What’s Your Preference?

RLucas · #1 (**permalink**) 10-11-2011, 11:12 AM

My inspiration has been kind of hit or miss lately, but it's getting a little better. I have some people wanting me to do some different lifestyle type work at some point. I have put off doing much for anyone because I feel sort of stuck in a rut, and am not happy with anything I have attempted to do. Hence, to do my practice work, I am still using my step daughter, Emily to do this with. I hope people aren't tired of seeing her yet.

I know this is extremely cliche with the RR tracks and all, but this is something she wanted, so I obliged. With some advice i got in the past, we made a plan for where we wanted to go, at what time, and the type of shots we would get.
The biggest issue I seem to have is color balance, and i have been steadily working on this. Especially with skin tones. This is the main reason I tend to gravitate toward b/w, but I want to be more well rounded. I feel like I am making progress in the right direction, with the less is more mindset, and this would be the latest example of something closer to what I would like to achieve. Does this look natural but different? Feel free to comment on any other aspect as well. Why or why not this image works or doesn't. Thanks for your time.

Exposure 0.01 sec (1/100)
Aperture f/4.5
Focal Length 85 mm
ISO Speed 800

BigFuzzy · #2 (**permalink**) 10-11-2011, 12:17 PM

Hi Luke, saw this come across my flickr stream and was wondering if you'd post it. Glad you did because it's a really nice image though I do see a couple of small things I'd suggest.

First off, to answer your actual questions. Natural yet different is exactly what I was thinking of the tones. No, the skin tones aren't accurate.. but they weren't meant to be (I think) and this "just kind of off" thing is something I like as it makes it stand out from the average snap shot. And though her skin tones are off, it fits the image, so to me you did well. To me the color processing gives a nice warm summery feel, were you going for that?

Here's some other things I either, liked, didn't like or think could be just a bit different (and I'm being pretty picky, but I know you'll appreciate it, right?

).
Not loving her head cock to the side, mostly because it creates a fold under her neck that I assume isn't always there. I do like the "whatever" face expression as I'm a fan of anything that's not smiling typically.

I like how you used the sun as a back/rim light even though it's bordering on too blown on her left should/neck area. Love the way it creates that little bit of rim lighting on her left arm and makes her pop a bit from the background.

Composition-wise, it's ok, but I think you could have played with the tracks a bit more. First I would have made sure she's dead in the center but then step a bit to the right (or left I guess) and have it so that you can see the tracks fading more into the background creating a nice diagonal line. Due to your DoF I don't think it would have drawn the eyes away from the subject. I like how you got down and shot fro her eye level, but would also like to see it from a higher angle as the tracks would again create interesting lines in the image.

All-in-all i really like the image Luke. It's the type of shot I like taking.
Good job on the exposure and focus and color processing. Composition is good, but I think you could play with it a bit more.
In the end, be happy, it's a good photograph. I'm glad it's not in b&w

Emily is a pretty young lady by the way.

Rentham · #3 (**permalink**) 10-11-2011, 12:54 PM

Al (our fearless new mini-mod leader!) covered much of what I would have said. I really like the exposure and colors. Color balance is different but not distracting. Nice job, Luke.

RLucas · #4 (**permalink**) 10-11-2011, 01:14 PM

Thanks guys. I have a hard time with skin, and have a very bad tendency to make it look pasty. When I try to warm it up, it goes too yellow. Warm and summery is what I am looking for, and it's good to know it's going that way. However, I really want to be able to emulate nongdan's PP. I don't know if it is an effect of micro contrast from good lenses or what, but the shadow areas take on a mild blue cast, and seem to have a life of their own. I have tried in vain to figure out what is going on there to no avail. I even asked him, and he couldn't really tell me. Here is an example of what I am talking about. As you can see, it has a nice, warm feel, but it has these blue tones that I am madly in love with.
The example I made. was a reverse engineered test of one of the presets in LR3. It started as one of the yesteryear presets. Mostly the split tone aspect of it, and added it to my tone adjustments.

Ha ha! The head cock was because she was genuinely pissed at me. As soon as I brought the camera up to my eye, she got really stiff. I started laughing, and she didn't take to that too well. I like what I got out of it though! Not the strategy I would ever want to use on a paid shoot, but it worked for me this time.
I really appreciate the feedback! It's nice to know I am heading in the right direction at least.

sk66 · #5 (**permalink**) 10-11-2011, 02:22 PM

I think this might be a little more what you're going for. (based upon the link)

I first did a levels adjustment to set white balance...it was a touch green, but not bad at all.
I then copied the image to new layer and did an exposure adjustment pushing the offset to the rt to wash it out. I then added a mask and painted over areas with a couple different settings to "erase" the effect. Finally reduced the opacity for the layer slightly.

Different layer modes (screen/lighten) would have different effects etc...I just left it as normal.

The differences aren't huge (could be more/less to suit) which means you got it pretty close already.

Hill Country Hack · #6 (**permalink**) 10-11-2011, 02:43 PM

Luke,

A very nice capture and I love the "tude" Emily is tossing at you. The Fuzz man hit all the marks I was already thinking.

BigFuzzy · #7 (**permalink**) 10-11-2011, 02:43 PM

What I think you want Luke is to find presets that talk about "washed out" or something like that and then slide the white balance to the cooler side a bit.
I'll try to find the name of the ones I use (god only knows if I remember where) and at the very least try to save it and send them to you.

Also, some of that look could come from a bluer type of crossprocessing which at times bleaches out the skin tones, saturates colors and in this particular case has a blue tint to it.

EDIT: Having looked at all on nongdans photos on that link.. it definitely feels similar to some of the "washed out" presets I have, and it helps the models skin is so pale by the way.

RLucas · #8 (**permalink**) 10-11-2011, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sk66

I think this might be a little more what you're going for. (based upon the link)

I first did a levels adjustment to set white balance...it was a touch green, but not bad at all.
I then copied the image to new layer and did an exposure adjustment pushing the offset to the rt to wash it out. I then added a mask and painted over areas with a couple different settings to "erase" the effect. Finally reduced the opacity for the layer slightly.

Different layer modes (screen/lighten) would have different effects etc...I just left it as normal.

The differences aren't huge (could be more/less to suit) which means you got it pretty close already.

Thanks Steve. I appreciate the edit. What you did has that vibe. Especially in the background. I am going to play with your idea tonight when I get home

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hill Country Hack

Luke,

A very nice capture and I love the "tude" Emily is tossing at you. The Fuzz man hit all the marks I was already thinking.

Thanks for the reinforcement.

Quote:

Originally Posted by BigFuzzy

What I think you want Luke is to find presets that talk about "washed out" or something like that and then slide the white balance to the cooler side a bit.
I'll try to find the name of the ones I use (god only knows if I remember where) and at the very least try to save it and send them to you.

Also, some of that look could come from a bluer type of crossprocessing which at times bleaches out the skin tones, saturates colors and in this particular case has a blue tint to it.

EDIT: Having looked at all on nongdans photos on that link.. it definitely feels similar to some of the "washed out" presets I have, and it helps the models skin is so pale by the way.

I'll definitely check some presets out. I want to be able to stay in LR as much as possible. I hope I can find some free ones that look nice. That way I can look and see what's going on. I am one of those weirdos that want to know exactly how to do it before I go in to time saving mode by using them. Thanks for the heads up!

RLucas · #9 (**permalink**) 10-12-2011, 12:54 AM

Here ya go guys! Al, I actually had one that had more of the composition of what you described, even though the pose is a little different. A little higher angle to get more of a vanishing point in the tracks. I played with the primary colors. as well as the shadow and highlight hues. I also changed the camera profile to portrait, which gave it a little more natural look. I am actually quite pleased with this one, even though the pose is different.
What do you think?
I appreciate the help!