Sunday, December 28, 2008

Happy Birthday Kirby!

Last week while we were celebrating Christmas at my in-laws house we also celebrated my niece's birthday.

Title: "Happy Birthday Kirby"


Camera / Lens: Canon 40D / Lens 17-55mm f/2.8 zoom
Post-processing: Photoshop CS3 > Duplicate Background Layer > Topaz Adjust plugin "Portrait Drama" preset > Curves Adjustment Layer to improve overall contrast > Levels Adjustment Layer to set Black and White points > Merge Visible to New Layer > Red Paw Media Beautifier plugin with default settings > Merge Visible to New Layer > Blur Motion Blur Radial with mask using a circular gradient mask to remove the blur from the main subject

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

This is great! The radial blur adds a lot of interest. You caught a nice moment and made it even more interesting. What is that bright white streak on the right, maybe a card on another present? Can you clone it out? It is a little distracting to me, it takes away from her face. Or maybe do a Craig Tanner and select the left side and flip it so it is more symmetrical. Also, can you open up the shadows under her eyes? Maybe dodge there, or use a levels adjustment and mask off the rest.

Cindi

Larry said...

I like the image as is. I see Cindi's point but I like the added perspective that the card provides and the texture and light the ribbon adds. To me it makes the shot even more mysterious. Who'll be the tie-breaker here?

Barry Armer said...

Thanks for your comments Cindi and Larry!

I used Nik Viveza to remove the shadows from under the eyes as best I could and replaced the image with the new version. It's a poor substitute for putting my flash in the proper position when I took the shot but it is an improvement.

I kind of like the confusion in the lower right corner so I left that. It distracts from the subject but also kind of leads you to it doesn't it?

Thanks again for your comments!

Barry

Inga Jankauskaitė said...

super great photo!!!

Barry Armer said...

Thank you Inga!

Anonymous said...

That's really cool! I don't know a lot about photography but I like the blur. And the card brings a foreground piece to it that draws you in and reminds you of the scene- birthday party and presents. I love how you captured my moment!

Kirby :)

Barry Armer said...

Hello Kirby!

I'm glad you like it! Your opinion, since you are the subject of the photo, is the most valuable opinion of all!

Thanks for visiting my blog also!

Cheers!
Barry