need help asap fixing this photo: I took the attached photo while at a friends house yesterday. it was a spur of the moment shot because I just lifted my camera (w 70-200) and took it.

cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos

I took the attached photo while at a friends house yesterday. it was a spur of the moment shot because I just lifted my camera (w 70-200) and took it. Well....turns out she loves it (i do not, not sharp, shadows, etc)....and she wants to use it as a christmas card photo, but wants it 4x6 and in B&W. I am NOT good at editing photos and I am hoping someone here can quickly help me. Here is the JPG right from the camera.

She also wanted their faces to take up as much as the picture as possible. Any and all help would be greatly appreciated!!

Chuck_893 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

cosmo54 wrote:

I took the attached photo while at a friends house... (show quote)

Others with far more skill than I will undoubtedly do more, but I'm kindofa less-is-more kinda guy, so here are two I did. Background straightened, a little levels and cutting some contrast, color cooled a little, some catchlights added here and there, NO sharpening, very little done to knock down highlights.

This one with a more radical through-the-head crop

B&W, but I don't recommend it.

dooragdragon Loc: Alma , Arkansas

Not good at this but is this something along the lines you wanted

cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos

Chuck_893 wrote:

Others with far more skill than I will undoubtedly do more, but I'm kindofa less-is-more kinda guy, so here are two I did. Background straightened, color cooled a little, some catchlights added here and there, NO sharpening, very little done to knock down highlights.

Thanks Chuck_893. it does look better. she definitely wants B&W and I didn't like it either. The noses just jump out at you.

but I do appreciate your effort

cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos

dooragdragon wrote:

Not good at this but is this something along the lines you wanted

thanks dooradragon. I think I may have to tell her that I need to do it over. B&W REALLY lights up the noses. LOL

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

Not much I can do for the blurred faces, but I think this is a fairly well-balanced shot of your children. I understand the request to fill as much of the frame as you can with their faces, but a good photograph needs to leave enough room to make it seem like they are in a natural setting. I had to tone down the hot spots the light created on their noses and the younger children's foreheads, brightened the oldest boy's teeth, darkened the wall to the left, and brightened up the wall to the right ever so slightly.

Chuck, I also got rid of a dark wedge of black under the older boys elbow in the lower right hand corner.

You definitely need to view this in Download mode as Brochure mode makes it look too dark.

Variation on Family Photo

dooragdragon Loc: Alma , Arkansas

cosmo54 wrote:

thanks dooradragon. I think I may have to tell her that I need to do it over. B&W REALLY lights up the noses. LOL

Seems to be quite a bit of light on the left side to me .

Chuck_893 Loc: Lincoln, Nebraska, USA

cosmo54 wrote:

...I think I may have to tell her that I need to do it over. B&W REALLY lights up the noses. LOL

I can see what she loves. Despite all the technical issues, the picture is totally natural! Her three kids, all looking loving, heads close together, natural smiles If you tried a do-over you would, honestly, have only about a 5% chance of duplicating this. She knows it, which is why she loves it just like it is. Just ask her to leave your credit off. :lol: :lol: :lol:

cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos

Chuck_893 wrote:

I can see what she loves. Despite all the technical issues, the picture is totally natural! Her three kids, all looking loving, heads close together, natural smiles If you tried a do-over you would, honestly, have only about a 5% chance of duplicating this. She knows it, which is why she loves it just like it is. Just ask her to leave your credit off. :lol: :lol: :lol:

OMG! that was exactly what I was thinking. She wanted me to try more, but as you can imagine, they only "posed" then. I'm going to send it to her and see what she says. Its not like I'm a professional and trying to get $$ for this.

dooragdragon Loc: Alma , Arkansas

Looks like Bob wins this one hands down.
Very nice rework of the photo, all I did was a basic crop and convert to B&W to see if that was what they were looking for, no expert here on post processing .
Pete

cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos

dooragdragon wrote:

Looks like Bob wins this one hands down.
Very nice rework of the photo, all I did was a basic crop and convert to B&W to see if that was what they were looking for, no expert here on post processing .
Pete

Pete, I appreciate everyone's help! someday I'll learn how to do the processing....or not. :-D

cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos

You definitely need to view this in Download mode as Brochure mode makes it look too dark.[/quote]

Thank you sooooo much! this looks a lot better and I think she will like it.

I knew my friends at the hog would make this work. :-D

cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos

Bob, the hot spots on the noses were what I was most concerned about. Can you give me a hint on how you toned it down?

I managed to tone down the entire thing but of course that didn't help.

cosmo54 Loc: Easton, PA but will travel for photos

She liked Bob's version....now she wants to get rid of the frames and stairs....LOL

snails_pace Loc: Utah

My best try for now.