How is this PP done?

[Swift]

http://martinandreasen.dk/journal/index.php?showimage=316

Just wondering how this style is done...I absolutely love his images, and would love to know how he does them!

[Radtech1]

There is about a hundred or so shots, with a dozen or so different approaches. Please link to one, and then let's dissect it.

Rad

[Swift]

I did link to one?

If my link takes you back to his gallery, try this...
http://martinandreasen.dk/journal/images/20061022144318_db4c4209-01.jpg

[howzitboy]

looks tone mapped and sharpened

[Livinthalife]

looks tone mapped and sharpened


can you explain how it's done though?

[Swift]

Tone mapping doesn't give that dark feeling displayed in the image. All that does is bring out the clouds.

[B3SEO]

I would think he's doing most of that in photoshop, which would be the easiest way to do it. I can think of this way to achieve that effect.

Take the pen tool and go around the leaf, right click and make a selection, and switch to the marquis tool, right click and make copy a of the selection, thereby just making a layer with what you've selected with the pen tool.

It looks like he did something similar to the hand and coat/arm holding the leaf also. Just repeat steps above to get a hand on it's own layer.

Desaturate the bottom layer (the original), either by image>adjust>desaturate or using the channel mixer (a better choice) and selecting monochrome at the bottom (checkbox) and then adjusting the r g b channels to suit your taste. Edit: (in looking at the photo once again, it appears the trees behind are a muted green, but that's easy to fix with a mask and the gradient tool.

Now you have a color copy of the leaf on it's own layer (and the hand/coat also on it's own layer), ontop of a black and white. Go to the leaf layer, and desaturate to your flavor. (image>adjust>hue/saturation).

There are probably other ways, but above is one way.

Take your time. It should come out similar.

Tone mapping won't give you the same effect.

[Swift]

B3SEO, I appreciate your explanation, but would it not be easier to create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, then lower the Saturation to -54 or so, and then go over the parts you want to keep (everything outside the hand and leaf) saturated with a black brush.

Was this basically what you were trying to explain?

[Swift]

Here is my try at this type of "style"

http://mgatesphoto.com/style31.jpg

What I did was desaturate to -70 using the explanation in my post above, and add a Curves adjustment layer and choosing "Strong Contrast" in the drop down menu for the curve.

[Radtech1]

Well lets see.

NOT SAYING THIS IS HOW HE DID IT, RATHER, this is how I would duplicate the result.

Assuming an appropriately exposed and focused starting shot:

1) I see an overall increase in contrast - lots of blacks, I suspect two contrast blend layers, one set to Multiply, about 20% to 50% or so opacity, and another set to Overlay - possibly slightly Gaussian Blurred, again 20% to 50% or so opacity.

2) An overall desaturation is observed. I would not be surprised if one of the above mentioned layers was completely desaturated. If not, I would achieve this by adding a desaturated layer - Normal Blend, about 20% to 50% or so opacity, possibly slightly Gaussian Blurred OR Soft Light Blend, this time 70% to 100% opacity. [Choice of Normal or Soft Light depends on what the contrast looked like before adding the desat layer].

2b) Also noted is a relative increase in saturation on the leaf and hand relative to the rest of the shot. The desaturation layer mentioned above was partially erased in the hand and the leaf.

3) The bokeh appears suddenly on the coat sleeve. This was most likely done in post. I suspect this as the focus falls off very abruptly as you look down the sleeve, however the brown lining inside the coat does not exhibit the same bokeh as a blurry area of the coat sleeve does, despite an equal distance from the camera. I commend the shooter on an excellent job selecting the leaf.

4) The leaf and (to a lesser degree) then hand demonstrate a rough sharpness and graininess that is not evident in the rest of the shot. I suspect a High Pass layer was selectively applied to those areas - more to the leaf than the hand.

5) Speaking of hand, do we know if he is in/from Europe? I notice the model's wedding ring is on her right hand. If not, the shot is flopped.

6) There is a black vignetting layer added.

Rad

CHECK THIS LINK:

http://dc27.4shared.com/download/22331756/6c93bccf/20061022144318_db4c4209-011.jpg

[Swift]

Thank you Rad, that sounds like what he might have done.

Here's me putting your words to action:
http://mgatesphoto.com/style30.jpg

Looks to be right :D.

[Swift]

Wow...This action I found in this forum stickied:
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showpost.php?p=2733520&postcount=1

Does almost exactly what Martin does!

See here:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v715/kninja0/Untitled12-1.jpg

The highlights are blown out though.

[NickSimcheck]

Very nice effect, very moody... punk/grunge senior portrait for sure.

[B3SEO]

B3SEO, I appreciate your explanation, but would it not be easier to create a Hue/Saturation adjustment layer, then lower the Saturation to -54 or so, and then go over the parts you want to keep (everything outside the hand and leaf) saturated with a black brush.

Was this basically what you were trying to explain?


That's another way to do it. However, I'm not much for brushing back "in" color, and that would take a little longer.

Rad looks like she analyzed it quite well (again!). It's the same old addage, that theres more than one way to skin a cat.

[Radtech1]

Rad looks like she analyzed it quite well (again!).

! ? ? ! ! ? ? ? ! ?

Fouth shot down. (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=98001)

[B3SEO]

Well, you broke it down pretty well step by step, didn't you?

[FlexiPack]

I think Rad was exclaming about his sudden gender change ;)

I'm really interested in this technique, i'm going to fave this thread and give it a go when i get some shots to try it on

Thanks for the tips

[lowcrust]

Thank you so much B3SEO and Radtech for the detailed explanations!

On a sidenote; the photographer is from Denmark which isn't saying much about the model of course. She does look kinda Danish though, hahaha!. In Sweden we wear our rings on the left hand and in Norway on the right. Not sure how they do it in Denmark but I'm leaning towards right if I have to guess.

[RodBarker]

Its Dragonizing effect with stacked masked layer blending .

Rod

[leedslad]

I have enjoyed this thread, but there are so many 'theories' but without explaining how to re-create it.

Any chance one of you (Radtech, Rod etc) could actually take the time to do a step-by-step guide?

MTIA

[Radtech1]

Its Dragonizing effect with stacked masked layer blending .

Rod

Though I would not have thought of a Dragan Action, I cannot exclude that. However, it is lacking the sepia tone that is present in the Draganized shots I have seen.

Rad

[SeanH]

Well lets see.

NOT SAYING THIS IS HOW HE DID IT, RATHER, this is how I would duplicate the result.

Assuming an appropriately exposed and focused starting shot:

1) I see an overall increase in contrast - lots of blacks, I suspect two contrast blend layers, one set to Multiply, about 20% to 50% or so opacity, and another set to Overlay - possibly slightly Gaussian Blurred, again 20% to 50% or so opacity.

2) An overall desaturation is observed. I would not be surprised if one of the above mentioned layers was completely desaturated. If not, I would achieve this by adding a desaturated layer - Normal Blend, about 20% to 50% or so opacity, possibly slightly Gaussian Blurred OR Soft Light Blend, this time 70% to 100% opacity. [Choice of Normal or Soft Light depends on what the contrast looked like before adding the desat layer].

2b) Also noted is a relative increase in saturation on the leaf and hand relative to the rest of the shot. The desaturation layer mentioned above was partially erased in the hand and the leaf.

3) The bokeh appears suddenly on the coat sleeve. This was most likely done in post. I suspect this as the focus falls off very abruptly as you look down the sleeve, however the brown lining inside the coat does not exhibit the same bokeh as a blurry area of the coat sleeve does, despite an equal distance from the camera. I commend the shooter on an excellent job selecting the leaf.

4) The leaf and (to a lesser degree) then hand demonstrate a rough sharpness and graininess that is not evident in the rest of the shot. I suspect a High Pass layer was selectively applied to those areas - more to the leaf than the hand.

5) Speaking of hand, do we know if he is in/from Europe? I notice the model's wedding ring is on her right hand. If not, the shot is flopped.

6) There is a black vignetting layer added.

Rad

CHECK THIS LINK:

http://dc27.4shared.com/download/22331756/6c93bccf/20061022144318_db4c4209-011.jpg



Action please.......LOL :wink:

[Skippy29]

Good info, thanks for sharing.

[bomboman]

Thanks very much for sharing and this is my photo as your suggestions : ) Please see my before and after.