Dark Fall Edits

[nikki_neste]

Hello Damien,  I've been looking all over trying to find a way to edit pictures with the style I'm posting below.  I would greatly appreciate any help you could offer.  Here are three different links to images in which I like the editing style:  http://image12.photobiz.com/7661/33_20150209200721_2363146_large.jpg  

http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54275635e4b096834c4fb9e1/5427611ce4b0c458e6630d1a/542c25e2e4b0fd3938064712/1459782593287/?format=1000w

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Mk6hZ_aJIC4/maxresdefault.jpg

And here is an example of one of my images that I am working with.  I hope I have provided you with enough information for you to help.  Thank you!

[Damien Symonds]

Hi Nikki, we've discussed this heaps of times.  Did you actually read the "READ THIS FIRST" post before posting?

http://ask.damiensymonds.net/topic/107-read-this-first-posting-guidelines-and-download-files/

[nikki_neste]

yes I have and followed multiple different examples that are listed and still cannot achieve the look I am going for.  I have actually done several different pictures using several of the examples that you have listed in the "read this first" post.  I've tried all the examples that are darker and more moodier with still no luck so I thought maybe I was doing something wrong.  Below I am posting two pictures that I did following a couple those examples but it still isn't what I was hoping for.  It's still not looking like the look on any of the pictures I posted links to. 

[Damien Symonds]

5 hours ago, nikki_neste said:

Ok, can we start by discussing this in the Raw Class please?

[nikki_neste]

yes, should i just post the picture there with the same question?

[Damien Symonds]

No, I want to discuss your actual raw edit.

[Damien Symonds]

Now we've got a good SOOR, can you post it here again so we can discuss the style?

[nikki_neste]

Here is the fixed SOOR

[Damien Symonds]

Great.  Now, obviously the next step is the background blur.  It will be MUCH better if you can achieve it in camera in future, but for now, do this then post for me.

[nikki_neste]

Here is the image after following the steps in the link you gave me!

[Damien Symonds]

No, not even close.  The links you gave me have MUCH more blurred backgrounds than that.

Don't skimp on this.  The background blur is crucial to the style.

[nikki_neste]

Ok i'll go back and redo it, I was afraid of going to far with the blur.  Am I at least headed in the right direction?  more blur? and still use the gradient so it's not as blurred at the bottom? 

[Damien Symonds]

Yes, and yes.  But it should be pretty darn blurred at the bottom, all the same.

[nikki_neste]

I added more blur to this image and then used a gradient at the bottom at a low opacity, but I still think it needs to be blurred just a little bit more.  Any suggestion as to why I still see a slight halo especially around her right arm?  I have zoomed in really close and still not sure.  I'm wondering if maybe I should have cloned in just a little bit further.  Thank you for your help and I hope you are enjoying your family holiday!

[Damien Symonds]

The arms and chair and books probably should have been cloned out altogether.  In fact, to be ultra safe, it might have been better to clone the child out altogether.

The radius of the cloning has to be bigger than that of the blur, you see.

[nikki_neste]

Just to make sure I understand, take a section from directly beside her and then clone in towards her,  I went with about a 60 px brush if I remember correctly, should I use a bigger brush and clone in to about the middle of her on both sides but do her arms, books, etc all the way to where you can't really see them?  So it will basically looked like I cloned her with the grass and such from the sides of her?

Edited October 1, 2016 by nikki_neste

[nikki_neste]

[Damien Symonds]

That's excellent, except I think your gradient on the mask when a little too high.  To just above her elbows would have been fine, I think?

[nikki_neste]

Yes I think just above her elbows probably would have been fine, the reason I went higher was because the books are completely in focus so I ran the gradient up to about book level hoping the books didn't become a distraction.  I did the gradient at 50% so it didn't completely make everything in focus and still left some blur.  I will definitely bring the gradient down some.  I think it looks pretty good though, not perfect but not horrible.  In regards to the link it says use your lasso tool and outline your subject, close but not touching, would it have turned out bad if I had used the method from the layers class?  Like take the quick selection tool to create a selection around my subject and then mask it, or is there a reason you can't be too close to the subject with the mask?  Just trying to think of a way that isn't so time consuming or might be an easier way.  Thank you so much for your help thus far, i've went back and looked at each picture and I like the way it has evolved so thank you for your patience

[Damien Symonds]

The Lasso is what I always use for this.  It's fast and effective.

[Damien Symonds]

At this point, may I see a screenshot including your layers panel?

[nikki_neste]

Here is a screenshot, before doing this screenshot I fixed the gradient. 

[Damien Symonds]

Terrific!  So, let's try something simple first.  Add a darkish red Solid Color layer immediately above the Blurred layer, and clip it thereto.  Then play with blend modes (and tweaking the colour of the red).  I found that Soft Light mode looked pretty good.

[nikki_neste]

Here are two different versions, I cannot decide which I like best, the first one is screen mode and the other is soft light.  In the dark one I do see some masking mistakes that need to be fixed mainly by her head though. 

[Damien Symonds]

Gosh, that's nowhere near as red as the sample links you gave me.