background help

[MamaMonkey]

Hello!  I  have been trying to fix my backdrop with gradients by watching your tutorial (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqAl2NxoBc4) but I keep fudging it up.  Here is my SOOR, and what my image looks like with my gradient...Help please!!  

 

[Damien Symonds]

Gee, is your calibration up to date?  This is quite dark.

[MamaMonkey]

Just calibrated on Monday with a colormunki display.  It did have me turn my monitor brightness down to 20 to get the luminance in the zone (white luminance set to 100).  I followed your instructions, but it's possible I botched it.  I have a dell inspirion laptop tethered to a dell u2412m.  I chose white LED for technology type...

[Damien Symonds]

How was the result?  I mean, does the screen match your pro lab prints accurately?

[MamaMonkey]

Yes it looks good.  I think the print looks more vibrant but it's very close.  You made me paranoid, so I asked my husband how he felt about the test match too.  Do you feel I should up the exposure on this photo?

[Damien Symonds]

No no.  If you're happy with your calibration, and you like how the photo looks, then what I think is irrelevant.

[Damien Symonds]

I'll have a play with the background, and get back to you.  It'll be a little later.

[MamaMonkey]

Sounds good!  Thank you!!

[Damien Symonds]

How about this?

[MamaMonkey]

Amazing!!!  Could the left hand side be lightened a tad?

[Damien Symonds]

Well, the further you move from the existing tones, the more risky it becomes.  More risk of halos when masking, I mean.

How about this?

[Damien Symonds]

Download the PSD

[MamaMonkey]

Excellent!!!!  Thank you so much!!!!!