My cousin Megan has the most enchanting eyes. They seem to carry on a conversation by them selves.
I took this image back in june. It was a candid moment, under the shade of a tree in her front yard. She was having a LemonAid sale/Dog Wash that day, (you can still see the markings of a KoolAid mustache), and she needed more customers, so I brought down my dog Max and my Camera.
This image would have been so much better if I had:
1. pulled away slightly and put the rule of thirds right between her eyes.
3. Sharper focus
2. a better camera at the time.
I am expecting this to be on the lower end of the score simply because of the challenge, but that's cool. Happy New Year! May your 2006 be the better than your best.
Edit, jan 15th 11:57: This is the 12th (and final) edit.
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thank you guys for the comments! I knew from the get-go that it wouldn't score well due to DPC's usual standards, but I'm happy you thought it was under-rated.
Ellamay- Megan had absolutely no makeup on. After I desaturated the whole image, I went through each color and adjusted the lightness. She was wearing a red shirt and I wanted it to be dark in order to emphasise her face. As a result, her lips darkened too. I dodged them a bit, but obviously not enough.
A lot of people said it looked too over processed- and they are right. I did alot of editing on this one. I'll post the origional for you guys to see how much.
Totally agree with Azrifel comments. Totally disagree with your comments on how it could be better, they way it is now, is the best results. Its the soft focus and subtle shadows that make this photo so great. Not to mention that Mona Lisa smile!
I like this kind of photo! It is a challenge for doing well in DPC, but who cares? Good work..... maybe the hair strands on the side of the head come over a little choppy!
I find this the most challenging photo in this challenge to mark, I am not sure if it is cuz the little girl seems so grown up and or if its because she looks like someone I know. She is a beautiful little girl, but perhaps I find putting make up on a child this age disturbing. Perhaps it is a personal thing on my part. I am not sure if I should mark it down cuz it disturbs me, or mark it up for the same reason.
I imagine that the original file was beautiful... perhaps a little out of focus. I have to say you did a terrific job getting an honest emotion in the photo. She looks intreaging. I think, in the end, it there is just too much Photoshoping. I understand you are going for a high-key high-contrast image but there are too many areas of solid black with no detail and white with rough edges. It has potential to be a terriffic photo.
The focus seems a bit soft here, so maybe a USM would help a little. Also I think the lighting on her face needs to be a bit more frontal to get some light to the left side and not have it so harsh and bright on the right.
Beautiful pose and great catchlights. Looks like it's a bit overprocessed to get rid of the background though, or maybe she was underexposed? In any case, the focus is very soft and in a portrait, the eyes (at least) should be crisp, even when you intentionally soften other parts.
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