Wedding image for critipue

[W00DY]

Hi guys,

Here is an image I took at a wedding a while ago. I like it and the client loves it (which is the main thing) but I actually wanted to know if the processing works for you.

I quite like this look and have been playing around with it a bit lately. The client saw the more "natural" processed one, this is just for me so far, still deciding if I will bring this look into my client images.

So, what do you think?




W00DY

[chrisk]

would-y be good if you could post the original for comparison and explain what PP you did. (i'd really like to know how you did the colours).

to my eyes the things i really like about it are the desat colours, they look very realistic. i like the way the frame transitions from dark to light and how the groom's outline is obscured and he's not quite smiling, but its light and airy where the bride is and her facial expression mimics that. its a beautiful mood you;ve created.

what i dont particularly like is that he is much sharper than her. not sure if you added some blurring effect to it but it almost looks like 2 different shots. he is absolutely TACK sharp and she's a bit soft. not sure if that was the intention or not...

[W00DY]

would-y be good if you could post the original for comparison and explain what PP you did. (i'd really like to know how you did the colours).

I think so to... In fact I should have done this originally as it is something I would like more people to do (post an original and then processed version).

This is the original:

to my eyes the things i really like about it are the desat colours, they look very realistic. i like the way the frame transitions from dark to light and how the groom's outline is obscured and he's not quite smiling, but its light and airy where the bride is and her facial expression mimics that. its a beautiful mood you;ve created.

Thanks. that was a nice way of saying it.

what i dont particularly like is that he is much sharper than her. not sure if you added some blurring effect to it but it almost looks like 2 different shots. he is absolutely TACK sharp and she's a bit soft. not sure if that was the intention or not...

I know !!!

This was in a dark walkway in the rocks, late in the afternoon... and here goes... I shot at 2.8 "thinking" the focus was on the bride my mistake

Oh well, they (like most) clients didn't notice and love the image.

Cheers,
W00DY

[gstark]

Andrew,

My first impression is that, even allowing for the desat, the wb might be off. That's before I looked at the original, but I'm taking this from the skin tones, rather then any shadow tones in the whites - they look fairly neutral, but the skin tones still look off to me.

Then I saw the original, and that confirms to me that the wb, at least in that variant, is way off. Way too blue, I think.

That may explain what I'm seeing in your final product, which is in the initial post. So, did you do any wb adjustments before you did anything else?

Or did you do any other wb/hue adjustments along the way?

My starting point for this image would be to bring the wb to its correct value; that would entail a significant warming of the image, and then from that point, apply the desat.

I am not at all concerned about the alleged focus issues in this image: the bride is slightly soft, but offensively or obviously so. Puting that a diufferent way, she has an acceptable level of sharpness in this image, and that's what matters.

[W00DY]

Andrew,

My first impression is that, even allowing for the desat, the wb might be off. That's before I looked at the original, but I'm taking this from the skin tones, rather then any shadow tones in the whites - they look fairly neutral, but the skin tones still look off to me.

Then I saw the original, and that confirms to me that the wb, at least in that variant, is way off. Way too blue, I think.

I agree, the WB was way off in the original ( I think I was using a silver reflector on them, maybe that explains it). I am pretty sure I left the WB on auto (on the D300) and then intended to fix it in post.

However in saying that what about the processed version do you think is wrong with the WB? Obviously the image has been warmed up a bit as well so wouldn't that counteract any WB correction from the original?

[gstark]

Andrew,

My first impression is that, even allowing for the desat, the wb might be off. That's before I looked at the original, but I'm taking this from the skin tones, rather then any shadow tones in the whites - they look fairly neutral, but the skin tones still look off to me.

Then I saw the original, and that confirms to me that the wb, at least in that variant, is way off. Way too blue, I think.

I agree, the WB was way off in the original ( I think I was using a silver reflector on them, maybe that explains it).

No, that would not be the reason.

This would, however ...

This was in a dark walkway in the rocks, late in the afternoon...

Late in the afternoon ... anytime within two hours or so of sunrise and sunset, your standard wb settings will be compromised. The sun's light is traveling through more atmosphere - it is at a more oblique angle to where you are - and that will have an effect.

And a dark walkway means you're in shadow. Same as behind a building, under a tree ...

The silver reflector will generally be colour neutral for you; it should add some fill, but not significantly alter the wb.

I am pretty sure I left the WB on auto (on the D300) and then intended to fix it in post.

Which, IMHO, is simply addiung to your workload. Every image that you shoot under auto wb - every single one - will have a different wb from the prior one, and that will, of course, be different from the one that follows. If you're lucky, some of them may be close to a true representation of the shooting conditions.

IF you're lucky.

Typically, they'll all be different, and that means that you have to then go and rework every image in post.

If you set wb to a known value - any value - then at least every image will be at the same starting point. If you screwed up and your starting point is wrong, it's just one global change to all of the images.

Much less work for you.

However in saying that what about the processed version do you think is wrong with the WB? Obviously the image has been warmed up a bit as well so wouldn't that counteract any WB correction from the original?

Depends upon how much warming up has been done.

This one is difficult, because of the desat that you've applied. But even allowing for that, I'm still seeing the skin tones as being too blue or cyan. I can't decide which (unusual for me - that's an area that I usually can nail) so I'm blaming your desat for my confusion on this.

Actually, in looking at the groom's shirt, collar, I'm going to call this as too cyan. Pull the cyan back another nudge and warm the cadavers up a little more before you hit them with with the desat. Get the shadowed area of the groom's collar fully neutral; that's where I think your key area is here.

[W00DY]

Actually, in looking at the groom's shirt, collar, I'm going to call this as too cyan. Pull the cyan back another nudge and warm the cadavers up a little more before you hit them with with the desat. Get the shadowed area of the groom's collar fully neutral; that's where I think your key area is here.

I'll give this a go (not that I know what the hell a cadavers is???) and post the outcome then we can see the difference.

[Glen]

Re: Wedding image for critipue

Woody, nice images and I like the dreamy effect. Do you think the skin colour matches them in real life? It looks a little pale to me which could be white balance but may actually be correctly reflecting them.




ps the Q is at the other end of the keyboard from the P

[Marvin]

(not that I know what the hell a cadavers is???)

A dead person!

[jdear]

Hi woody - well done for sticking your photo up for critique!
Here are so of my thoughts - some may have already been echoed - Im too lazy to read through the posts...

* I feel the original looks too cool - it needs to be warmer. It is better to be too warm than too cold I think for wedding photos

* I think this shot would be more dramatic if you cropped it or shot it with more negative space to the left of the couple - and have them in the right hand side of the frame instead of dead centre. This can be very effective. I would barely have his head in the frame - this shot is about the bride - she is stunning and I think leading some space over to her and then bringing you back to her with the groom on the side would really work.

Ive attached an example of what I mean - Ive done:
* a quick and nasty clone of the area and cropped it (to create some negative space)
* ive warmed them up by a quick auto colour (nasty), and it was still too cool for my liking so I warmed it up with a 81K filter - OK so I could spend longer and make it more perfect but Im showing an eg.
* I also removed the blue in the dress / suit / collar by reducing the saturation of the blue Hue/Saturation slider (about 60% - canon cameras seem to be very blue bias - and I always see blue in weddings dresses) and made sure their eyes were masked back in so their saturation wasnt lost...




? helpful ? not helpful ?

Jonathan

[jdear]

 PS: I think Id also get rid of the frown lines in his forehead

[Glen]

 PS Woody I was going to mention how I like the black blacks, losing the detail in the suit is a big favour as I personally find the wrinkle marks aggravating, a bit like the suit is ill fitting.

[W00DY]

Re: Wedding image for critipue
Do you think the skin colour matches them in real life? It looks a little pale to me which could be white balance but may actually be correctly reflecting them.

No of course not, that is why I was unsure if the processing "effect" worked or not. The bride is very pale and the original is probably not too far off (it is to blue though). I warmed up all their images.

ps the Q is at the other end of the keyboard from the P

Oh yeah

A dead person!

Thanks

I think this shot would be more dramatic if you cropped it or shot it with more negative space to the left of the couple - and have them in the right hand side of the frame instead of dead centre. This can be very effective. I would barely have his head in the frame - this shot is about the bride - she is stunning and I think leading some space over to her and then bringing you back to her with the groom on the side would really work.

I agree and this is actually how I cropped it for some promo cards that I was going to print out for them.

I think Id also get rid of the frown lines in his forehead

I tried this but he came out looking to plastic, so I left them... hey we all have them

So I guess the general consensus is the processing does not "quite" work... nearly but maybe not quite there... I will keep working on this look as I personally don't mind it too much (maybe I have a think for cadavers

W00DY