DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 
Challenge Entries
Portfolio Images
This image is not part of a public portfolio.
She's Got That Look!
She's Got That Look!
dwterry


Photograph Information Photographer's Comments
Challenge: Soft Focus II (Basic Editing III)
Camera: Canon EOS-5D
Lens: Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM
Location: Salt Lake City, UT
Date: Aug 18, 2006
Aperture: f/4
ISO: 50
Shutter: 1/320
Galleries: Portraiture
Date Uploaded: Aug 21, 2006
1) Color Balance:
Shadows: +7 / 0 / -5
Midtones: +3 / 0 / 0
Highlights: +2 / 0 / 0

2) Channel Mixer: Red channel: 99% Red

3) Brightness/Contrast: +7 / +31

4) Hue Sat: Red Channel +7 / -23 / 0, Yellow Channel 0 / +32 / 0

5) Duplicated Background at 100% (a step I always take for editing)

6) Applied Gaussian Blur to edit layer at 16px then Edit | Fade to 50%

7) Shadow/Highlight adjustment on the edit layer.
Shadow: 35/50/30
Highlight: 1/15/30
Color Correction: 0
Midtone Contrast: 0
Black clip: 0.01
White clip: 0

8) Flatten (throwing away original background layer)

9) Slightly tilted crop

10) Reduce size

11) Add border

12) Local Contrast USM: 6% 60px 0

13) Final sharpen USM: 90% 0.8px 6

--------------

I tried applying a soft filter to many different people pictures and they all turned out the same. BLURRY EYES! I can't stand blurry eyes. Even when doing as Kirbic suggested (Gaussian blur at 4px then fade to 25%). I was about to give up thinking that what I wanted couldn't be done in basic!

What I like about the technique used here is that, in spite of the fact that the image was blurred, her eyes *still* appear to be sharp. I think the key things are: 1) I blurred at a much higher radius than Kirbic suggested. 2) I kept most of the blur so her hair and such still looks blurry. 3) Then after reducing the size and sharpening, the eyes came back into sharp focus.

I love it! I hope the voters do too. And I hope they will forgive the blown highlights on her arm, it was in the sun while she was in shade, but I still loved this pose and the look on her face.

Statistics
Place: 51 out of 252
Avg (all users): 5.8787
Avg (commenters): 7.2500
Avg (participants): 5.6000
Avg (non-participants): 5.9941
Views since voting: 1045
Views during voting: 375
Votes: 239
Comments: 9
Favorites: 2 (view)

Please log in or register to add your comments!

AuthorThread
 Comments Made During the Challenge
08/27/2006 08:28:10 PM
Nice crop. I like the warm tone of your picture.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/27/2006 08:52:52 AM
Beautiful woman, beautiful eyes, beautiful softness... just too difficult not give 9 or 10... must... resist... beauty... 9
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/26/2006 03:00:57 AM
yes she does!! beautiful lady nicely croped
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2006 09:50:25 PM
Stunning model. Great colour. Nice crop.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/25/2006 12:58:47 AM
nice portrait. I like the soft look
What I do not like are the highlights on forehead near right eye and chin and the position of the left arm, seems a bit awkward
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/24/2006 02:37:08 PM
this shot is too blurry...could be sharper...Just Kidding!!

Lighting on the face is a bit harsh.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2006 04:30:01 PM
nice soft focus and I like the composition :o)
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2006 12:34:22 PM
She certainly has - beautiful shot.
  Photographer found comment helpful.
 08/23/2006 07:29:24 AM
lovely portrait with nice lighting...love the tones in the skin
  Photographer found comment helpful.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 03/11/2025 02:14:16 PM EDT.