How would I make this picture look more authentic?

By using a Camera Raw filter in the Filter You can more effect into it to look more Authentic.

All of these great suggestions will help to make your image more authentic. Did you find any that worked for you? If so please let us know so that we can further troubleshoot with you if needed.

Hi!

Along with the great suggestions listed above, I think adding a little bit more dramatic lighting to the background of the image would make it pop. If you did a gradient of contrasting light in the background (dark grey/black around the edges and highlight behind the head then the image would have some extra dimension and take away some of the flatness of the image. Letting some of that highlight spill onto the bust to give it some separation from the bag would be good too.

If you can't reshoot the bust with the bag to give it more perspective, then separate the bag onto it's own layer and use the perspective tool to bring more of a dimensionality to it. You can also shoot just the bag again and composite that into the current image. Right now, the bag is flat against the stature and they almost look like one piece except for the statue edges on the side of the bag. If you want the bag to stand out, then bring it forward in the image and make it contrast against the stature to give it more definition.

I think the image itself is very compelling, but the background is so flat that it takes away from the statement you are trying to make. I hope the suggestions we've listed here are helpful!

Michelle

Cool concept btw. But you have a few things going on. Let's take a look.

Paint Splashes: The splash circled in pink here goes the wrong direction. The taper at the top is not how the liquid would flow and the splash directions at the bottom where it meets the shirt are splashing up instead of down. There would also be no way the shirt would be clean in that area if the yellow had in fact dripped down.

As far as the bag goes, your problem is lighting angle and depth of field.

1. Your bust is lit from above

2. Your bag is lit from the front on the right side only.

3. If the bag was in front of the model the paint would drip inside the bag and not off the front unless the bag was pretty much just folded flat.

4. The shadow of the bottom of the bag does not match the model behind it.

I would take a look at adjusting those areas.

Hi jensj79447901,

On things like this, I select the item and use the free-transform choice. Then I smooth edges to soften the edges. This looks more like a box than a bag. Bags have soft edges unless it is hard-edged paper fold bag. Regards. JH

Hi

Perspective and lighting

The bump pattern on the bag appears to show a fold in the middle - but the top and bottom edges of the bag do not follow that line and hence the perspective between the edges and the pattern looks jarring.

The statue is lit mainly from the top left as we look at it. The bag looks lit from the right, assuming that centre line is indeed a corner, with the bumps lit from directly above.

The perpective warp tool would deal with the perspective along with some masking. As for the lighting, initially try flipping the bag, then you can paint in shadows as required.

Dave