Improving Skin Tone

[vinegar_tom]

Hi all,

This is my first post. I could do with some advice on improving the skin tone in this image and others, as it appears flat and uninspiring to me both in print and on my monitor.

http://www.vinegartom.f2s.com/portrait.jpg

The portrait was shot with my Canon EOS 20D and a 28-135mm lens in diffused sunlight. I converted from RAW to 8bit TIFF at about 21mb per image.

I have had this problem with a couple of other images. My 20D is set to Auto White Balance, and my monitor is correctly calibrated.

Is there any post-processing that can be done to correct this? Is it possible to prevent it from happening again by processing the RAWs differently or shooting with different settings?

Thanks for your help,

vinegar_tom

[CyberPet]

If you save for web and have Adobe RGB as your working space the colors bland as a jpeg on the web. I'd try to work in sRGB (to show on the web) and then go into Hue/Saturation and change it to (+4, +25, 0). You could probably add +5 for the contrast as well, if you want.

But the big culprit as I see it is that your working space is Adobe RGB and the picture you want to show up (Save for web) will look bland and flat).

Resized it a bit, but this is what I got when I did what I described above in Hue/Saturation and some contrast.

http://the-halls.se/edited/newportrait.jpg

[Chris MacAskill]

Hey vinegar-tom,

My first post too...

I see lots and lots of images like this (great shot, btw). CyberPet is right about it needing to be in sRGB. In my experience, you can hover your Photoshop eyedropper tool over representative spots of skin, such as the forehead, and tell at a glance whether it will produce a pleasing print.

If the magenta % ever gets higher than yellow, the subject isn't going to like it. In your shot, magenta is generally 4% higher than yellow (very common) and I changed it to 5% lower. Here's the result:

http://cmac.smugmug.com/photos/27438056-L.jpg

Here's more about those numbers:

http://www.smugmug.com/help/skin-tone

I hope this helps.

All the best,
Chris

[tzalman]

If instead of leaving your raw converter set to the camera's AWB you had set the white balence by clicking on that very convenient white strap you would have gotten a much nicer skin tone. Alternatively, you can adjustthe WB by changing the color temperature until you see the tones that you want. Either way, the best time to do this is during conversion from raw rather than later.

[lostdoggy]

How this???

just a little Level Adj.
USM: 125/0.9/72

Threshold was set alttle higher to smooth out the pores of the skin after sharpening.

[blue_max]

How this???

just a little Level Adj.
USM: 125/0.9/72

Threshold was set alttle higher to smooth out the pores of the skin after sharpening.


Hey lostdoggy, that's looking very cold on my calibrated monitor.
Petra - yours looks slightly cool and a little harsh (contrast?)
Chris - your adjustment seems spot on. Thanks for the tip about magenta.

Skin seems a very tricky subject to get to look natural. Again, it's shocking how different everybody sees images on their screens. I would urge anybody who is remotely interested in getting colour right to get one of the excellent monitor calibration packages available. I have the Monaco Optix XR and it has been a very worthwhile purchase for the relatively modest outlay.

Graham

[Lotto]

My try to add a little more 'pop' to the already well made image.
Like Petra says, convert it to sRBG first for jpgs. Add some selective sharpening to the eye balls and ear ring, whiten the teeth:lol:, add 10% color saturation...

[CyberPet]

Graham, I think my version is one that's the warmest of all examples (absolutely not the best one!) and yes I did add some contrast, they usually come out great in print. :)

I like Chris' convertion, but I would have wanted to add just a tad contrast. But it's very much a matter of taste. :)

[lostdoggy]

My vrsion got a little cooler after resizing w/ save to web. I probable would be able to come closer to natural skin if I was working with a RAW file. Also unless I knew how the original skin tone was I could only guess. I wanted the skin to be smoother so I pump up the threshold and in turn sacraficed contrast. I feel head shots look better soft rather then harsh.

[blue_max]

Graham, I think my version is one that's the warmest of all examples (absolutely not the best one!) and yes I did add some contrast, they usually come out great in print. :)

I like Chris' convertion, but I would have wanted to add just a tad contrast. But it's very much a matter of taste. :)


Petra/lostdoggy, I have commented but not contributed. That is because I felt that Chris had got it spot on for me. I am commenting because I have a calibrated monitor and feel that it may be that some poeple can't tell how it looks, due to their monitors. Sometimes you need to know if others see what you see.

Petra, yours is indeed the warmest (not less correct), but if they were viewed in isolation, they would all be fine, I am sure. The contrast issue is, of course, personal taste.

Lostdoggy, yours is really quite cold on my monitor. If that is how you see it, then that's good.

Hope that is of help to someone. It's not meant as a criticism - I'm no expert!

Graham

[Bootless]

nice crop... very nice natural smile

oK pretty much same advice as the others

but i like more saturation I used about %20 on this image

I also whitened eyes and teeth

played with levels (tiny bit)

shadow/highlight to make hair "pop-out" from the background

selective sharpening (mostly on the eyes)

a few minor touch-ups

warming filter (I hope I am close on the skin tone)

and last my secret weapon... Neat Image... great quick way for getting that "soft, smooth, glamour look" (it does not really need this last step but I did it anyway ;) )

[Bootless]

oh.. and about +10% on contrast to give a little more pop

[blue_max]

nice crop... very nice natural smile

oK pretty much same advice as the others

but i like more saturation I used about %20 on this image

I also whitened eyes and teeth

played with levels (tiny bit)

shadow/highlight to make hair "pop-out" from the background

selective sharpening (mostly on the eyes)

a few minor touch-ups

warming filter (I hope I am close on the skin tone)

and last my secret weapon... Neat Image... great quick way for getting that "soft, smooth, glamour look" (it does not really need this last step but I did it anyway ;) )

This is rather strange. It's slightly cartoony, yet compelling. I think we are tuned to bright colours, rather like to sweet things. It's obviously horses for courses. It must depend on what it is trying to achieve as a picture.
Time for bed.
Graham

[CyberPet]

Graham, well you said my version looked slightly cool... so I was thinking... what the... My monitor is not *that* bad calibrated. Hence my confusion about your comment. :D

Bootless, I really like your version, to me it really "pops" (love how different we see things!).

[blue_max]

Graham, well you said my version looked slightly cool... so I was thinking... what the... My monitor is not *that* bad calibrated. Hence my confusion about your comment. :D

Bootless, I really like your version, to me it really "pops" (love how different we see things!).

I did say that didn't I :confused:

Sorry Petra, I can't offer any explanation, except insanity.

Graham

[Bootless]

I also noticed that there is a bit of her purple shirt showing I would either include more of it (my choice...great color would add to the picture), or I would crop or clone it out

Blue_Max: ummm thanks... I think (not sure I follow you) but if you are talking about the last step (neat image) like I said "it does not need it" it was just me playin'... it gives it a bit of the "glamour" look

CyberPet: thank you for the complement, vinegar_tom said as it appears flat and uninspiring to me both in print and on my monitor so I thought I would add a extra little pop :D

[blue_max]

Blue_Max: ummm thanks... I think (not sure I follow you) but if you are talking about the last step (neat image) like I said "it does not need it" it was just me playin'... it gives it a bit of the "glamour" look


It's a great look, just larger than life. It has passed from recording real life into creation of an image. If the intention was to improve skin tone, then it's probably a step too far as you say.

vinegar_tom, if it is shot in raw, you could choose daylight as the white point and that would give you a warmer look (if you use 'as shot' at the moment).

Graham

[CyberPet]

Graham, I like that... insanity... I'll quote you on that one each time I goof up and plea insanity (who can then blame me for being dum, you don't tell insane people they are dumb... right?) OK, I should go to bed, too late at night and too little sleep. :D

[PhotosGuy]

My 20D is set to Auto White Balance You should rethink that. See this on how bad AWB really is.
Gray card: Why your meter may be lying to you! (http://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthread.php?t=54281)