Woman's age old Conundrum....for c&c please

[ucci]

The eternal question which has plagued women from time immemorial......
"Does my bum look big in this?"

The second shot is the original with very minimal sharpening only ( just couldn't help myself. Just had to, by force of habit!). The First shot is the result of much stronger sharpening and cropping. I somehow think that over processing, particularly too much sharpening, has killed the concept of a gentle scene with Bruno looking 'big' against, but melding into, his surroundings.
One message I have picked up from my reading seems to be, "of good, better, best, lots of sharpening is always best..' However is there a place for a softer approach, as in #2? Or have I lost the plot on this one? Grateful for any advice on this based on these two posts please.
Taken with a Finepix S8100 on automatic setting... Was out splitting some firewood wood at the time and I tend not to take my good camera out on such expeditions which involves riding the ATV over some pretty rough and rocky terrain. Already sent one expensive camera to Camera Heaven doing this!
ucci

[Harpo]

The second picture definitely looks softer- in a more pleasing way... The grass in #1 feels more sharp and prickly, thus conveys the same feeling in the pic. I guess #2 feels less harsh?

[ucci]

The second picture definitely looks softer- in a more pleasing way... The grass in #1 feels more sharp and prickly, thus conveys the same feeling in the pic. I guess #2 feels less harsh?

Thanks for taking the time to comment Mike. I appreciate it. The 'softeness' was the concept I was after but I was unsure that #2 may have been too soft.
K

[Donald]

Ken

Personally I feel that a soft image looks just that - soft and unfinished. That doesn't mean that there shouldn't be soft bits in it or that sharpening in some areas cannot be less or even much less, than in other area.

So, what I'm referring to is selective sharpening. Sharpening different areas to different levels or intensities using, in my case with GIMP, layer masks (don't know if there are other ways to do it with Photoshop et al).

I don't think I'd ever want to go with soremthing 'out-of-camera' that had no sharpening applied. I think there will always be some part of the image that needs sharpening applied.

But, as you suggest, going too far is as bad, often worse, than not doing it.

[Geoff F]

Yes, a bit of Selective Sharpening was my first thought as well.

It is a simple technique that I use in a lot of my wildlife photos.

[rpcrowe]

The eternal question which has plagued women from time immemorial......
"Does my bum look big in this?"

Whatever you answer, you should not say, "No, it doesn't look as big as it usually looks!"

[ucci]

Hi Donald
Thank you for yout helpful advice and comments. I did reply to you earlier but occasionally I have a problem in that my replies don't always seem to post. And often a whole lot of one fiingered, laborious bashing at a keyboard never gets to see the light of day. Which in my case is probably not a bad thing!
Ken

[ucci]

Hi Goeff
Thank you for commenting and advice
ucci

[ucci]

Whatever you answer, you should not say, "No, it doesn't look as big as it usually looks!"