Photo Discussion
Category: Friendly Praise Archive

To discuss a photo, sign up as a BetterPhoto member or log in.

 

For the Soul


 
BetterPhoto.com Photo Contest Finalist   For the Soul
For the Soul
Finalist
This was taken on a living history weekend at Fort Atkinson, Nebraska.
Resubmitted January 27, 2013
Category: People

Nikki McDonald

 
 
 

Marcie A. Fowler
 

What a wonderfully done portrait Nikki. Excellent comp and pose. I really like the treatment of the image as well.


To love this question, log in above
0
June 25, 2011

 

Monnie Ryan
  Fabulous portrait, Nikki - and as a big bluegrass fan, I do love a banjo!


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 25, 2011

 
- Melinda F. Schneider

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Melinda F. Schneider
Melinda F. Schneider's Gallery
  I love this portrait; and I bet he will, too!


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 25, 2011

 

Datha Y. Thompson
  WOW!! Wonderful portrait work and I LOVE the treatment/title is perfect Nikki :)


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 25, 2011

 

Joy Rector
  beautiful shot


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 25, 2011

 

Katarina Mansson
  Excellent and beautiful portrait!


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 26, 2011

 

Michelle Alton
  Superb candid portraiture, Nikki. Love the lighting and muted color.


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 26, 2011

 

Karen Celella
  Fabulous portrait, Nikki. I'm sure he loved this one!


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 26, 2011

 
- Mitch Spence

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Mitch Spence
Mitch Spence's Gallery
  Right in close, so we can listen to the banjo. The framing is dynamic and makes it all feel even more immediate.


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 26, 2011

 
chrisbudny.com - Chris Budny

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Chris Budny
Chris Budny's Gallery
  Very nicely done! I like the editing choices you made, for color & edging.


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 26, 2011

 

Kathy Coombs
  That is awesome..how did you edit that? Really like it.


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 27, 2011

 
- Ken Smith

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Ken Smith
Ken Smith's Gallery
  I like your crop on this, Nikki. You got some great shots from this reenactment. Excellent all around!


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 28, 2011

 
- Heather Loewenhardt

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Heather Loewenhardt
Heather Loewenhardt's Gallery
  Fabulous angle and composition. The texture is amazing!


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 29, 2011

 

Martin Cregg
  Nikki - I love what you have done to this picture. Mind me asking what filter you used? Martin


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 29, 2011

 
- Nikki McDonald

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Nikki McDonald
Nikki McDonald's Gallery
  Thank you, everyone, for liking both the image and the effects. I edited last fall and I don't take notes, so it's hard to remember. I did take the image on the angle like this so there's no cropping involved. The lighting was natural. I don't still have the RAW file but I do have two previous tiffs and the first one should be right after the conversion from RAW -- I do very little there. I am sure I ran it through a couple of filters in Topaz Adjust. My favorites (and what I probably used here) are Exposure correction and Photo Pop. I might have tuned back the Pop on his face -- I often do that as I don't like too strong a look there. The other possibility is Clarity instead of Pop but if I used that, I would for sure have removed most of the effect from the face. Or maybe I combined Pop and Clarity, using Pop on his face and Clarity on the rest. At any rate, I always just experiment to find the right balance for different parts of the image. To "erase" I always apply each effect on a separate layer so I can reduce the opacity of that layer and/or apply a layer mask and take the effect off partially or completely that way. It looks as if I also reduced the saturation a bit -- probably about 25 percent. And I applied a texture, again lightly and reducing it a lot on the face and arms but leaving it most in the corners and around the edges. Can't say what texture but it definitely warmed up the image. Hope this helps -- thanks for liking it well enough to ask specifically, Martin and Kathy.


To love this comment, log in above
0
June 29, 2011

 

Steve M. Harrington
  I like the nostalgic feel you created here, Nikki!
Steve


To love this comment, log in above
0
July 03, 2011

 
- Lindley Johnson

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Lindley Johnson
Lindley Johnson's Gallery
  This is terrific, Nikki! Love the diagonal and tones. The information on the processing is so helpful - thanks!


To love this comment, log in above
0
January 28, 2013

 
- Stefania Barbier

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Stefania Barbier
Stefania Barbier's Gallery
  great tilted capture Nikki... congratulations!!!


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 25, 2013

 
- Pat Abbott

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Pat Abbott
Pat Abbott's Gallery
  Love the texture, nice portrait! Congrats on your finalist!


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 25, 2013

 

Julianne Bradford
  Wonderful work Nikki! Congrats on all your marvelous finalists!


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 25, 2013

 
chrisbudny.com - Chris Budny

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Chris Budny
Chris Budny's Gallery
  Terrific month of great Finalists; congratulations once more, Nikki!


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 25, 2013

 

Martin Cregg
  I loved this the first time I saw it, Nikki. Still do :) Congratulations.


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 25, 2013

 

Nadia Paul
  Congratulations on another well deserved finalist Nikki!


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 26, 2013

 
- Lucy Abrao

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Lucy Abrao
Lucy Abrao's Gallery
  Fabulous portrait, Nikki. I can almost hear that banjo. Congratulations on another finalist.
Lucy


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 26, 2013

 
- Carol Quina

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Carol Quina
Carol Quina's Gallery
  Another terrific finalist! Congratulations!


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 26, 2013

 
- Leslie McLain

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Leslie McLain
Leslie McLain's Gallery
  Congrats on a terrific finalist, Nikki.


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 26, 2013

 
- Marilyn K. Lincecum

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Marilyn K. Lincecum
Marilyn K. Lincecum's Gallery
  Wonderful portrait...Congratulations on a well deserved finalist.


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 26, 2013

 

Rolando Rosito
  Congratulations Nikki, love the yellows and greens on this finalist!


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 26, 2013

 
- Patrick Rouzes

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Patrick Rouzes
Patrick Rouzes's Gallery
  Incredible, Nikki! CONGRATS & good luck on ALL your finalists, my friend!


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 26, 2013

 

JO ANN CLEVELAND
  Wowwww....Absolutely beautiful! Congratulations on you awesome finalist Nikk8i! YOU ARE ON A ROLL GIRL!

jo ann c.


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 26, 2013

 
- Larry A. Cameron

Contact Larry A. Cameron
Larry A. Cameron's Gallery
  You take great protraits.


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 27, 2013

 
- Mary Beth Aiello

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Mary Beth Aiello
Mary Beth Aiello's Gallery
  This is a very cool portrait, Nikki. So well captured. Another huge congrats. You're on a roll. Keep it up.


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 27, 2013

 

Bill Johnson
  Nikki, Beautiful finalist. Very well done. Good luck.


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 27, 2013

 

Maria Coulson
  Nikki, excellent treatment, POV, light. Congratulations!


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 28, 2013

 
- Lindley Johnson

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Lindley Johnson
Lindley Johnson's Gallery
  I absolutely love this image, Nikki, congratulations on your well-deserved finalist.


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 28, 2013

 

Terry A. Stoa
  Great image, Nikki. Congratulations on its selection as Finalist.

Shooting it at a diagonal worked out great - I was thinking you'd cropped it that way until I read your outline above.


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 28, 2013

 
- Heather Loewenhardt

BetterPhoto Member
Contact Heather Loewenhardt
Heather Loewenhardt's Gallery
  Great angle Nikki. Congrats once again on your finalist award.


To love this comment, log in above
0
February 28, 2013

 

Merna L. Nobile
 

What a great way to start a new year! Your award winning photographs go from Editor’s Pick to Finalist and hopefully to Gold.
CONGRATULATIONS for the month of January, 2013!


To love this comment, log in above
0
March 22, 2013

 
Log in or sign up to respond or interact.