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Wife and Daughter

doug anderson

New member
380309433_dtAZf-L.jpg


Julie and Zofi

380328135_hqjcy-L.jpg


And this one:
380308500_LjG6A-L.jpg
 

Charlotte Thompson

Well-known member
Doug

really nice character shots-
what was so moving for me was the mother/wife
the knowing look a mature woman has- beautiful-now that's the capture!

Charlotte-
 

Kathy Rappaport

pro member
Emotion

There is some lovely emotion in this group. Not only the hands, but the impish personality of your daughter shows as well as the love she has for her mother - at least in the moment. Your wife has a look that she's not the most comfortable, maybe a bit annoyed, but yet not angry - and yet regal at the same time.

Very nice.
 

doug anderson

New member
Hi, Doug,



Your wife's eyes, or more properly, her gaze, sends an amazing message of compassion, wisdom, and awareness. And she has evidently passed on this capability!

Best regards,

Doug

Thanks, Doug. It's a good sign to me that people are responding to what's going in in the faces. Makes me think I did something right.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Doug,

This is enjoyable. The pictures show a special relationship between mother and daughter. Kathy used the word, "impish" to describe your daughters look toward her mother and that's so apt.

Asher

P.S. I sent to a PM!
 

doug anderson

New member
Hi Doug,

This is enjoyable. The pictures show a special relationship between mother and daughter. Kathy used the word, "impish" to describe your daughters look toward her mother and that's so apt.

Asher

P.S. I sent to a PM!

Hey, Asher: I got your PM and answered. Thanks for the b & w version, which you are welcome to post..

D
 

doug anderson

New member
Hi Doug,

I've been up to no good looking at your wonderful wife and charming daughter.

380309433_dtAZf-L.jpg


© 2008 Doug Anderson "Mother and Daughter" Edited in B&W with permission below

I had reservations about the background which to me seemed cluttered and also the need for color. I find that the B&W version brings the two of them closer. Colors that are unnatural allow us to focus on superficialities, such as impressive clothes or splashes of accent color. Here, where the two characters relate to one another on a socially committed and cognitive level, color is not needed to bring out their beautiful bonding, cherishing and respect for each other. That's where BW often does a better and purer job.

So here's my result.

380309433BW.jpg

© 2008 Doug Anderson "Mother and Daughter" 2008​

Thanks for sharing these meaningful and touching pictures!

Asher

Thanks, Asher. How did you mute the background?
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

Hi Doug,

I've been up to no good looking at your wonderful wife and charming daughter.
I had reservations about the background which to me seemed cluttered and also the need for color. I find that the B&W version brings the two of them closer. Colors that are unnatural allow us to focus on superficialities, such as impressive clothes or splashes of accent color. Here, where the two characters relate to one another on a socially committed and cognitive level, color is not needed to bring out their beautiful bonding, cherishing and respect for each other. That's where BW often does a better and purer job.

So here's my result.

Not worth the effort, in my opinion. It does not seem to benefit from the B/W conversion.

I'm afraid that just because we once had our socks knocked off by a beautiful B/W shot of a steam locomotive or a frame from "the Third Man", not every shot can be enhanced by retrograde conversion.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Thanks, Asher. How did you mute the background?
Hi Doug,

You didn't say anything about your feelings and thoughts in looking at your loved ones in this way?

Duplicate the background layer so you have 3 copies altogether. Switch off the top layer. Blur the middle layer using Gaussian blur. Then one can pull back on the contribution of this layer by reducing the opacity to the minimum. I chose about 30%, I believe. (I always use less of an effect than I thought was originally needed!)

Now switch on the top layer of your picture. Use the pen tool or magnetic lasso tool to follow the outer edge of the two figures. For simplicity here, I used the magnetic lasso tool. Whenever you need to add to the selection, hold down the "Shift" key as you select with the magnetic lasso. To remove part of the selection use the "Option" key (Mac) or "Alt" key, (PC) when using the magnetic lasso tool.

You should end up with the figures selected, but if by chance you selected the background, then just go to "Select", "Invert" in the top menu bar. Now from the same Select menu, choose Feather and then choose 3 pixels (for this small file, but for a full size image, you might choose 10 pixels) Now use the same Select drop down menu from the top menu bar and choose Save Selection and save the selection as "mother and daughter".

Now copy this selection and paste. Duplicate this layer but switch off the upper layer and sharpen the second layer with Filter-Unsharp Mask. Choose 250% and 0.3 pixels and threshold of 1 or 2.

Now we want sharp eyes and lips as well as eyebrows, hair and jewelry. So switch on the top layer of "Mother and Daughter". Use a small soft eraser brush. You can make the eraser small by using the [ bracket. Every time you hit that [ key, the brush will decrease in size. Conversely, to grow the brush hit ] several times to get the size you want.

Now erase* (the lips etc) in this top layer (which was never sharpened) and that will then reveal the sharpened lips from below!

One can also selectively dodge or burn to enhance features to taste.

Asher

*You can alternatively use a mask for this and paint with black or white to hide or reveal what has been hidden.
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
Hi, Asher,

You didn't say anything about your feelings and thoughts in looking at your loved ones in this way?

Two psychiatrists were walking down the sidewalk while out of town at a psychiatric convention. A fellow attendee was walking along in the other direction, and as he passed, said, "Good day, doctors."

One of the two guys said, "I wonder what he meant by that?"

The other one said, "Well, how do you feel about it?"

Best regards,

Doug
 

doug anderson

New member
Hi Doug,

You didn't say anything about your feelings and thoughts in looking at your loved ones in this way?

Asher, I am warmed by the responses to my wife and daughter, of course. And perceptions by others that are different and similar to my own. Also, the comments have made me think a lot about what makes an appealing photograph. The photo is "raw" in more ways that the digital expression describes. I consider my photographic abilities to still be "raw," technically, but also intuitive regarding what and when to shoot.

Thanks for the stuff about the background. I don't think about background enough, perhaps because I shoot for moments and not backgrounds. HCB did both. He would go out and find a place that made for a good "set," one that offered architecture or nature with evocative angles and light. Then he would wait for someone to walk into it. I need to do more of that kind of shooting.
 
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