Another Arizona POTN get together (4)?

Rick,

I think I've got some 256mb compact flash cards if you want them.

Nice, Frank. That 85L is a killer lens, isn't it.

TauntDevil wrote in post #12027110
Thank you. How do you like your 7D?

overall very pleased with the 7D, it is a little finicky at times - but guess that is a good thing.

Great shots hatch. Love the backgrounds

No comment on the drama... I don't do drama... lol..

Hey Dean, Nice shot of your daughter. Very colorful, and I like the warm glow of the sun. She is very pretty. .

Sorry Rick.. no small cards here....

Images look gorgeous Frank.. I like the angle in the first shot better than the second. Even though the second is perfect in focus, dof, color, blah blah blah.. she appears heavier due to her being square to the lens. Looking forward to seeing more from the shoot.

I love Frank's work and sure wish I could come even close to getting images like that.

I'm really struggling with these, I just can't get the skin tones right and I'm really frustrated trying to make the colors and exposure look reasonable.

How much skin smoothing should I do? How "unrealistic" can I make the images look (my post processing skills for model shots are serious lacking) . . .

I don't know, I'm just not happy with the results . . .

Frank, Kristy any suggestions?

Back to square one, or just stop shooting models and stick to sports (were you are not allowed to process the images)

Now where is that little animated gif of a guy banging his head against a brick wall?

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Thank you Skip for the previous kudos.

BrianAZ wrote in post #12028120
Nice, Frank. That 85L is a killer lens, isn't it.

It is , it is

disneydork06 wrote in post #12028811
Great shots hatch. Love the backgrounds

Many thanks.. just their backyard

Kristy wrote in post #12028889
Images look gorgeous Frank.. I like the angle in the first shot better than the second. Even though the second is perfect in focus, dof, color, blah blah blah.. she appears heavier due to her being square to the lens. Looking forward to seeing more from the shoot.

Thanks... just liked the 3rd shot for some reason..idk... just dig it.. her being square to the camera.. I can see the bulk you are talking about.. have some others I will work on.. glad you like the shot.

AZAlphaDog wrote in post #12029260
I love Frank's work and sure wish I could come even close to getting images like that.

I'm really struggling with these, I just can't get the skin tones right and I'm really frustrated trying to make the colors and exposure look reasonable.

How much skin smoothing should I do? How "unrealistic" can I make the images look (my post processing skills for model shots are serious lacking) . . .

I don't know, I'm just not happy with the results . . .

Frank, Kristy any suggestions?

Back to square one, or just stop shooting models and stick to sports (were you are not allowed to process the images)

Now where is that little animated gif of a guy banging his head against a brick wall?

Thank you Doug! But... you do great work.. don't sell yourself short by any means... killer sports shots!

Colors/skin tones... what a PITA they can be! I struggle with them...all the time. For example... I forgot to use my gray card...during the entire session and I'm paying for it now in post.

I like the shots above. Were you using a gold reflector for fill? Or, was she picking up the gold tones from the surrounding area? If you were using a reflector... my train of thought is to not use gold unless the person has darker skin tones and they can handle it....and the scene lends itself to the warmer tones. I would rather shoot with a white or silver reflector to add fill and then in post add a warm tone. I find it much easier to add in post than to remove.

Time of day... looks a little bright out.. but still workable. Kristy and I have shot at high noon and it can be done. Color saturation isn't the best at these times... as you know.

Skin... all a matter of personal taste. Some of the stuff I show on here looks more smooth than I would like it to be... when reducing the file size for web the compression kills the details. With the shots above... I would go in and clean up any obvious skin imperfections with the clone tool or healing brush. You can go the long route and use curves adjustment layers for non destructive editing.. but.. for down -n-dirty... the tools mentioned will get the job done.

I will create a new layer.. clean up anything that shouldn't be there or is causing distractions on the skin. Around the eyes, you can set your clone tool blending mode to lighten @ 10% or less... and lighten the wrinkles under the eyes if she has them. Then if you saw the eyes tutorial on my site.. you can give the eyes some pop.

Back to the skin... I use Portraiture 2 in the skin smoothing process.... but only after everything is cleaned up. The plugin will allow you to sample the skin tone you primarily want to target and then you can be creative with your masking to blend in the skin mask.

It's up to you how far you want to push the skin. I like to see texture in there.. and the high res files I work on have it. The web shots as mentioned.. don't really show it.

To give the background a little more punch.. in post.. add an "S" curve and pull down the background some... fill the layer with black to hide the changes and paint back in the background around her...

Or... while shooting.. meter for the background first and drop your exposure about 1/3 to 1/2 stop and then bring the lighting up on her until you achieve the look you want. She will pop from the background...

Keep shooting people.. models.. you have the skills.. it just takes a time to work out the kinks. I'm still working on those kinks! LOL Forgot my gray card... shot to shallow on some shots.... didn't use a gel right in one series... I make mistakes every shoot.

Hope this helps some.. if you have any more questions... feel free to ask.

Hatch

had some fun at tempe town lake this evening...

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Hatch1921 wrote in post #12029478
Thank you Doug! But... you do great work.. don't sell yourself short by any means... killer sports shots!

Colors/skin tones... what a PITA they can be! I struggle with them...all the time. For example... I forgot to use my gray card...during the entire session and I'm paying for it now in post.

I like the shots above. Were you using a gold reflector for fill? Or, was she picking up the gold tones from the surrounding area? If you were using a reflector... my train of thought is to not use gold unless the person has darker skin tones and they can handle it....and the scene lends itself to the warmer tones. I would rather shoot with a white or silver reflector to add fill and then in post add a warm tone. I find it much easier to add in post than to remove.

Time of day... looks a little bright out.. but still workable. Kristy and I have shot at high noon and it can be done. Color saturation isn't the best at these times... as you know.

Skin... all a matter of personal taste. Some of the stuff I show on here looks more smooth than I would like it to be... when reducing the file size for web the compression kills the details. With the shots above... I would go in and clean up any obvious skin imperfections with the clone tool or healing brush. You can go the long route and use curves adjustment layers for non destructive editing.. but.. for down -n-dirty... the tools mentioned will get the job done.

I will create a new layer.. clean up anything that shouldn't be there or is causing distractions on the skin. Around the eyes, you can set your clone tool blending mode to lighten @ 10% or less... and lighten the wrinkles under the eyes if she has them. Then if you saw the eyes tutorial on my site.. you can give the eyes some pop.

Back to the skin... I use Portraiture 2 in the skin smoothing process.... but only after everything is cleaned up. The plugin will allow you to sample the skin tone you primarily want to target and then you can be creative with your masking to blend in the skin mask.

It's up to you how far you want to push the skin. I like to see texture in there.. and the high res files I work on have it. The web shots as mentioned.. don't really show it.

To give the background a little more punch.. in post.. add an "S" curve and pull down the background some... fill the layer with black to hide the changes and paint back in the background around her...

Or... while shooting.. meter for the background first and drop your exposure about 1/3 to 1/2 stop and then bring the lighting up on her until you achieve the look you want. She will pop from the background...

Keep shooting people.. models.. you have the skills.. it just takes a time to work out the kinks. I'm still working on those kinks! LOL Forgot my gray card... shot to shallow on some shots.... didn't use a gel right in one series... I make mistakes every shoot.

Hope this helps some.. if you have any more questions... feel free to ask.

Hatch

Thanks Frank, that is some good advice.

I guess I'm not used to spending 20, 30, 40, minutes or more "tweeking" each image so most of the time I feel like I must be doing something wrong, or over-processing the image.

First shot was with gold reflector, so not using the gold reflector is good advice, and we started a bit early like 2:30 so yea the light was a bit harsh and for some shots we took steps to "skrim" the harsh light.

During the second shot my assistant was getting my flash (I needed some fill for her eyes) so no harsh-light defusion and yes she is picking up the background "YELLOW" which is making her skin go all kinds of different colors and driving me completely insane trying to fix.

Looks like I started this session with one foot in a hole and was only falling in deeper as the session went along.

Some new things to try next time, thanks again for the help.

AZAlphaDog wrote in post #12031276
Thanks Frank, that is some good advice.

I guess I'm not used to spending 20, 30, 40, minutes or more "tweeking" each image so most of the time I feel like I must be doing something wrong, or over-processing the image.

First shot was with gold reflector, so not using the gold reflector is good advice, and we started a bit early like 2:30 so yea the light was a bit harsh and for some shots we took steps to "skrim" the harsh light.

During the second shot my assistant was getting my flash (I needed some fill for her eyes) so no harsh-light defusion and yes she is picking up the background "YELLOW" which is making her skin go all kinds of different colors and driving me completely insane trying to fix.

Looks like I started this session with one foot in a hole and was only falling in deeper as the session went along.

Some new things to try next time, thanks again for the help.

Glad to help the one thing I forgot to use on my most recent session... and this will help you if you didn't use one. Rick had the Color Checker Passport... nice setup. The hardest part I find using these tools... is remembering to use the tools. LOL

I have....
LINK


I think Brian AZ has...
Link

For colorcast... in Photoshop


I spend about 5 min an image as long as there isn't any major retouching going on.. maybe a little faster if everything is clicking. All depends on your steps as well...

Pulling the yellow/gold out of your images can be done for sure... will take a few additional steps and the link above should help a little.

Glad to help.
Hatch

Great photo gosundevils. Love the contrast and lighting.

gosundevils wrote in post #12030085
had some fun at tempe town lake this evening...

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I like the shot, but is it just my poor eyes or is the (as you look at it) right side of her face softer on focus?

Nice capture Joseph. Welcome to the thread.
Hatch

Went back and worked on this one again... might be a little to the yellow side... hmm

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/hatch1921/55324​41801/

looks fine to me on my display