I am fairly new to photoshop. I would love your opinion on my retouch of this image:



Unedited original JPEG:


RAW:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1avUT- … 5q_pPYpxcS

It's my first attempt at doing color toning. In this case, I applied a brown gradient mask layer (learned about via YouTube), and used a mask to affect only the model, so the background can be a cooler temp.

Also did some spot removal and frequency separation (intending to not overdo it).

I would love any comments. I'm a beginner Photoshop user.

You are also welcome to retouch it yourself if you want to show what you would do differently / better. Thank you!

For now I would be ok with trying to edit as well as this guy:
https://www.instagram.com/mikelrob/

although I do like the color toning here more:
https://www.instagram.com/5twenty1/

Also very good (or maybe just ALL the models are very tan?)
www.instagram.com/frankiiswim

Background is blown out, distracting. The highlights on the model's torso are a bit hot for my tastes.
Would highy recommend you smooth out the creases in the skin where the left thigh meets the body.

Other ideas - if you shot this with a tripod you could make a correct background exposure as a separate shot (without the model), then shoot another exposure just for the model and composite the two. It seems the bright areas in the water caused your metering to be off? If you stacked the two images you could erase down to the correctly exposed image in the highlight areas and reduce the distracting brightness.

The difference that I see in your edit compared to the list of instagram images you shared, are :

They are popping more color, contrast, and tone. The image is a little flat. Your edit is not bad but I believe if you added some contrast burned back in the background raised the highlights you will be close. Also there lighting is completely different in what I see. Yet it is my humble opinion.