Bob, I'm not the Photoshop, portrait photography or for that matter,
computer, guy on the list. That being said I might have liked to have seen
slightly
more contrasty lighting (a tiny bit darker on the darker side of her face)
and have had her body turned slightly to her right and looking back at the
camera, which has her look a bit slimmer. It is not that she needs it,
however
I've not met a woman who thought she looked too thin. OK, ladies go ahead
and flame me, I deserve it. I often, but not always, slightly soften my
portraits.
Here is how I do it. In Photoshop create another layer. Go to
filter>blur>gaussian blur and add about 25%>go to opacity and back it down to
about 25% or
wherever it looks about right. I will then take my eraser tool and erase
the blur on the eye or eyes, eye brows and the lips. When it is the way I
want
it, I'll collapse the layers or whatever it is called when you combine them
all together and then print it. Each one will be a little different, however
I imagine you will find something you like with this method. Bill Barber
In a message dated 3/25/2008 11:44:35 A.M. Central Daylight Time,
bwhitmire@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Esteemed Wife wanted a mug shot for a press release about a new
service she is offering. I don't do portraits. In the past, she has
not accepted this answer, and then has not been particularly happy
with the results. This time I set up a $5 studio in the living room.
Background is a piece of black foam core, 32"x40". She's holding a
piece of white mat board to reflect light back from the wall of glass
that constitutes one of our living room walls. Mid to late afternoon,
light overcast. Very cool light.
My result:
http://www.bwp33.com/page17/files/page17-1000-full.jpg
For giggles, I posted a link on the Lighting forum at DeePee, and
asked for comments.
One fellow there offered the following edit of the picture:
http://i.pbase.com/
o6/67/398967/1/94507703.cGBTBwVK.ShutterBobpicofwife21Mar08edit.jpg
Objective data:
1. The image does not look as cool on my monitor as it does on the
web site or DeePee after reducing to sRGB. I'm not sure why this is,
but while mine is cool, it is less cool than it appears.
2. If I were viewing his and mine on a gallery wall, and I didn't
know the person, I'm sure I would prefer his just for the warmth.
3. The actual fidelity of subject to photo goes to mine. We are pale,
northern people still gripped in the icy claws of winter. It's
supposed to snow here tonight. Yes, she's wearing makeup, but not a
lot. The hair color in my version is pretty much spot on.
4. The smoothness from pp and the warmth of the skin tones in his is
very appealing. His rendition, however, causes a yellowness to her
hair, which some might charitably call blond.
I'm not looking for praise or condemnation or anything in between or
either of us. I'm wondering about the current state of portrait
photography in today's environment. I notice in the lighting forum on
DeePee there seems to be a tendency to turn people into plastic in
order to give them flawless skin. The more restrained among them tone
this town and show something which appears to be texture, but there's
still a smoothness that is unnatural. They all say this is what their
clients want. Some of them, based on their web sites, appear to be
making money at this. I know there are some folks here who do, too,
and that's why I'm posting.
The Question: If this portrait had turned up in your camera, would
you have offered the client My version, or His version, or allowed
her to choose from the two versions or some other version I haven't
dreamed of?
For What It's Worth: Esteemed Wife says my effort this time is the
first picture she's ever seen of herself that didn't make her want to
look away. I think she likes it. I showed her the other version, and
I think she liked that one, too, but did agree that it doesn't look
like her.
--Bob Whitmire
www.bwp33.com
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