Please critique my photoshopped family portrait.

[sasscuba]

I think it looks good, but it has a somewhat unnatural colorized/retouched look. I agree with Alcina, that it might look better monochrome, either B&W or Sepia.
Given what you started with, you did a great job.

Thanks, going to give color my best shot as it is what the family would like to have.

 

[sasscuba]

Updated pic. Treated the eyes, teeth and added some noise overall.

 

[fairybasslet]

You did a great job. The only thing I can see is that the line separating the hair from the face on the dark haired boy looks a little unnatural

 

[NancyLynn]

Excellent job.

A couple of suggestions: You may want to use a feather along the hairlines of the children when you select them to work on. Part of the reaction to the hair on the children is the sharp hairlines. I also agree that the older child's hair is unnaturally black - if you compare it to the father's jacket in the original photo, it is a lighter shade (which you can confirm by using a magic wand selection on the hair - virtually none of the jacket is selected in the same click). The younger child's hair is a tad green on my monitor.

 

[sasscuba]

Tweeked it some more and fixed the hairline on the black hair, and lightened it some and color corrected the light hazel eyes on 2 pics. I think I am about done. Family really likes it unless there is something someone still sees that we don't. Blown up to 11x14 it looks alot better. All hair color has been family verified as correct. Thanks for the help and anymore is appreciated.

 

[RJP]

Tweeked it some more and fixed the hairline on the black hair, and lightened it some and color corrected the light hazel eyes on 2 pics. I think I am about done. Family really likes it unless there is something someone still sees that we don't.

Nice job!

 

[clgsamson]

show the family a monochrome version of the pic (and here please), they might like it.

 

[sasscuba]

show the family a monochrome version of the pic (and here please), they might like it.

The whole point of me photoshopping the picture was to bring it back to the way they remembered it 36 years ago. This holds sentimental value and it is the last remaining family portrait from that time. It was never black and white and it will be reprinted in color.

 

[NancyLynn]

I think I am about done. Family really likes it unless there is something someone still sees that we don't.

I played with it a bit with the older child - adding a bit of color to the lips helps give a little more life to the faces. I also played with the hair color. Most black hair is actually a bit red - very few are true black.

Here's what i got:

Now, the really good news - in the process of playing with your photo, I discovered Paint Shop Pro XI didn't wipe out all of my favorite tools (from PSP 8). They hid them in a customization feature in a category labeled "unused commands." I can't get them quite back where they belong, but at least I still have them without having to switch back and forth between 8 and XI!

 

[sasscuba]

I played with it a bit with the older child - adding a bit of color to the lips helps give a little more life to the faces. I also played with the hair color. Most black hair is actually a bit red - very few are true black.

Here's what i got:

Now, the really good news - in the process of playing with your photo, I discovered Paint Shop Pro XI didn't wipe out all of my favorite tools (from PSP 8). They hid them in a customization feature in a category labeled "unused commands." I can't get them quite back where they belong, but at least I still have them without having to switch back and forth between 8 and XI!

Looks good but my hair as a kid was jet black.