Portrait - Any thoughts on reducing the blown highlights?

[thehikingdude]

I'm a very new D70 owner and ever newer to post processing. I was just never drawn to it with my other digi-cams.

Thoughts on bettering this one?

http://jeffandjean.smugmug.com/gallery/420589/1/17113844/Large

[flipfrog]

very nice portrait...

i had the same problem with blown out highlights on a nose in a portrait...
the only chance u have in PP is to try the healing brush...

blown out highlights are bad news

i wouldnt worry too much about it in this shot tho...
my only critique of this shot is that the child dead center is a bit static...it's not as bad as a regular portrait though b/c of the colourd balls...

again, nice portrait! i love it...

[thehikingdude]

Thanks!!!!! This appears to give me some options I wasn't aware of. Back to the drawing board.

-jeff

[sirhc55]

Jeff - I like it - the colour of the balls (rich and sharp) are contrasted by the little girls big and beautiful smile

Edit - on second thoughts it looks like a little boy

[marcus]

Yeah good shot!

Apart from the blown out highlights everything else is on the money.

[Matt. K]

In this photo the blown highlights do not detract from the image. It looks very natural and I would'nt try to alter them. Well done!

[onimod]

I agree with Matt K - I wouldn't change it - the brightness suits the subject.

[nigels]

I agree,


looks excellent to me

nige

[hedge]

Top shot. If it were mine i'd crop it tighter to focus attention on the face. I would definately crop it close enough to lose the denim on the far right side. Highlights is a bit of a bummer but maybe you can fix it if you shot raw? That's a nit pick though

cheers,

adam

[redline]

you could have an assisant hold an duffusser sheet over the child to reduce the blow highlights

[thehikingdude]

Thanks to all for the compliments and comments.

I've also wondered if the highlights work since the sun was streaming through the window. And yes, this is my 3 yo boy. This was taken at my 6 yo's b-day party as all the kids were running around, so it was just sheer luck that I was even in the right place at the right time. I don't even try to get them to pose - I just say "Ignore me. Play!"

I still want to play with the healing brush. At a minimum I will learn something new.

And I think I will try cropping out the jeans, the same thought had crossed my mind - just never took the time to do it. So much to learn!!!

Thanks again!!!!

-jeff

[SoCal Steve]

It's a very nice shot. A colorful, happy picture.
I think I would try cropping it a little tighter to emphasize the face more.

If you shot the image in RAW format you might be able to recover a little bit of the highlight detail with a negative value on the exposure control on the Photoshop CS camera RAW importer. Worth a try anyway.

I should expand that- If all three color channels, RG&B, are blown out you're not really going to get anything back. (You can't make something out of absolutely nothing.)

[thehikingdude]

It was shot in raw, but it's so blown out I have to bring everything down really dark to make much of a difference. However, once I learn more I will be coming back to this to see what I can do with. It seems there's no limit to what can be done to digital pictures nowadays.

If there's something I'm missing regarding what can be done with RAW, I'm a very eager student.

-jeff

[SoCal Steve]

I'll pm some more info.

[thaddeus]

i think it's a great colourful, playful shot
like others, i suggest cropping it a bit tighter and moving the face from the centre
something like:

(i hope you don't mind me cropping your work!)

[thehikingdude]

I like!

Thanks,

jeff

[thehikingdude]

I've yet to play much with trying to "fix" the hotspot, but I am pleased with this cropped version, less contrast also. Thanks for the advice.