Two minutes silence

[ABERS]

[Eyeayen]

The portrait is stunning, but I don't like what you've done to the background, sorry

[ABERS]

A large percentage of my pictures end up as prints, and this particular image was 'worked' to print on a textured paper and the original backgound didn't suit it, but by treating it this way it complements the paper.

Thanks for looking and commenting.

[mungo373]

Her left ear looks stretched and warped and looks like its going down her back. The background and work has ruined it. Too much processing for my liking.

[Eyeayen]

Maybe seeing it on the textured paper in a frame on a wall would change it then but I'm afraid I still don't think it would be for me, the background looks like some sort of long water exposure, it's not like it's even a bokeh effect, it looks very computer generated, like from a film or something.

It's your image though and what you've done with it obviously has the effect you wanted for the choice of textured paper you wanted it printed on. I'd quite like to see the before shot if you wouldn't mind sharing it ?

[ABERS]

Don't mind at all. As you can see from the original RAW image the background is obtrusive and detracts from the part of the image that is the focal point, the face.



Sure it's been worked on and printing it on textured paper, Permajet Portrait White, it gives the face a degree of luminosity that stands out from the background that seems to be a bone of contention.

The ear is quite sharp and if you look carefully you will see there is a similar colour behind where her ear is. That's now been attended to!

[Eyeayen]

She does have unusual shaped ears, as commented on by mungo above, but that's how they are.

It's a shame the background wasn't more out of focus and I think I can now see more of why you did what you did, that fluffy jumper and hair would have been a nightmare to try and mask out correctly !

Thanks for letting us see the original.

[pavman]

excellent images but agree with comments ref background in#1 and #2 as you say messy background. Have you tried using layers and blur the 2nd layer and bring back only the areas you want to be sharp?

[ABERS]

I obviously have not achieved what I set out to do with the image as far as some viewrs are concerned.

None of the image is sharp, that's because I softened it in L/room, then with further work in CS, I unrefined the edges around the hat and shoulders. A layer using Blur on the background was then followed by other work to smudge it. It's the smudging that seems to be what arouses an antipathy to it.

I never like reading an explanation of what the photographer is trying to achieve in an image, I think an image should convey pictorially the intention of the photographer, however in this instance, here goes.

Here we have a lady, in a crowd deep in thought. She is surrounded by people to whom she is apparently oblivious. I want to 'lift' her away from the crowd so the viewer concentrates on her, not just physically but to catch that mood of thoughtfulness. The background that I've chosen to use is a swirl, nothing that is immediately recogniseable or translateable, a bit like her thoughts.

However your critcisms are taken on board and appreciated, at least you've had a look.

[Eyeayen]

You felt this would be more appropriate than a completely out of focus background then ?

I can see your point, however if you'd just done the completely out of focus background none of this would probably have been said because I think you would have achieved what you have said above, A woman deep in thought.

However, I've got to give you credit for trying something different and having your own style, at the end of the day it's your photograph and if you're happy with it that's what should really matter