help - question about metallic paper

[islandphoto]

I am going to do a wedding expo and print some 16 x 20s and have them framed for display. I'd like to try metallic paper. Why does mpix say "not reccomended for portraits?
Do you wedding photographers use metallic paper or stick to the traditional paper?

Thanks,

[PIXI_666]

i have never used it...but not because i didn't want to, i guess i just never really understood what it did so i didn't worry about spending money and then realising it wasnt good or not?

[picturecrazy]

It's hard to explain... sometimes the metallic shine seems to work against the photo... If you must do a portrait in metallic I would recommend monochromatic. (B/W sepia etc)
But that's just my personal taste.

Metallic is killer for landscapes, night time cityscapes and stuff like that though! And maybe for the more abstract type of shots.

[islandphoto]

the bummer about mpix is you have to order all of your prints in one type of paper.

[JaertX]

It's okay for some portraits. Sometimes it can make skintones look strange. I've used it and been very happy with the results on some portraits done in the autumn with a lot of fall type colors. If the subject has nice skin tone, it will look nice.

[jillybean]

I have used metallic, but only for some snazzy senior portraits. I personally think it tends to make the skin tones pretty off- they are great for just the right picture but you have to do alot of trial & error. I would never use this for a wedding due to the results would not be pleasing-for my taste.

[islandphoto]

here are the images I was planning on printing...

[islandphoto]

one more

[newgenphoto]

Joanna, number one would lok great on Metallic paper. THe others I'm not so sure about. Everyone here has hit it spot on though as far as color, etc. I just printed 2 images (16x20) on metallic from mpix. I was floored at how nice they vame out.

[Grace]

I printed some wedding pics on metallic and they were really yellow.....bad yellow. but .....I printed a set of bw on metallic and they were AWESOME...lots of depth.

[Lin-z]

If you have any Glamorshots studios anywhere near you go into their show/studio area. There is one in my local mall, I visited it just yesterday to glance at the prices and things they had one the walls. They have about 25 different 20 x30 prints on the walls, EVERY portrait was done in metallic, and they looked nice.

I have been wanting to try it out, but have been hesitant like you because mpix says not to use it on portraits. I am planing to try some as soon as I find a photo I like and think would look nice.

You can request a sample paper kit of mpix. They will send you a 4x6 of each of the paper types they offer. Its hard to tell from a 4x6 what a big print would look like but that could give you an idea.

[islandphoto]

THanks for all the comments. I'm not sure but I think I will try it out. I just need it by next weekend!!! I guess if it comes and looks bad I can always go to my local camera shop and pay the outragous price that they want to charge for a 16x20

[newgenphoto]

I can always go to my local camera shop and pay the outragous price that they want to charge for a 16x20

Yeah, whats up with that??? I paid like 30 bucks for my mpix 16x20's that SMOKE my local labs 16x20's and they charge me 25.00 for each.

[coreypolis]

Its really hard to photograph the shine aspect, but here was a review I did a while back
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=245484&highlight=metallic

[jbstudios]

I have printed quite a bit with metallic. I did for my wedding album so i did about 15-20. i also have done a 16x20 with a close up of a senior. She has beautiful skin to start with being a bit indian i believe. I have also done b & w and probably prefer the b&ws. they were smokin' i might just save metallic for them from now on. Just mess around with it, i think its all trial and error. But i ahve done all kinds and probably way prefer the b&w. one thing you should be aware of the metallic paper is more fragile. They told me after at the place i got my album printed at (zookbinders). they had to reprint two of my prints due to them scratching them. They also leave fingerprints terrible. But with that said i still love them.

[JaertX]

Joanna - this is just my opinion, so really I just mean it to help...based on using MPIX and now Miller's for quite a while now:

#1 is probably going to show some major clipping in the sky. It might look okay on the metallic, but I think pretty much any print is going to make it really stand out...especially a large size.

#2 is an okay candidate for metallic paper, but it looks like the color might be off...her veil looks a little blue to me and I see a lot of yellow in the skin. yellowish tones in the skin take on this weird greenish look on the metallic...so be careful with that.

#3 I think is your best bet for trying out the metallic paper. Looks good to me!

Let MPIX color correct them. If they mess up the color, they will reprint them until you're happy...they really want to please their customers!

[islandphoto]

Thanks so much for the comments. #2 I actually added saturation to it because it was pretty bland so maybe that's not a good choice for metallic?? NOt to sure. What do you mean by clipping in the sky? I have already sized these 3 as 20x16s.

Thanks!

[islandphoto]

How about these two? THe dip on the beach... cc welcome. I'm not sure about it. I just really like the beach colors :)

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l223/jotano/Sarah--Jeremy-224.jpg

2http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l223/jotano/tina--matt.jpg

[Ariane911]

From printing in a darkroom with metallic paper...I think it looks great with B&W's!

[JaertX]

Thanks so much for the comments. #2 I actually added saturation to it because it was pretty bland so maybe that's not a good choice for metallic?? NOt to sure. What do you mean by clipping in the sky? I have already sized these 3 as 20x16s.

Thanks!

By clipping I mean a blown channel. You might print it...it might not look bad, but it's something that bothers me in print...not so much for web viewing though.

I think your second two would look great....the first is a very nice shot!

The second looks like the brides dress is overexposed...so it would show clipping too. Again, maybe you should print one and see if it bothers you or not. I'm pretty sure it will look like a very white area with a hard edge where the whites are blown. Good luck!

[tim]

I agree, clipped channels could look a bit naff on metalic paper, more than standard.

I'd suggest you get a metallic paper profile, and do a soft proof comparing it with luster. If you can't find one anywhere else use the ones from my lab, www.queensberryprint.co.nz . They have good instructions on setting up photoshop color management to do it.