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what would you do with this?

I need to transform this awful shot into a semi-decent one... do you have any pointers or suggestion on this for me?

Here is what I've got to work with....
zoom=proportionalnoupsize



Here is what I've come up with so far....
zoom=proportionalnoupsize


I could go on about what I don't like in both versions, but I would like to see what those of you not invested in these have to say before I influence any opinions.


.......................................................................................................................
I'm not requesting that you do any photoshopping to this, just tell me what you would do... I know my way around photoshop pretty well and will be able to figure out how to do whatever you describe. However you do have permission to play with the picture if you can't resist.

thanks for looking!
~trudy
 

Kathy Rappaport

pro member
Not so tight

I wouldn't crop it so close and the blur doesn't work for me - it looks out of focus.

I'd crop it to a long panorama and add a border or vignette with just the feet. And I'd probably do it in sepia or leave it in color over the black and white. The bottom blanket is just too dark in BW
 
Thank you Kathy and Duke.... I would not have thought of doing Sepia to a baby feet photo... but I do like the results.

Duke the picture was suppose to be a focus on the little feet the mother really wanted a shot of her girls feet... but we never did get all three to sit for the shot... this was just a snap I did to check my settings... so at least I got one shot of their toesies. Next time I'm asked to do a foot shot I think I'll try getting my subjects on a couch and shooting the feet from slightly under.... actually I better go and experiment with my own kids for good foot angles before there is a next time!!!


~trudy
 
I need to transform this awful shot into a semi-decent one... do you have any pointers or suggestion on this for me?

I could go on about what I don't like in both versions, but I would like to see what those of you not invested in these have to say before I influence any opinions.

Reshoot the shots. The garbage in, garbage out principle is just as true in photography as it is in other fields. If you do not like the shot, then do not use it. Taking a shot that works often takes orders of magnitude less time and effort for achieving a goal than doing the same with post processing in most cases.

some thoughts,


Sean
 

Daniel Buck

New member
Reshoot the shots. The garbage in, garbage out principle is just as true in photography as it is in other fields. If you do not like the shot, then do not use it.

at the risk of sounding harsh, I would completely agree. Yes, post work can give an image a good look and feel, but it doesn't make the image. If you have an "awful" shot, It's probably best to move on and try the shot again. In most cases (in my opinion) you may end up with a photograph that looks like it has had 'to much processing', if you understand what I mean. And if you've done alot of heavy cropping, you're not going to have an image large enough to print well. :)

As for how to improve the shot, if you have the opportunity again, my first thought would be to open up the lens and see how thin you can get the DOF. Maybe you can make the feet stand out alot more (since the feet seem to be the main subject). I think it's a nice idea for a photo, all the feet of various sizes :) I think the composition is really what is lacking in the photo. Your cropping on the 2nd image looks better, removing all of the faces from the photo, leaving you with just the feet to concentrate on as a viewer.
 

Jim Galli

Member
here's mine

babyfeet.jpg

quickie CS3 workflow;

  • crop at a slight angle to balance all of the 'feet'
  • change to bw discard color
  • change back to rgb
  • in levels tweak blue and red to give a nasty oversaturated yellow brown cast
  • in hue / saturation desaturate about 96% so that just a hint of warm tint is left
  • make duplicate layer and convert to soft light. Slide soft light back to where it looks right, about 58% iirc
  • flatten layers
  • brighten a bit in curves.
  • sharpen just a tiny bit like 15%


This may seem like a lot of fiddling to the novice but it only took a few seconds. You get a favorite work flow pattern and you kind of stick with it.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Trudy Montogomery said:
Here is what I've got to work with....
zoom=proportionalnoupsize



Here is what I've come up with so far....
zoom=proportionalnoupsize


And now let me comment on Jim Galli's fine work:



Galli;60816]
babyfeet.jpg

Excellent rendition. Photography, at its best can, would and should require going over all apspects of the picture. What elements are needed. What is the function of color. What is the essence of the image. How can it best be represented. This has always been true. The best photography involves a contemplative process that is improved by having a conversation with one self and the picture being made.

I exclude from this pictures by pros where they make what the client needs by setting everything as wanted and tripping the shutter. So no getting mad at me just because you are a highly skilled and successful photographer.

Trudy,

Here what Jim has done is found the essence, jettisoned the irrelevant color and faces upper bodoes to celebrate a line of little tiny feet. Now we know what it's about, the tonality in RGB makes the picture warmer, more like film with some nuanced tone from the wet chemical development process.

The brightness in the image also gives feeling that an angel visited and gently painted light over the image to finish it. This is how a photograph is made. It's work. Not hard work, but nevertheless it must be an iterative process between the artist and the work in which the essence of the picture is discovered and the milieu is such that life is breathed into its nostril and it lives.

So kudos to both of you. Trudy, you recognized the beauty you embedded in your photograph. Jim, you took over and brought out what I think Trudy saw.

Trudy, is this true or am I merely enjoying the benefits of the pain pills I take?

Asher
 
Jim, Thank you, you really did transform this picture!

Asher, Yes the essence of the picture is the row of tiny feet... however I only got this one shot (which was merely a quick snap to check my settings) before all those little feet decided they did not want to sit another second. Thank you again, Jim for helping to turn this less then ordinary snap shot into something better.... I'll get to work on duplicating what you did and post my version soon :)

~trudy
 
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