update: I got up this morning, read Richard’s comment below, looked at this image again, and realised that i) it’s about time that I took some more photographs and stopped playing around with Photoshop, and ii) the shot I originally posted wasn’t really worth bothering with ;-) So, the version you can now see is just a straight duplication of yesterday’s image, with a b/w version tacked on one side. So just ignore most of what follows … ;-)
After the comments on yesterday’s entry I had decided I would post the black and white version of this image, but I ended up constructing this hybrid version instead. Normally, when I work on a black and white image I usually just use an adjustment layer to desaturate the image, and make any Curves (or other) adjustments ‘below’ this layer. But while I was working on this version I noticed that the resulting colour image was (in my opinion) better than yesterday’s entry.
So that left me with a bit of a dilemma as I didn’t think that I could post versions of the same image three days in a row, so I decided to combine the two. Compared to yesterday’s entry this one is i) less diffuse (e.g. there’s more detail in my wife’s face), ii) slightly lower key (I wanted to retain a bit more detail in this one), and iii) the colour version is less saturated. What it loses of course is the negative space, which I think was one of the things that definitely helped yesterday’s shot, but I like this one nonetheless.
As always, I’d be grateful for your thoughts. And on a related note, while I really do appreciate all the wonderful comments I’ve been getting lately I wouldn’t mind a bit more constructive criticism too. All of my images could be better – as could anyone’s – so if you do have a suggestion, or comment as to how I could do things better in the future, then I’d definitely like to hear it.
camera capture date aperture shutter speed shooting mode exposure bias metering mode ISO focal length image quality white balance optical filter
Canon G5
10.22pm on 8/3/04
f3.2
1/60
aperture priority
+1 2/3
evaluative
50
14.4mm
RAW
auto
B+W UV 010
comment bymyla at 06:50 AM (GMT) on 10 March, 2004
I really like this one too -- and not that my photography is anywhere near yours to be critiquing. . . but here's a thought: it might be interesting if you crop it right underneath her eye. . .
comment byRichard at 07:16 AM (GMT) on 10 March, 2004
I kept switching back and forth between the prior version and this and I think I really prefer the prior one for a number of reasons;
a) the 'gray girl' to the left and the background are almost exactly the same colour, I think it would look 'cleaner' if the background was white and make the b&w image stand out a bit,
b) the now muted pink colours are not bad - but I think once again that the gray background 'ripples through' and makes the pink colour look kinda 'dirty' (switch back and forth and you may see what I mean).
Bottom line: I much prefer the old version :-)
comment bynantel at 12:18 PM (GMT) on 10 March, 2004
I hope that you are aware that cloning is illegal in this country.
comment byHouser at 06:20 PM (GMT) on 10 March, 2004
Maybe you could try stitching them so that they meet in the middle (resulting in your model (wife) being 1/2 color and 1/2 not in color? Unless the symetry is off and it looks funny.
comment byHouser at 06:24 PM (GMT) on 10 March, 2004
Kinda like this - http://www.houserdesign.com/uploadfiles/pretty_in_pink_2_b.jpg
comment byRichard at 06:28 PM (GMT) on 10 March, 2004
Hey, this is a good version that you've got posted now.
comment by djn1 at 07:56 PM (GMT) on 10 March, 2004
Hi Houser: I did try it, and the symetry is off - by quite a margin. Actually, this really made me laugh, not because there's anything wrong with your attempt, but I can just see my wife's face when she sees it. Believe me, it really, really doesn't do her justice ;-)
comment byHouser at 08:28 PM (GMT) on 10 March, 2004
Hey man - I have no doubt about that. We all now know she's got killer thighs and digs the thigh-highs [green with envy /]
Meant no disrespect, just a little variant on the approach.
comment by djn1 at 08:38 PM (GMT) on 10 March, 2004
Houser: lol - I'm allowed to take flattering shots, but any that don't show her at her best are binned (which is fair enough ;-) And had the joined image worked I probably would have posted it instead of this one as it was an interesting idea. It just makes her look a bit more like a hamster than she'd probably like ;-)))
comment byRolle at 09:50 PM (GMT) on 12 March, 2004
I realy admire youre creativity! I enjoyed my visit to your site again.
comment byGandalf at 01:47 PM (GMT) on 18 March, 2004
update: I got up this morning, read Richard’s comment below, looked at this image again, and realised that i) it’s about time that I took some more photographs and stopped playing around with Photoshop, and ii) the shot I originally posted wasn’t really worth bothering with ;-) So, the version you can now see is just a straight duplication of yesterday’s image, with a b/w version tacked on one side. So just ignore most of what follows … ;-)
After the comments on yesterday’s entry I had decided I would post the black and white version of this image, but I ended up constructing this hybrid version instead. Normally, when I work on a black and white image I usually just use an adjustment layer to desaturate the image, and make any Curves (or other) adjustments ‘below’ this layer. But while I was working on this version I noticed that the resulting colour image was (in my opinion) better than yesterday’s entry.
So that left me with a bit of a dilemma as I didn’t think that I could post versions of the same image three days in a row, so I decided to combine the two. Compared to yesterday’s entry this one is i) less diffuse (e.g. there’s more detail in my wife’s face), ii) slightly lower key (I wanted to retain a bit more detail in this one), and iii) the colour version is less saturated. What it loses of course is the negative space, which I think was one of the things that definitely helped yesterday’s shot, but I like this one nonetheless.
As always, I’d be grateful for your thoughts. And on a related note, while I really do appreciate all the wonderful comments I’ve been getting lately I wouldn’t mind a bit more constructive criticism too. All of my images could be better – as could anyone’s – so if you do have a suggestion, or comment as to how I could do things better in the future, then I’d definitely like to hear it.
capture date
aperture
shutter speed
shooting mode
exposure bias
metering mode
ISO
focal length
image quality
white balance
optical filter
10.22pm on 8/3/04
f3.2
1/60
aperture priority
+1 2/3
evaluative
50
14.4mm
RAW
auto
B+W UV 010
I really like this one too -- and not that my photography is anywhere near yours to be critiquing. . . but here's a thought: it might be interesting if you crop it right underneath her eye. . .
I kept switching back and forth between the prior version and this and I think I really prefer the prior one for a number of reasons;
a) the 'gray girl' to the left and the background are almost exactly the same colour, I think it would look 'cleaner' if the background was white and make the b&w image stand out a bit,
b) the now muted pink colours are not bad - but I think once again that the gray background 'ripples through' and makes the pink colour look kinda 'dirty' (switch back and forth and you may see what I mean).
Bottom line: I much prefer the old version :-)
I hope that you are aware that cloning is illegal in this country.
Maybe you could try stitching them so that they meet in the middle (resulting in your model (wife) being 1/2 color and 1/2 not in color? Unless the symetry is off and it looks funny.
Kinda like this - http://www.houserdesign.com/uploadfiles/pretty_in_pink_2_b.jpg
Hey, this is a good version that you've got posted now.
Hi Houser: I did try it, and the symetry is off - by quite a margin. Actually, this really made me laugh, not because there's anything wrong with your attempt, but I can just see my wife's face when she sees it. Believe me, it really, really doesn't do her justice ;-)
Hey man - I have no doubt about that. We all now know she's got killer thighs and digs the thigh-highs [green with envy /]
Meant no disrespect, just a little variant on the approach.
Houser: lol - I'm allowed to take flattering shots, but any that don't show her at her best are binned (which is fair enough ;-) And had the joined image worked I probably would have posted it instead of this one as it was an interesting idea. It just makes her look a bit more like a hamster than she'd probably like ;-)))
I realy admire youre creativity! I enjoyed my visit to your site again.
Hi
Thank you very much for suggessting me an idea !