the issues with these photos are best taken care of pre-shoot. I believe _eug was right on the money. The lighting is harsh, the shadow distracting, the backdrop is not softened by use of shallow DOF....

I am not trying to make you feel bad, these photos all have a snapshot feel to them more than a studio look.


Yep!!! I gotta agree, but just for craps and giggles, I'm gonna grab one off and play around with it to see if I can give a little more polish.
 04/23/2007 03:38:13 PM · #18
Originally posted by Nowaytotell:
if you lay him down how do you position him?


If you go to 'Photos' then 'search' then put in babies or baby you will see a whole lot of shots. See if any of them grab your eye for positioning / props/ background etc.

I haven't done any baby shot's myself yet - but apparently I'll be doing shots of a friends in a couple of weeks (or so I'm told) so I'll be looking for ideas myself. Having said that my first choice would be to use diffuse natural light and reflectors if at all possible as it's easier to control than flash and less harsh.

If you're not happy with these shot's though go and take some more. I'm sure you're freind would be more than happy to oblige. :- )
 04/23/2007 03:52:20 PM · #19
Very quick and dirty....



1.) Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer set to color
Hue: -60
Saturation +2

2.) Hue/Saturation Adjustment Layer
Saturation -100

3.) Levels

4.) Selective dodge (face) and burn (background)

5.) Contrast +11

6.) Crop.

7.) Removed shadow behind ears.

Done!

PS... I'm a fan of Black and White.

Message edited by author 2007-04-23 15:53:16.
 04/23/2007 03:57:02 PM · #20
I wasn't meaning to be grouchy i'm sorry...it's just been a really crappy day sorry again
 04/23/2007 04:02:03 PM · #21
Another quick and dirty

Curves (adjusted to preference), Blur Tool the background and the fox (could use the Pen Tool for better results), was going to remove shadows, but..., then used my Muted Colors action, slight NN.
Lots of other things could be done (better results with hi-res of course, no JAGGIES AND JPEG ARTIFACT). that was about 5 minutes of adjustments. If this werew shot in RAW, you could fix the exposure slightly too.

Message edited by author 2007-04-23 16:03:07.
 04/23/2007 04:48:57 PM · #22
In my opinion, one of the main post editing improvements you could make would be to crop a bit tighter.
 04/23/2007 05:11:46 PM · #23
My advice would be to chalk this shoot up to experience, and book a re-shoot.

When you do, pay attention to a few details:

- Move the children out from the background. Unless the child is old enough to sit on their own, propping them up in a sitting position is rarely a good idea. Not only does it mean having to find something to prop them up *with*, and cluttering up the photo (or resulting in wrinkly backgrounds that they are leaning against), it usually results in their heads drooping into their chests, and giving them fatter faces, non-photogenic looks, and a more "amateur" feel. One of the best things you can do is learn the various stages of infancy, and understand where their development is and what the best poses for each stage are. I can't say just by looking, but you can try stomach poses if he can hold himself up, you can hide a platform under your backdrop and prop him behind or beside it in an 'elbow' pose, or any variation that you can think of that would get him away from the wall and give you a better chance to work with DOF and get the attention away from the fabric.

- Avoid toys larger than the child. This takes the attention away from your subject and places it on the toy/stuffy/whatever. Find a favorite toy that is hand-holdable, and doesn't overwhelm the shot. (There are exceptions to this, such as the classic "Hiding among the animals" type shot.. but it works as a general rule.)

- Get in close. Avoid getting non-essential space in the shot, especially if it leads to clutter and/or wrinkly fabric/backgrounds. You want the focus to be on your subject, so let your subject be the focus. You can have full-body shots, but keep them as clean as possible.

- Experiment with your lighting. Invest in a bounce/swivel flash. Avoid direct flash light. Pulling the child away from the background will help with shadowing, but you want to avoid shadows on the backdrop at all costs. Eventually, if you continue with indoor studio work, you'll want to invest in a lighting system as well... but for now, I can't stress the importance of keeping away from direct lighting enough... so a flash with a tilt/swivel head is important. (or even something off-camera).

- Research. Check the web. Look at portfolios of people doing this kind of work. Ask questions. Read books.. Do whatever you can to find ideas and suggestions that you can make work for you.

It's a hard road, but in the end, it can really be worth it. Good luck, and I hope I've helped a little.

Message edited by author 2007-04-23 17:14:39.
 04/23/2007 05:22:35 PM · #24


I hope you don't mind. I had a go at it. Apart from cloning in and out some stuff, I used lots of dodging and burning to create some contrast.

Message edited by author 2007-04-23 18:35:30.
 04/23/2007 05:24:18 PM · #25
Originally posted by JulieG:


I hope you don't mind. I had a go at it. Apart from cloning in and out some stuff, I used lots of dodging and burning to create some contrast.

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