Photoshop CS6 'Noob' edits

[BrandonDouglas]

Hi guys,

I've just finished doing some edits for a friend, wondered what your opinions were on my work. I'm basically a complete novice with photoshop, I generally only do simple editing and only on occasion. I've watched a couple of YouTube tutorials to learn how to do things like air brushing etc. but yeah, I wouldn't consider myself very skilled.

Is there anything you would have done differently with these edits? generally she only wanted them cleaned up, and ofcourse the focus to be more on the model, pretty much what I done, but would you have gone about it another way than I did?

P.S - Cropping and selective colouring was not an option.

Any tips you guys have on Photoshop (CS6 in paticular) are appreciated

Here's one before and after - I'm too lazy to post them all, the rest are on my Flickr @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/brandondouglas94/sets/72157632500429222/


BEFORE

AFTER

 

[Kerioak]

Well done for starting to learn CS6, I have also just got this and there is so much to learn in it.

It looks as if you have lightened some of the subject, done a fair bit of sharpening an smoothed his forehead.

Do you use levels (or curves) yet? I will use Levels just in case you have not as that is easier to master. Bring up a levels adjustment layer and get the man right - so you can see the detail in his trousers as well as his shirt then paint over the mask on the levels adjustment layer to hide the rest of the image, this might give you a start http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgmTl2Hbdsc - just use the mask on the levels adjustment layer instead of the desaturated one as shown in the video.

I would not smooth his forehead out - get rid of creases in shirt maybe but not his face?

 

[swanseamale47]

I'm courious why the subject was photographed in such an interesting background if you then have to try and make the background less distracting. Personally I'd have maybe HDR'd it to bring up the BG, but I know thats not what your client wants.
You've done a decent job of it, but I'm not sure about the blokes forehead, doesn't look at all right to me.

 

[BrandonDouglas]

It looks as if you have lightened some of the subject, done a fair bit of sharpening an smoothed his forehead.

Do you use levels (or curves) yet? I will use Levels just in case you have not as that is easier to master. Bring up a levels adjustment layer and get the man right - so you can see the detail in his trousers as well as his shirt then paint over the mask on the levels adjustment layer to hide the rest of the image, this might give you a start http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QgmTl2Hbdsc - just use the mask on the levels adjustment layer instead of the desaturated one as shown in the video.

I would not smooth his forehead out - get rid of creases in shirt maybe but not his face?

Don't foget 'tidied the floor' adjusted colour and blurred the background!

I don't like to use those, I tried a couple of times but I find them hard to get the hang of haha, I just do adjustment layers for Saturation/brightness etc.

Haha, I wanted to 'de-crease' the shirt but wasn't sure how, and this is my first time 'air-brushing' so I must have over done it. In my defence I was working til 1 in the morning on these as they had to be done for 8am today!

Thank you for the tips, i will have to take a look at some more YouTube vids for curves!

 

[BrandonDouglas]

I'm courious why the subject was photographed in such an interesting background if you then have to try and make the background less distracting. Personally I'd have maybe HDR'd it to bring up the BG, but I know thats not what your client wants.
You've done a decent job of it, but I'm not sure about the blokes forehead, doesn't look at all right to me.

I personally wouldn't have done a model shoot with such a distracting background, I don't understand why you'd want a background that is more interesting than your model!
I was also unsure why the photographer photographed in a very gritty urban London yet wanted me to tidy the place up. But ofcourse that's just my opinion and she could've been going for something different.

Maybe if it wasn't a model shoot I would've HDR'd like you said.

And thanks, yeah I see that now, must've over done it on the 'air-brushing' - I'll get use to it!
You should see one of the other pictures where I tried to whiten his eyes also, I think I went OTT on that one.

 

[BrandonDouglas]

Infact.

I was quite proud with my work on the Tie with this one. but his eyes are way to white and too much air brushing imo

 

[britco]

There's that "waxwork' look rearing it's ugly head again...skin smoothing should be outlawed there is too much processing going on nowadays...in my humble opinion the original shot is almost there just need to bring the model out of the dark a tad...the background is great

 

[Chaz Photos]

looking at your first photo how about like this?

 

[Kerioak]

Hi Chaz - Brandow does not permit edits to his (client's) photos, see edit box with a x in it

 

[Chaz Photos]

Hi Chaz - Brandow does not permit edits to his (client's) photos, see edit box with a x in it

ops BUT one can also say why post full size images on flickr with download not turned off? Also Q " edits for a friend, Any tips you guys have on Photoshop (CS6 in paticular) are appreciated " (not my spelling)
How else can we help him?

 

[BrandonDouglas]

I dont mind people doing edits, i dont know why it says I dont permit it. Also not sure how to not allow flickr users to download your photos? Thought that was an automatic thing.

As long as you're not taking credit or earning money from my photos

What blur did you use in your edit? I used a lens blur!

 

[Kerioak]

Hi Brandon
If you go into the "My TP" link at the top of the page and then "Edit My Details" scroll down to the bottom of that page and you will find a box to tick that allows others to edit the photos you post here.

I know you can set Flickr with various options but I don't use it so cannot offer any tips on this

 

[Chaz Photos]

I dont mind people doing edits, i dont know why it says I dont permit it. Also not sure how to not allow flickr users to download your photos? Thought that was an automatic thing.

As long as you're not taking credit or earning money from my photos

What blur did you use in your edit? I used a lens blur!

I started by opening the jpg in ACR and did some adjustment to get best looking image then in Photoshop I did a tilt-shift blur and applied a mask to bring back the close part of the ground with a grad filter.

 

[BrandonDouglas]

Hi Brandon
If you go into the "My TP" link at the top of the page and then "Edit My Details" scroll down to the bottom of that page and you will find a box to tick that allows others to edit the photos you post here.

I know you can set Flickr with various options but I don't use it so cannot offer any tips on this

Thank you!