Portraits

 Edit: Butterfly lighting. Resharpen. White Balance.

Original: Butterfly lighting, secondary light on backdrop, and vellum to bounce color of the left side.

 Original: Strong split lighting.

Edit: Color balance, sharpen, slight saturation of skin and lips.

Lenscratch 2013 Portrait Exhibition

Melissa Anderson, Contaminated Water

The lighting in this image is cast down from above, creating high contrast and long shadows. The image is tightly cropped which makes the central focus in the details from the eyebrows and the nose. The dark, desaturated colors add to the grimy expression as reflected in the title. This image is successful because the lighting and shadows add to the dark message of the photographer. The expression is beaten, dirty, tired. 

Gritty/Ghostly

Gritty

Original:

Edit: Increase vibrance and exposure. Sharpen. Spot removal. 

Gloomy

Original:

 Edited

Desaturate background and most of face. Saturate around eye. Blur and clone areas