I tried to create some portraits of my daughters

[Runmonty]

I am with Marko on this. The colour cast is obviously the major issue (as you worked out) and they do look little too processed to me.

OK, who can save #'s 2 & 5 for me, since I spent $60 getting their hair done and $30 to get to where we took the pictures.

I can email the RAWs to you

AT - I am more than happy to look processing issues any time you want, and also dont mind at all doing it, but I am also very conscious of getting you comfortable with doing it yourself. I find the only way to learn all this stuff is to try it and try it again. So if you are up it for it this is what I would do.

If it were mine I would go back to the original raw and start again. Firstly beacuase you have the white dresses I would set the WB by using the neutral colour picker on the white of the dress (not by using the presets or sliders). I think this will give a more natural result. Try a couple of different areas on the white dress if you dont like the first result. To be honest I dont think they need much more processing than that. Maybe look at a levels or curves adjustment (start off with auto and see what it does), perhaps a slight sharpening, and maybe VERY SUBTLE vignette or burning of the edges (so that someone looking it without seeing the original wouldn't even notice).

I think if you do that you may have some really lovely shots of the girls. I love the set up, particularly the swing shots.

[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)