how to get that look on pictures...

[fiuOY]

Hello,

First timer over here! Have you seen the movie 300? I'm wondering how I can achieve that look on my pictures. It's hard to exaplain the look, but it's that dark, mysteric look as if you are under a storm. Predominatly blue tones. I know lighting has everything to do with those pictures, but I'm looking for the post production effects with dramatic colors, mythical blues, weird flesh tones, and very contrasting highlights and shadows.

Sorry for the lack of examples....I can't find any. thanks in advance

[Saralonde]

Maybe HDR? http://www.hdrsoft.com/
Or Lomo? http://digital-photography-school.com/blog/how-to-make-digital-photos-look-like-lomo-photography/

[dlade]

Hi!

I haven't been able to find a howto, but the effect is apparently called "the crush" and is described on http://www.fxguide.com/article405.html as "a recipe where you'd crush the black content of the image and enhance the color saturation to change the contrast ratio of the film."
http://www.superherohype.com/news/300news.php?id=5064 on the other hand says that it "literally crushes certain colors out of the palette, leaving only the colors seen in the graphic novel."

I wouldn't be surprised if a howto turns up somewhere soon, but I hope this helps in the meantime. :)

/David

[Nicole]

There's a kind of tutorial on the "300 effect" at Photocritic (http://www.photocritic.org/2007/300-style-photography/). I say kind of because it offers a few steps that you can use and a lot of guess work. Not having seen 300 I can't really say how close it is, but it's a start to try to recreate the effect :)

[fiuOY]

Amazing the things you can learn in these forums. I would have never found this info if it hadn't been for this forum.

thanks again.