Carol Watson, QPSA
May 2023 - Waiting for the Rain to Stop
Original
About the Image(s)
This image was taken on a photoshoot in April. It was a rather overcast day and it was raining. The image was taken with my Olympus OM-1 with a 12-40mm lens at 19mm. The camera settings were auto focus, aperture priority, f4, 1/200s, ISO 500. The following changes were made in Photoshop after initial processing in Camera Raw.
Lightened and darkened areas of the image using curves layers.
Added some additional rain using motion blur on an added ⬓noise⬠layer.
Added a ⬓Foggy Night⬠colour lookup layer on low opacity.
Added a vignette using a curves layer.
Added a further vignette using Nik Efex darken lighten centre.
This round’s discussion is now closed!
7 comments posted
Carol, I'm very impressed with your portraits. Your settings, costumes, models, lighting, etc. are very nice. You do a great job handling skin tones as well, in my opinion. I think your edits added a moodiness to the image that enhances the idea of standing in the rain on a cloudy day.
My only criticism is that I feel the bright red umbrella stands out too much in the image. Since the subject is the model in that great setting, wearing a muted diaphanous dress, I wonder if a more subdued color for the umbrella would have been an improvement. The red does make her upper body pop, but I wonder if a different color, gray or blue to bring out the blue stars in her dress, may work better? I took your image into Lightroom and added a mask, selected the umbrella and used the hue sliders to change the color. I also desaturated the color and increased the black points a little. I may not have done the best job or picked the greatest color, but I wanted to share this example as food for thought.
Posted: 05/10/2023 09:35:41
My only criticism is that I feel the bright red umbrella stands out too much in the image. Since the subject is the model in that great setting, wearing a muted diaphanous dress, I wonder if a more subdued color for the umbrella would have been an improvement. The red does make her upper body pop, but I wonder if a different color, gray or blue to bring out the blue stars in her dress, may work better? I took your image into Lightroom and added a mask, selected the umbrella and used the hue sliders to change the color. I also desaturated the color and increased the black points a little. I may not have done the best job or picked the greatest color, but I wanted to share this example as food for thought.
Posted: 05/10/2023 09:35:41
I like what you have done here Denise, I think it does give the image a more harmonious feel. A colour to match the blues in the dress will work well and I'll certainly give that a try. Posted: 05/10/2023 11:36:46
This is a beautiful image Carol and your subtle edits really work well to increase the mood of your piece. I'm amazed at how much the color of the umbrella changes the feel of the image and I think it really depends on what you are going for - a strong punch of color or a more harmonious palette. Does the wooden beam distract? I would just check to see if cloning it out improves an already charming scene. Posted: 05/11/2023 07:05:40
Thanks Michael I will give that a go. Posted: 05/11/2023 07:10:40
Hi Carol,
Such a lovely image! It most certainly tells a interesting story about this beguiling young lady, who's totally unfettered by a little bit of rain while standing in an enchanting ivy garden. It is delightful to the eye and definitely stirs the imagination.
I really like how you left in the small paved walkway on the left side of the image; it provides depth and interest to the image. I find that the umbrella's intense pop of red adds drama to your otherwise subtle tones. However, I also love how Denise created a more tranquil scene merely by changing the color of the umbrella, which nicely complements the details in her dress.
To Michael's point about cloning out the beam, I think I prefer the beam in the image. It almost provides a bit of a framing for the model. Posted: 05/15/2023 12:41:56
Such a lovely image! It most certainly tells a interesting story about this beguiling young lady, who's totally unfettered by a little bit of rain while standing in an enchanting ivy garden. It is delightful to the eye and definitely stirs the imagination.
I really like how you left in the small paved walkway on the left side of the image; it provides depth and interest to the image. I find that the umbrella's intense pop of red adds drama to your otherwise subtle tones. However, I also love how Denise created a more tranquil scene merely by changing the color of the umbrella, which nicely complements the details in her dress.
To Michael's point about cloning out the beam, I think I prefer the beam in the image. It almost provides a bit of a framing for the model. Posted: 05/15/2023 12:41:56
This image is lovely as is, but your processing raises it several levels. The model is exotic, and the red umbrella adds to the mood. You did some very nice retouching of bright areas in the background as well as the mole on near the model's shoulder. The rain is subtle but adds another dimension. Well done. The post? It provides support fo the ivy. Without it, the ivy would be kind of suspended in air. Posted: 05/27/2023 13:25:09
Hi Carol - this is a beautiful portrait and I love your processing. I think the colour of the umbrella depends on the look and feel you want. The beam does in some ways look out of place, but as Jodi says it frames the model. It also gives support to the intriguing path to the left. Posted: 05/31/2023 05:12:56