[C&C] Excessively cute kid photos

Fenster

I've been trying out some new processing techniques for these to get the most out of natural light (you can find my Lightroom preset here). Is #1 too contrasted, is #2 too soft and is #3 too copper-toned? G'wan, tear me a new one.

Cabaal

I like the first one, middle one seems too soft, not sure about processing on the third one...the colour doesn't look right

Fenster

I'll just add another note on processing:

#1 was done by softening the image with my preset, creating a black and white copy and 'folding' it on top of the colour image with Soft Light blending. I dropped the opacity down to 40% or so.

#2 Straight up with my preset.

#3 Not done with my preset at all. I was trying to bring out strong earthy colours from shooting in shade because I felt they suited her more in that instance. I used the Ralph Lauren preset and then used the Colour Mixer in Photoshop to boost colours.

Kbeg3

Cabaal wrote: »

I like the first one, middle one seems too soft, not sure about processing on the third one...the colour doesn't look right

Same here. Like the first, not too sure about the other two

Paulw

Love the first two, but the colour in the 3rd just seems a little weird.

Great shots.

DaireQuinlan

The only one I really don't like is the second one. Its simultaneously too soft and with too much local contrast, I don't think it really works at all. First one works, I generally like your kid photos, and the processing suits them because most of them have some action element, that kid is always running around the place or making faces so the contrasty vibrant style works. I wouldn't be tempted to apply it to more low key portraits though.

First one is good, the other two are just freaky to be honest. The kid looks like The Joker in the second one.

sineadw

<mammy> She's gotten HUGE! and is lovely </mammy>

I'd have to agree with the tones of the third, on my monitor it has a slightly green cast? I think they're lovely though. I'd maybe have desaturated the 2nd one a bit. I'm going a bit mad on desaturation recently though..

Borderfox

Lovely shots but there doesnt seem to be unity in the colours and this imo takes away from the set.

AnCatDubh

first one gets my vote. Contrast IMHO is nice but i'd like that style of contrast generally so i'm baised here.

Second is nice but to me the smile is a bit 'cheesy' or forced. The image exif is reporting a focal length of 28mm which will take a normal smile and make it cheesy in terms of the perspective at such close distance. If you examine the third shot - to me the face looks far more natural which although also shot at 28mm (according to exif) has a little distance in there which would appear to be key. Probably safer to shoot 50mm - 100mm for such a shot which also means getting back a lot further.

The third shot itself is more troublesome in terms of the colouring and as such I wouldn't be a fan. Such colouring can work very well in creating an 'urban acid' type of feel to a streetscape but not really for a portrait (just in my opinion).

First one for me is the best.

Fenster

I've tweaked and uploaded replacements for the two images in question. I lowered contrast and (slightly) upped image vibrancy for #2 and changed the white balance for #3:

mikeanywhere

#1 is cool
#2 does look soft but something doesn't feel right with it and cant put my finger on it. Will come back to it later
#3 a no go as looks totally un-natural - might work on a different style of image with that style of colour effect

Great thing about it being a LR preset is that you can tweak it to suit your style of editing and save it as a new preset.