I tried to create some portraits of my daughters

[Marko]

Nice to see the set of RAWS - they all have a similar cast so if you follow a corrective workflow on 1 image, all images should correct in a very similar fashion.

Key Question at this point - How do those raw files look on your particular monitor? What colour cast do they show, or do they look good?

If they look good.....then I'd suggest your monitor needs serious calibration.

If you see a cast then RM suggested a wonderful recipe for neutralizing that cast.

Maybe try 1 shot and see if you can neutralize it with that recipe. Imo these strong images are well worth correcting. I too really dig those swing shots.

[theantiquetiger]

They all have that yellow cast to it (missed WB). The first ones in this thread have that strange neon green glow in the background. My biggest problem here (other than I missed the shot with sharpness) is when I start editing, I adjust and adjust until I have no clue where I started. I still have the original RAW images, but not sure where to go with them.

Somebody on another forum did this pretty quickly, so I know they can be saved, just don't know how. Like I said in my "hitting a golf ball" thread, it doesn't take practice, it takes correct practice. If you practice it wrong all the time, you will never learn the correct way.

[JAS_Photo]

I have to say even with the yellowish cast, I prefer the second set of images by far. The girls look very natural and sweet in them.




Took this into LR, did just a quick adjustment to the white balance as described by Runmounty, a little bit of vibrance and clarity, a very light vignette and took it into Elements to do just a quick sweep of some debris on the ground. Just a real quick edit.

The images themselves, are awesome A.T., it's just on the processing that you panic and get carried away.

[theantiquetiger]

How is this?


morgan swing final by Theantiquetiger, on Flickr


maddy swing final by Theantiquetiger, on Flickr

[Marko]

jas's version looks more natural than yours at....though these are much better than the originals.

Here's a strict protocol to follow

What program(s) are you using? Please answer this question.

IMO, to correct this here and now forever...u should only be using 1 program.
I'd like to see the skin tones and the faces look natural. Once this is solved, feel to enhance in any way you want - so for this exercise, No pluggins, filters, actions or fancy stuff. I can see fancy stuff in these 2 latest images.

You want to get to the root of the problem, not confound the issue with too much software/filtration.

You do need to practise in the right way as you know but now this practise is at the computer and you need to find a workflow....that works.....Morgan's face looks airbrushed and rendered by some pluggin....we need to see it plain. We want to teach you to fish, all you need is a manual rod and a reel, even though the temptation of motorized fishing glam is everywhere.

I'd go back again to this image and neutralize the cast in the way RM suggested. (or any other way that people use to neutralize casts).

Look for an area that should be white with detail (maybe the bow on the head). Remove the cast only on your daughter so that her skin looks natural and real. Don't worry about the environment, just your daughter's skin.

Outline your exact steps and the program you used and post your result.

Just do 1 image, the same image Morgan image and post that 1 image.

Hope that may help

[theantiquetiger]

What program(s) are you using? Please answer this question.

IMO, to correct this here and now forever...u should only be using 1 program.

Outline your exact steps and the program you used and post your result.

Just do 1 image, the same image Morgan image and post that 1 image.

Her are the steps I used on Morgan's image I posted last:

In DPP - converted from RAW to TIF (because of the darkening with transferring from DDP to LR if left in RAW)

In LR4.2 - set WB like RM said to do with an area on the dress (I didn't know I could do this). It took a few tries to find one that looked natural (IMO)

- Did some cropping and leveling (because the swing was not hanging straight)

- Used graduated Sharpening filter horizontally from just below the elbows to just above her head

- Used graduated exposure filter (4x) above/below/each side to darken background

- Lowered over all green saturation a little / raised over all clarity a little / raised & lowered whites/shadows/blacks etc (I forget exact)

- Did a little cloning around feet to clean up leaves/etc

- Did a slight dark vignetting

- saved file as JPG

In Portrait Professional

- Ran image through to sharpen the eyes and saved as different file

In GIMP

- Cut eyes out of Portrait Pro and pasted on saved image from LR

- Did an unmask filter to sharpen over all sharpening

(I know I have forgotten a few over all steps, but they were minor)

I will start back over with Morgan's image above and work only in LR (I will even use a RAW image from DPP, not converted)

[theantiquetiger]

OK here is step by step on image below using RAW in LR4.2

- set WB to her left side of dress
- Exp +0.36
- Cropped/leveled
- Contrast -20
- Highlights -40
- Shadows -14
- Whites +40
- Blacks -2
- Clarity +2
- Vibrancy -10
- Saturation +14
- Sharpness Grad filter (vertical) hand to hand +70
- Exposure Grad filters left/right sides -1.33
- Brush whiten teeth/eyes
- Tone curve Highlights +26
- Tone curve Lights +11
- Tone curve Darks -20
- Tone curve Shadows -1
- Green Hue -20
- Green Saturation -56
- Green Luminance -29
- Sharpness Brush on face +70
- Masking Slider +60
- Exposure brush on face +0.51
- Sharpness Brush on eyes +100
- Iris Enhance Brush
- Skin Soften Brush on face
- Lightroom preset PUNCH
- Lightroom preset Sharpen face

(***After posting this about an hour ago and studying it more, this is what I see***)
- her face seems a little under exposed, reddish and has a slight green cast under her chin
- I love the detail in her dress but could use some kind of ironing(the best I have achieved so far IMO)
- I like the skin tones on her arms (esp her left bicep) . You have to remember, down here in Louisiana, our summer started 2 months ago, we are all tan now


step by step morgan by Theantiquetiger, on Flickr