Dear RR addicted, I need your feeling about the picture I have taken today evening from a girs serving in the cafe just downstairs of my flat. I really love the shot, but dont know if I should upload it color or b/w. I did nothing else than desaturate the right one. You think I should clean her face more in PS? Should I increase the brightness? I want to have this one really good looking, so please HEEEELP. Thanx to all of you.

Nice shot and expression, possibly a little dark IMO. Maybe a touch more contrast for the B&W version, the de saturation has left it a little flat IMO. The colour version is also nice, might make a nice toned image!?! Clean face? Depends I guess, maybe a little but this is realistic, personally I clean some and leave others, depending on what I want to achieve or if giving prints/images what they want. Simon

well i prefer the color in this one.. maybe soften a bit to contrast the glare & smooth the highlights works well when you layer one softened image over this one & erase back to the sharpness of the hair & eyes, lips clearing her face is up to you.. maybe just a bit but be careful you don't go overboard :]

that's "glare" as in her facial expression & not light :]

Just thought I would add that I prefer the colour one too. Soften using the opposite method to Cyn (cause I am awkward) but it works for me. Duplicate layer, and soften bottom layer, erase top layer to soften selected areas,(adjusting brush opacity as needed) and if necessary sharpen top layer. Was shown this method by a graphic designer, used to use Cyns method, both ways do the same job, just depends what you find easiest.

Ooh I might prefer the B&W now lol

lol, you got me thinkig on it simon... yep.. either way... sharper or softer on top.. erase back... guess it depends on what you want the overall look to look like :]

IMO the way I do it now (in most cases) is quicker and easier to go round prominent features like eyes, nostrils, lips, without leaving hard visible lines.(maybe that is user error lol)

When I was shown this way I said no thats not right! It takes a bit of time to adapt to it, but use this method 99% of the time now.

The person that showed me has been doing it for years so who was I to argue lol

Sorry for the hijack of the thread, I will shut up now!

Message edited on: 08/28/2005 18:07

thank you so much guys ... well today I will do nothing any more ... its 1:15 am and I neet to get to bed ... I will try tomorrow (today) evening ... bring my fight with PS in the next round ... thanx again for the suggestions and have a nice night

as long as you work big & set you opacity/feathering it works... i just want to erase back the least amount of area... takes practice... it's a good technique.. another member here told me about it over a year ago.. back to the photo :]

It did not take my very long logger time comes better results d2nd ciao

Thank you soooooooo much ... I will definitely try the softening ... selective coloring crossed my mind too, but I might try that on another picture of her ... have a nice day

Attached Link: http://www.renderosity.com/viewed.ez?galleryid=1035301&Start=1&Artist=TheSecond&ByArtist=Yes

Posted to your upload