PP help please: A while back I asked about any experience with Model Mayhem. I received several replies, and I thank you. I met a young lady and we did an outside shoot in the desert...

buckwheat Loc: Clarkdale, AZ and Belen NM

A while back I asked about any experience with Model Mayhem. I received several replies, and I thank you. I met a young lady and we did an outside shoot in the desert, and you can see my problem. I did not have an assistant, I did not have reflectors, and I did not use fill flash. Now that we know the original mistakes I made, does anyone have any post processing suggestions to alter the highlight/shadow that makes her nose look like Jimmy Durante's. Yes she has a big nose, but I didn't really have to magnify it.
I'm storing original, and all you PP masters can have a go at it. (And Captain C, since this was just for fun and at no cost, I can trash the photo, but can it be saved?"

PalePictures Loc: Traveling

Rule #1.
Never do a shoot in the desert on a sunny day.
Unless you have an assistant that can provide shade.
A diffuser is more important than a reflector.
You can pull off a shot like this late in the day or early in the morning. (In that case you could use a reflector)

When light becomes spotty across a face it's very hard to deal with. It's possible.. Just not easy.

This photo is lit really badly. You may be able to improve it some.
It is what it is.... A memory.

gdwsr Loc: Northern California

I just learned some new techniques with Elements yesterday I want to try on this. What software are you using?

buckwheat Loc: Clarkdale, AZ and Belen NM

gdwsr wrote:

I just learned some new techniques with Elements yesterday I want to try on this. What software are you using?

Photoshop CS5. Give it your best shot

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Russ is right. The amount of work needed to make this passable is just not worth it.

It is really kind of funny - you did not have an assistant, a reflector/diffuser, fill flash, you were in the desert in the sun, and....

Ephemeros Loc: Pennsylvania

a quikie attempt: in an editing software, added a emplty layer witha blend mode of over lay
Using a soft brush with white at @70% opacity brushed over the shaded portions of the face

breider28

Hi, you can help the photo in Photoshop or any software program by doing a little touch up and opening up of the shadows and getting rid of the loose hairs. I did a 5 minute touch up.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

Like I said - not repairable. Ever hear the term, "lipstick on a pig?"

The two "fixes" show no discernible improvement and have cost the posters minutes of their lives never to be recovered. :-)

Suck it up, throw it away, learn the lesson, move on.

buckwheat Loc: Clarkdale, AZ and Belen NM

CaptainC wrote:

Russ is right. The amount of work needed to make this passable is just not worth it.

It is really kind of funny - you did not have an assistant, a reflector/diffuser, fill flash, you were in the desert in the sun, and....

You're right, which is why I outlined all of the wrong things that I did. I suspected that there was no hope, as I do have some experience in photoshop. But as I said, nothing was lost. She might think that she lost four hours out of her life, but to an old man like myself, It was a good experience. She was pleasant, and articulate. Sort of reflects on her Seventh Day Adventist upbringing.

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

buckwheat wrote:

You're right, which is why I outlined all of the wrong things that I did. I suspected that there was no hope, as I do have some experience in photoshop. But as I said, nothing was lost. She might think that she lost four hours out of her life, but to an old man like myself, It was a good experience. She was pleasant, and articulate. Sort of reflects on her Seventh Day Adventist upbringing.

Great - not a total loss: you learned something and had fun. That is the definition of a partially successful session. Fully successful is learning something, having fun, AND getting great images. So you had 2 out of 3. You only need to work on one!

buckwheat Loc: Clarkdale, AZ and Belen NM

CaptainC wrote:

Great - not a total loss: you learned something and had fun. That is the definition of a partially successful session. Fully successful is learning something, having fun, AND getting great images. So you had 2 out of 3. You only need to work on one!

And that is the one I've been working off and on for fifty years. Thank ya'll for being here.
And since I will never see her again, I won't make the lipstick remark to her!
(laughing)

CaptainC Loc: Colorado, south of Denver

buckwheat wrote:

And that is the one I've been working off and on for fifty years. Thank ya'll for being here.
And since I will never see her again, I won't make the lipstick remark to her!
(laughing)

OK - let's be clear - the "lipstick on a pig" saying refers to the image, not the subject IN the image!!!!

buckwheat Loc: Clarkdale, AZ and Belen NM

CaptainC wrote:

OK - let's be clear - the "lipstick on a pig" saying refers to the image, not the subject IN the image!!!!

All rightie! I can go far with that knowlege!

roadking11 Loc: New Martinsville, WV

buckwheat wrote:

A while back I asked about any experience with Mod... (show quote)

I believe from your post that you are mostly wanting to decrease the size of the nose. I have Portrait Professional and it gives you that ability. I have increased the size of the eyes and decreased the size of the nose and balanced the highlights and shadows a little. I can not do anything about not have a defusing screen but the photo does look a little better.

grubnide Loc: Sydney

buckwheat wrote:

A while back I asked about any experience with Mod... (show quote)

Hope this helps a little.Mark