Kim, please forgive me but I just found this and it is 11:42 PM Saturday 12-29-07.
I have been going like a chicken without head lately I need a 48 hours day to get things done sorrryyyy.

Now, the Bible said "everything work together for good to those that love God" and I think this verse apply here for I find the suggestions given to you by Kimi were very, very good better than mine. Now after looking at your image and hers I will choose yours for the type of complextion you are talking about. Kimi's picture has a bit more contrast than yours and as I have stated before children images don't need as much contrast as an adults. I had find out with many years of frustrations that it is much more dificult to print black and dark brown skin tones than caucasians. So I keep a collection of pictures with those skin tones for reference. Now with Lightroom I have set them as presets and that have simplify my life.

Now, make sure you save that picture and the steps you took to get it ther for the future and place them on a file by itself for reference in the future. Make a notation as to under which lighting condition you took the picture. This is extreamly important for in my experience artificial light affects much more the brown and black skins than caucassians. In other words it is eassier to fix a white skin than a black sking under the same lighting conditions. Hope this help.

In the future please feel free to contact me at dondiegophoto at yahoo dot com I check this email every day.

Thanks Don for replying. What you have said makes a lot of sense to me. The original I posted does not show much of Cali's complexion as the room had flourescent (sp) lights and I was also using a speedlite flash as parts of the room were darker than others. I have the original psd from my first attempt which is still in my gallery and I will make notes of it as you said for future reference. Thanks so much.

I have revise Cali. I was just playing and I don't know what all I did but I like it. I know at one point I did a levels adjustment layer and gaussian blur and contrast boost.

It is in my black & white gallery as well

Congrats Kim, now you have it.

Thanks Don, now if I can remember exactly what I did. If I can figure it out I will post.

KIM, welcome to the "Memory Power Club". Oh man I was just going to tell you something but can't remember
what it was

Don, too funny. I remember at one point I duplicated the layer and and raised the saturation a little and lowered the hue and got a sort of sepia tone and then did a gaussian blur again and then reduced the opacity on that layer. I think that was the 3rd time I duplicated it and it was after the levels adjustment layer.

I guess being blond and over 40 gives me 2 strikes in the memory department.

I guess being blond and over 40 gives me 2 strikes in the memory department.

Just be glad you aren't pregnant too! I did the blonde, over 40 preggo thing and let me tell you I don't think I'm ever going to recover. I have vague memories of being able to go through a day and accomplish everything I needed to without making a list first. Now I can't even remember to make a list!

Oh Jane, that pregnant thing better not happen. If it does I will be a millionaire and my OB/GYN will be bankrupt.