NON Square Cropped Portraits - (nSCP's) - Archive

[Alis]

There was no way I could sharpen this one!



Any suggestions to make it better before I print it?

Thanks.

[Antonio Correia]

It may happen that it is not sharp at all ...

May be you have blurred the picture because he was in movement, may be he was out of focus at that precise moment, may be you moved your finger and camera at the same time just a bit ...

It happens to everyone

Colin: what do you say ?

[crisscross]

Ali - do you know FocusMagic plug-in (10 goes free)? If you can isolate parts of the image blurred by movement onto a layer (or even layers if there are movements in different directions, say left hand and ball), the 'Fix Motion Blur' may improve things considerably. The 'Fix out of focus blur' is IMO no better than USM (except on eg small flowers), but worth a try after fixing the blur. NB I use PSE which only gives a Preview, so save PSD so you can go back with different values if necessary but don't lose the masking.

(BTW for the sharp eyed, this one thing I DO use PSE for, after adjusting NEF/RAW bit, save as .tif, do FM then return to NX2 for unsharp and final tweaks.)

[Alis]

Ali - do you know FocusMagic plug-in (10 goes free)? If you can isolate parts of the image blurred by movement onto a layer (or even layers if there are movements in different directions, say left hand and ball), the 'Fix Motion Blur' may improve things considerably. The 'Fix out of focus blur' is IMO no better than USM (except on eg small flowers), but worth a try after fixing the blur. NB I use PSE which only gives a Preview, so save PSD so you can go back with different values if necessary but don't lose the masking.

(BTW for the sharp eyed, this one thing I DO use PSE for, after adjusting NEF/RAW bit, save as .tif, do FM then return to NX2 for unsharp and final tweaks.)

Thanks Criss, I tried to install the plug in but I use Vista 64bit version and the compatible version of the plug in has not been released yet.

Here is another one taken with less motion blur:

[Antonio Correia]

Another great shot Ali.
You can go and get your tripod now.

[Alis]

Another great shot Ali.
You can go and get your tripod now.

Thanks again, Antonio! Then I guess I have to think about getting some landscape pictures which means I have to get up early on weekends...

[Antonio Correia]

EXIF

[Antonio Correia]

EXIF

[Alis]

I tried to fix the bright area over the head but did like the result:




Any comments?

[Colin Southern]

I tried to fix the bright area over the head but did like the result

Hi Ali,

Did you mean "did like the result" or "didn't like the result"?

[Antonio Correia]

Hello Ali

The bright areas above the head are a minus. The overall picture is very good and pleasant. the colors, the bokeh, the choice of the lens, the shallow DOF, just to name a few.

May be you could crop more to the bottom of the picture to include the hand.
It is important in the composition as there is a little bit too much above the head of the model.
I don't know exactly... You should try. May be it doesn't work because the other hand would be cut, then ...

Are you focusing with the center point ? I can almost guess that you are doing so ...

Good work.

Keep posting here whenever you wish. Thank you.

[Alis]

Hi Ali,

Did you mean "did like the result" or "didn't like the result"?

You are right, Colin. I meant to say "didn't like". May be I am moving those sliders too much but even with smallest change I get a dark area that is completely different from the adjacent areas and I can't then hide it. How do you guys do it to make it subtle?

[Alis]

Hello Ali

The bright areas above the head are a minus. The overall picture is very good and pleasant. the colors, the bokeh, the choice of the lens, the shallow DOF, just to name a few.

May be you could crop more to the bottom of the picture to include the hand.
It is important in the composition as there is a little bit too much above the head of the model.
I don't know exactly... You should try. May be it doesn't work because the other hand would be cut, then ...

Are you focusing with the center point ? I can almost guess that you are doing so ...

Good work.

Keep posting here whenever you wish. Thank you.

Thanks, Aontonio. It is pleasant because I used a very pleasant model

I agree with you about the cropping. I make this mistake a lot here, I crop them to usual aspect ratios for printing and then post the same picture here and forget to cut them more professionally. But point taken.

But about the bright area, this was done on Av. Why do you think the camera did not adjust for that bright area? Is it because it was on the evaluative and this area is very small so it makes a mistake in metering? I use all focus points but for exposure now that you asked I have to go and check the setting. Not sure how it is set up. Very likely that that is the problem.

[Antonio Correia]

Thanks, Antonio... But about the bright area, this was done on Av. Why do you think the camera did not adjust for that bright area? Is it because it was on the evaluative and this area is very small so it makes a mistake in metering? I use all focus points but for exposure now that you asked I have to go and check the setting. Not sure how it is set up. Very likely that that is the problem.

Sorry but I called you Ali instead of Alis

I think this problem happens quite often. To me that is.

I always use evaluative method for light measuring and - too often - I chimp or look to the on camera screen and cheque for the histogram but more to the blinking areas which I try to avoid.
But I have seen that sometimes they blink in the camera but they don't blink in LR. Or at least there is not very exact.
Huuummm... I must check this with care and see what I can get.

When I have them I try to "disguise" them with the software.
I told you about the central point because this is what I usually do.

And what happened to you happens to me quite often.

[Antonio Correia]

EXIF

[Alis]

I thought I have to crop it this way to show where he was eating from but I think it makes the picture too crowded:

[Antonio Correia]

Alis, compare this so good work with the one you were doing before.

Very nice picture. Crowded yes, but very nice.

Thank you for posting !

[Alis]

Alis, compare this so good work with the one you were doing before.

Very nice picture. Crowded yes, but very nice.

Thank you for posting !

Thanks a lot, Antonio. I assume you are referring to the previous portrait I posted here on this thread.

[Antonio Correia]

Thanks a lot, Antonio. I assume you are referring to the previous portrait I posted here on this thread.

I was remembering one picture of your sun's birthday you post long ago...

[Doughboy]

Here is one I took at the Grooms house of a wedding I was attending. Spur of the moment type deal. Sorry no EXIF data