editing lady valentine

I promised a step-by-step on the making of lady valentine, but that turned out to be a "long story" on this blog. However, here is a quick summary..




This is the raw file, the original as originally exposed. I used two lamps in a very small hotel room, and I could wish for either a) a larger background, or b) more photoshop skills...



I only realized it later, but croping it square and mirroring this, was a much better option. So after the initial adjustments on the raw file (skin color, overall color, contrasts), and mirroring, as well as general clean-up, I was left with this. Cropped and added more background.



The next challenge was making the background as even as possible, both regarding light and color. Using curves, I gradually painted the areas necessary. Also, adjustments in color on the roses and skin was essential.



Close to finished, I wanted a smoother look in the skin and colors. I applied a skin softing technique and the final result came out like this.