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Please help me fix a poor photo

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Michael Edward Rudge

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Lesley my wife, knits witches for the local school, and the children asked for a photo, problem is focus, problem 2 is complexion on face and arms, red blotches form years of medication, I hope some one can help, as she is so upset with my attempts.

perhaps I will have to retake, and close the curtains behind her?

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Your wife is no witch nor is she a Photoshoped fashion model don't try to make her into one. I hope she feels well and is enjoying life. If I were you I take the photo again perhaps use a longer focal length and lower ISO on a tripod. A tigher crop with focus on her face. This one focused more on the front of the couch. I'm surprised at the amount of noise in the image from your canon. I made a 11x8.5 crop removed some noise. I'm colorblind so I made no attempt to alter color.



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JJMack
 
Definitely close the curtain on the right side -- you don't need the window on the left as JJMacks pointed out. Indoor photos have a tendency to have too much red -- you could lower the saturation of reds so that the redness of her arms and face aren't so pronounced. After you lower the red saturation, you might also try raising the luminosity of the reds to try to blend them more into the lightness of the surrounding skin. I don't know what you are using to edit photographs with, so more detailed work beyond the above suggestions would be very tool dependent.
 
Manual focus, external bounce flash, canon 60D 18-135 lens, I think it is a soft lens .

Canon DPP, noise reduction / Adobe CS2



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Well, here is my take on the first one.



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- Bill
 
My effort. A lovely and thoughtful woman. How fortunate you are Michael.









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Always teach for understanding, not agreement.
JC Sofield
www.pbase.com/jcsofield
 
You need a different background, I'm afraid. The sofa upon which she is sitting is too close in color texture and pattern to the curtains, and it all tends to wash her out color wise. And the image is too 'spread out'.

Maybe you could get her to sit in a smaller chair and to pantomime an effort to teach one of the dolls she has made to knit, while a few other dolls look on.

Children love that sort of whimsy, and a smaller chair would allow you to provide a more intimate viewing experience. You said she is self conscious about red splotches on her skin, but I think that would be easier to take care of than this photo which tends to hide her.
 
Yes I would say the lens is soft but then you don't want to use a sharp lens on a mature lady if you want their love.

Only young girls fair well with a sharp lens. Here is an un-sharpened straight from RAW conversion cannon 300mm f2.8 lens center crop. Sharpen it and the teenager freckled skin will still look good

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Forgot to convert to sRGB have re-posted image.

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JJMack
 
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Yes you may have to try again. You could always ask her to put wool and or knitting over her arms.

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We are so insignificant compared to the size of the known universe but we are significant enough for the creator of the universe to visit us.
 
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Something kids may like?...



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Michael Edward Rudge said:
Lesley my wife, knits witches for the local school, and the children asked for a photo, problem is focus, problem 2 is complexion on face and arms, red blotches form years of medication, I hope some one can help, as she is so upset with my attempts.

perhaps I will have to retake, and close the curtains behind her?

0d2e5f3ca3414a328160e4161184173c.jpg
Click to expand...


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Only when you can criticize yourself, should you criticize others. Mikes.
 
Michael Edward Rudge said:
Lesley my wife, knits witches for the local school, and the children asked for a photo, problem is focus, problem 2 is complexion on face and arms, red blotches form years of medication, I hope some one can help, as she is so upset with my attempts.

perhaps I will have to retake, and close the curtains behind her?

0d2e5f3ca3414a328160e4161184173c.jpg
Click to expand...
+1



 

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PX
 
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Full size version available if you want it, Michael.

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Cheers, Tony.
 
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