Fix-it-Friday

Today I’m jumping back on the “fix-it” bandwagon. I want to do this each week just to get stronger in my editing skills. I think this weeks photo is SO cool! As I’m looking at Senior Portrait season in our area right now, this pic just screams “High School Guy!” ya know? What a great idea, and a good capture! Unfortunately as the photographer admits the lighting was going going by the time they took this shot, so it turned out a bit dark. Here’s the original.
Fix-It Friday #83

Working with less than ideal lighting is what photographers HAVE to do. That’s why it’s so vital to be a good editor as well. This is a fantastic shot, but it’s not a “stellar” senior portrait type shot as is.

What I did with the first edit, and believe me I’m having way too much fun with the new things in Aperture 3, is I bumped up the brightness, a lot! Then boosted the contrast as well to even it out. I toggled the vibrancy a tad to bring out those awesome Fall colors and then added a vignette to really draw the focus to the jumper.
Fix-it-Friday

On my second attempt I used a muted sepia tone that is one of Apertures presets. Then I used a contrast “brush” on the jumper to really bring him out. I like the way the background is muted and he is obviously the main thing.
Fix-it-Friday 2

Take 3. First thing is obviously that I flipped it. It’s amazing what just flipping an image can do for the perspective. I kind of wish I had left the scenery in so you could see the change better. But I cropped it so you just get the flying figure. I used the contrast brush again and a little bit of the dodge brush as well. Oh, and I had stamped it with the same color adjustments as the first one.
Flip

There ya have it. You can check out more edits by clicking on the button below.

R

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