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Canon DSLR Challenge | all galleries >> CSLR Challenge 122 - High Key (Hosted by RK) >> Eligible > Candid
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16-JUN-2008 Melbob

Candid

Melbourne

Canon EOS 5D ,Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 Macro USM
1/200s f/2.8 at 100.0mm iso100 full exif

other sizes: small medium large original auto
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Victor Engel22-Jun-2008 23:41
Nicely done, but something doesn't work for me. I can't quite place it. I do like how you've contrived to draw our eyes to the model's eyes and lips. I find my eyes also going to the ponytail as well, and her hair is rather mussed up there. Perhaps something could be done about that. It also bothers me a little bit that I can see green on her left shoulder but not the right. It seems unbalanced that way. Overall, I think this is a very nice image. -- Victor
Canon DSLR Challenge21-Jun-2008 15:33
Thanks Naj, ... I wondered what she was thinking as she watched her partner prepare a demo for the crowd.
Thanks for commenting ~ Regards Bob
Canon DSLR Challenge20-Jun-2008 13:30
Stunning image Bob, your PS work has paid huge dividends here. It's quite an enigma too, a High Key image with a Low Key mood! Best regards -Najinsky
Canon DSLR Challenge19-Jun-2008 11:36
Thanks Cat and Vikas, not having any form of studio my 'portrait' work is limited to the candid outdoors and as such is subject to the lighting conditions that prevail. So, thanks to pp. ~ Regards Bob
Canon DSLR Challenge18-Jun-2008 15:46
Lovely Bob, I really like the glow on the lady. Cheers, Vikas.
Guest 18-Jun-2008 04:08
Very nicely done Bob!
All your hard work paid off. Excellent results.
-Cat
Canon DSLR Challenge18-Jun-2008 03:01
Thank you Nico, CameraShy09, CJ, Sharon, Traveller and RK for your gracious comments. This is a capture of a woman assisting a demonstration of 'bush food' cooking in Melbourne's Federation Square. She acknowledged permission to take her photo but I could not get past the crowd to get her details. So she shall be the 'beautiful woman'?

This is a crop and I used flash (exif does not report flash in PBase but it does in PS)

The work flow is simple but tedious: Captured in Raw, opened in PSCS2, once 'as shot', secondly 'overexposed by approx 1.5 stops' and dropping saturation and contrast down significantly. Copied no. 2 over no. 1 raised the brightness a little then using a shadow mask proceeded to paint out the background working down to pixel level around the subject. (tedious!)

This woman is of indigenous heritage and has beautifully tanned skin and dark hair, so "how to make light from dark is the problem here.

After setting the background light enough I then 'flattened' the image and again copied and pasted over itself to get two layers.

Working on the top layer I used 'Channel mixer' checked 'monochrome' and played with the RGB settings, I forget the settings but something like R=70%, G= 50%, B=-10% so the result was slightly over 100%

I then added a mask, filled with black and proceeded to erase with approx 20% 'opacity' 15 to 20% 'flow' until I achieved the effect I was after. Finally 'flattened' the image and carefully used the erase tool and 10% opacity 12% flow to balance the background and any dark areas. Applied a little 'contrast' to the eyes and lips to feature them a little.

I shot this with the lightest background I could find and also when the subject was in a 'candid' pose. I was not confident that it would work because I was caught with the wrong lens and could not get close enough but I am reasonably pleased with the result.

Much appreciate you comments, if anyone wants more detail I am happy to do a step-by-step set in my PBase "How did I do this' gallery.

Regards Bob
Photogenix17-Jun-2008 20:44
This is a beautiful portrait Bob. Please share the workflow... really like the way you have processed this image.
And compliments to the model.
- RK
Canon DSLR Challenge17-Jun-2008 20:20
Yes, I agree with everyone....your sets of images in this challenge are....distinctively non-Melbob except for their excellence. Raise your eyebrows on that for a while...(hee, hee)
Traveller
elips17-Jun-2008 17:48
This is wonderful, Bob! I like how you kept all the detail around the eyes and mouth while leaving the rest of the image soft. Good work! ~Sharon
Canon DSLR Challenge17-Jun-2008 15:43
What a beautiful portrait Bob! The PP is excellent - care to share your workflow? I hope you printed this one up and gave it to her as I know she would love it! :-) CJ
CameraShy0917-Jun-2008 14:39
Very nice work. Wonderful feeling in this picture. You have a remarkable set of photos in this challenge.
jnconradie17-Jun-2008 05:41
Beautiful! :-) Regards Nico