We were asked to take pictures of these two charming little girls last summer. They are 4 and 2 years old. In spite of their ages, they took direction well. It was almost impossible to get a bad picture with these sweet little girls. This tree is small, with the fork of the trunk about a foot from the ground. The little one had no qualms about sitting in the tree, but the older one did not want to. This pose resulted �“ perfect.
Shot at f/4, 1/40 sec/ ISO 250. Processed in PS using Topaz and NIK plug-ins. The older girl had a black eye (just a normal childhood oops, no foul play), so all the pictures had to be touched up. So: started with Topaz AI Clear, then HSL to tone down the hot background and warm up the faces. Retouched the black eye with the healing brush. Added a white vignette in Topaz. Increased the brightness 30% with brightness/contrast adjustment layer. Finally added a High Pass filter to sharpen. We made a canvas wrap of this for the family.
This round’s discussion is now closed! 10 comments posted
Michael Moore
What a beautiful shot of these sweet sisters. The tree frames the image very nicely. I like your processing and your decision to use a white vignette adds a vintage charm to the image. I'm sure the family was thrilled with your effort here.
My only suggestion would be to clone out the blue halo on the left tree branch as it pulls our eye away from your beautiful subjects. Posted: 03/15/2023 13:36:50
Connie Reinhart
The blue background was a little playhouse printed in jelly bean colors. I couldn't figure out exactly how to eliminate that blue from the background. Perhaps desaturating just that color? Posted: 03/30/2023 15:58:26
Michael Moore
The blue around the tree is very easy to deal with and I just cloned it out. The blue next to our young lady is tricky due to her hair. I used color selection to make a selection on the blue and painted in a green selected from nearby. This eliminated about 85% of the blue. I then zoomed way in and painted the rest of the blue out - almost at the pixel level. It is not perfect but, if the viewer were not aware of the original issue I don't think they would pick up the edits. What do you think? Posted: 03/31/2023 06:38:43
Marge Barham
(Groups 38 & 75)
Hi Connie, I just stopped by to congratulate you on being chosen for this months Members Showcase. What a wonderful memory you created. Nicely done. And this photo as well. I am guessing you are a very proud grandmother. Posted: 03/17/2023 11:54:04
Connie Reinhart
I am indeed a proud gradma, but our grandson is 26 years old. These charming girls are grandaughters of friends of ours. The older girl was afraid to sit in the crook of the tree, but the little one has no fear. They were adorable. Posted: 03/30/2023 16:01:50
Linda M Medine
Connie, Congratulations, you was chosen on this months Members Showcase. Good Job. Posted: 03/17/2023 19:31:52
Denise McKay
Congratulations on being chosen for the Members Showcase! What a wonderful image you displayed there. And this is a very sweet photo as well. I really like the composition with the girls framed by the tree. Your post processing choices gives this a light and airy feel. I would suggest toning down the highlights just a tad as the background behind the leaves seems a little bright. Overall, this is a wonderful keepsake for the family. Posted: 03/18/2023 06:28:58
Mary Hinsen
Congratulations Connie on being selected for the members' showcase!
This one of the girls is such a sweet image and your processing really works well. Posted: 03/29/2023 23:02:39
Carol Watson
You captured a lovely interaction between the sisters and they are well framed by the tree. Your treatment works well and gives a timeless feel. As Michael suggested the blue areas are a bit of a distraction and seem out of place with the toning of the rest of the image. Posted: 03/30/2023 05:26:02
Connie Reinhart
Thank you all for your kind comments. It is really hard to take a bad pictture of a good subject. Much credit goes to those sweet girls. Posted: 03/30/2023 16:03:13
