The girl and her dogs

The original photo of the girl and her dogs was dull. The client wanted it brightened and the background changed for something better.

I chose a photo I’d taken at Les Jardins des Renaudies, Colombiers-du-Plessis, Mayenne.

I thought that a nice garden scene would brighten things up considerably. Plus, the photo was mine, so could be used without worry.

Cutting the girl and the dogs out of the original picture wasn’t difficult. However, once I had them placed where I wanted them in the scene, I realised that the picture I had taken was far too dull. The lighting was incredibly flat; uninspiring even.

I sourced a commons licensed image of a bright sky and placed that into the scene, replacing the one from my photo.

The result lifted the image no end, but then left me with another problem … lighting and shadows.

The girl and her dogs were brightened to a degree more fitting for the surroundings. Then came the shadows. I’m sure that holes can be picked here, but at least the overall composition doesn’t leave your mind screaming that there’s something wrong.

The client responded very favourably, stating that her daughter had always wanted to go to France. She added that she would love the fact that this picture had her sitting in a garden there!