bliss

[Jeremy Roussak]

?

Jeremy

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Nice moment caught.

I would turn it into a black and white, probably via a red filter, and use significant vignetting, to throw the background into oblivion. 

[Jeremy Roussak]

Interesting idea, Slobodan. Something like this?

Jeremy

[rabanito]

I would try first to blur the background. Making a mask looks relatively easy.
The w/ the same mask darken a little the background.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Interesting idea, Slobodan. Something like this?

More like this. But then again, that's how I would interpret it. May not be your cup of tea.

[Peter McLennan]

I'm with Slobodan.  Much better.  If that's too far from what you saw, perhaps some blurring would suffice?

The second rule of photography is "Control the Background".

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

I like the image a lot.
I think my preference for processing would be somewhere between your B&W version and Slobodan's.

[rabanito]

More like this. But then again, that's how I would interpret it. May not be your cup of tea.

Looks good but it reminds me of  W. Eugene Smith on Minamata.
And to my mind that's not "bliss" anymore, a different feeling, far from the original intention of Jeremy, if I may say so.

[stamper]

The original was the best. No need for changes because the red element made the image.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Looks good but it reminds me of  W. Eugene Smith on Minamata...

Exactly my thought and intention (in terms of processing, not in terms of message).  The idea is the same: to concentrate the attention to what’s important.

[Rob C]

?

Jeremy

Jeremy, you see what a careless ? leaves you exposed to these days?

:-)

[rabanito]

The idea is the same: to concentrate the attention to what’s important.

Hmmmm....
Important is IMHO in the first place what the photographer wishes to convey, what he "saw and felt".
The title says "Bliss" and I cannot (personal feeling of course) connect that with the low key picture resembling that of Minamata.
The image has changed to something different, even if it is very good.

[RSL]

The original was the best. No need for changes because the red element made the image.

+1. Not only do I agree with Robert, but I'd suggest this shot would fit Street Showcase better than a lot of the stuff that goes on there. This is a "poetic" moment in the lives of these two primates. They don't happen to be human primates, but what the hell difference would that make?

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

The original was the best. No need for changes because the red element made the image.

Fair enough. It depends on what one wants the image to be. A souvenir from the trip ("Look, ma, I was there! - No, I am not in the picture, ma!") or a fine-art image. If latter, then reduce the clutter, remove the superfluous, select, and concentrate.

If one wants to keep the red and concentrate on the bliss, not the background, a simple tighter crop would suffice. Plus some gentle vignetting, and a local enhanced sharpness and clarity on the "bliss" face, which appears out of focus.

[32BT]

... Plus some gentle vignetting, ...

Hahahaha  do as I say, not as I do...

[32BT]

Personally I think the contrast between the red and green make the image, but granted, there is a sense of clutter/distraction. Doing as Slobodan says, plus additionally slightly cropping:

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

Hahahaha  do as I say, not as I do...

My "gentle" vignetting was specifically referring to my color version, not the black and white, which obviously is quite heavy.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

... Doing as Slobodan says...

Both yours and Jeremy's vignetting id too obvious. Part of the reason is it is too strong, the other part is that the main subject is not centered, thus leaving the vignette displaced vs. the subjects.

[armand]

Both yours and Jeremy's vignetting id too obvious. Part of the reason is it is too strong, the other part is that the main subject is not centered, thus leaving the vignette displaced vs. the subjects.

I guess you can solve this with the radial filter in LR.

[Slobodan Blagojevic]

I guess you can solve this with the radial filter in LR.

This is what I did in the b&w version. I used two radial filters, actually.