http://www.maximonline.com/girls_of_maxim/swimsuit_2005/index.asp

Anyone know how they get those colors and what kind blur are they using?

I can post more images, but being the nature of the mag, it's tons of lingerie and implied nude stuff. That being said, if you'd like more, let me know, I have tons

THe lighting is simple but carefully balanced.
Most shot use a flash with a medium softbox or even a bueaty dish above or side the camera.
The exposure is done at evening sky(could be morning too) the flash is controlled by f/no. & the background sky is controlled by speed.

This is mostly done by either a dedicated flash with a camera which can work at 1/250 sec or with leaf shutter medium format lenses.

Alternate camera could be any amature digital cam which has a external flash hole & can use flash on all speed.

Kodak 7590 is one such 5MP camera.

Sorry,

Guess I didn't make my question clear,

How do they get the skin tones to look like that. I'm ok with a cam, so the lighting isn't the question, it's more so how did they get the skintones to have a gold haze to it in photoshop.

http://www.fhm.com/site/girls/img/beyonceknowles/1a.jpg

http://www.fhm.com/site/girls/img/RachelStevens/large/6.jpg

thanks

Sorry,

Guess I didn't make my question clear,

How do they get the skin tones to look like that. I'm ok with a cam, so the lighting isn't the question, it's more so how did they get the skintones to have a gold haze to it in photoshop.

http://www.fhm.com/site/girls/img/beyonceknowles/1a.jpg

http://www.fhm.com/site/girls/img/RachelStevens/large/6.jpg

thanks

It's called body make-up. It's why Playboy centerfolds never have ingrown hairs, freckles or moles. Before the Photoshop artist gets to play, the photographer and the make-up person take care of whatever they can. Body make-up is thick and dense, often quite opaque with some translucence in the color (a small sparkle, for example). Then they set up lighting, use shades for sunlight, and reflectors (which are usually gold) to enhanse the light and boost the color. They may use filters on the lens to tan the model (if you use a light filter to neutralize background light and then light the model with a different light source, the filter can change the color temperature of the light and slightly redden the model.

Hope that mostly answers your question. If you're looking to do this with your pictures but can't afford a make-up artist (that was a joke), try Nik-color EFX or other Photo-shop plug in's that work like lens filters. Using masks and filters, you can do a convincing job.

INik-color EFX or other Photo-shop plug in's that work like lens filters. Using masks and filters, you can do a convincing job.


Thats what I'm asking lol.

How to do a convincing job in photoshop using masks and filters lol.

I'm a full time photographer, I know about makeup, ND filters, 80a-d filters, strobes, hotlights reflectors, pan reflectors, brollys, softbox, octobox and the likes, want to know how to add the extra flair in photoshop. Those photos are all photoshopped.

Nik Color Efex Pro has several filters that might help such as :

Reflector Gold
Reflector Soft Gold
Color Stylizer

Photoshop CS also has filters such as warming filters and color filters….

Also selecting the skin and adjusting the hue through selective color or curves will produce a nice tan or glow.

These links may help:

Color Balancing Skin Tones (http://www.carlvolk.com/photoshop18.htm)

Nik Color Efex Pro (http://www.nikmultimedia.com/colorefexpro/usa/entry.php)

Photoshop CS Filters (http://www.naturephotographers.net/articles1103/tg1103-1.html)

I would advise you to pick up Masking and Compositing by Katrin Eismann. She is excellent. Her books have supplemental web sites where you can download images and work side-by-side with the book. It's 500 pages and explains a lot about masking. Her other book, Restoration and retouching is a must have, too.

To quote the May 2005 Playboy Advisor (coincidence?): "As for "airbrushing" of course we digitally remove cosmetic imperfections such as scars and blemishes - we're creating fantasies. We hope this doesn't ruin the fun, but the Playmates also wear lots of makup, and they're well lit."

There's no easy way to explain how the models are photoshopped - every situation can take a different method. My advise is this: if you're willing to make the committment to work 1 hour a day for 2-3 months, get the books and by the end you'll practically be a guru.

For example, you could:
copy the background layer, run a gaussian blur to totally obscure things like body hair, and then change the blending mode to lighten (for dark hair) or darken (for light hair). For example, you blur out the blond peach fuzz, change to darken, and only the darker pixels that are different shine through, so the fuzz will appear gone.
use a color channel to make a mask to apply the effects by copying the highest-contrast channel and then running multiple levels adjustments on it to pump the contrast to nearly B&W. Then touch it manually until you can load the selection on the image.
select the healing brush, change the blend mode to lighten or darken to only change pixels that are lighter or darker than your selection.
add a 50% grey overlay layer and paint over the wrinkles with a 15% opacity white soft-edged brush to lighten fine lines without actually removing them.
copy the layer, run a dust and scratches filter on it, add a mask to hide it and then paint the mask with a low opacity white brush over the wrinkles and blemishes.

Once you have a good mask, make it into a selection and save it, you can use it over and over on different layers on the image.

I could go on . . . and on

I hope this answered your question a little better than my last effort. . . or else I'm just facing the wrong direction.

I would advise you to pick up Masking and Compositing by Katrin Eismann. She is excellent. Her books have supplemental web sites where you can download images and work side-by-side with the book. It's 500 pages and explains a lot about masking. Her other book, Restoration and retouching is a must have, too.

To quote the May 2005 Playboy Advisor (coincidence?): "As for "airbrushing" of course we digitally remove cosmetic imperfections such as scars and blemishes - we're creating fantasies. We hope this doesn't ruin the fun, but the Playmates also wear lots of makup, and they're well lit."

There's no easy way to explain how the models are photoshopped - every situation can take a different method. My advise is this: if you're willing to make the committment to work 1 hour a day for 2-3 months, get the books and by the end you'll practically be a guru.

For example, you could:
copy the background layer, run a gaussian blur to totally obscure things like body hair, and then change the blending mode to lighten (for dark hair) or darken (for light hair). For example, you blur out the blond peach fuzz, change to darken, and only the darker pixels that are different shine through, so the fuzz will appear gone.
use a color channel to make a mask to apply the effects by copying the highest-contrast channel and then running multiple levels adjustments on it to pump the contrast to nearly B&W. Then touch it manually until you can load the selection on the image.
select the healing brush, change the blend mode to lighten or darken to only change pixels that are lighter or darker than your selection.
add a 50% grey overlay layer and paint over the wrinkles with a 15% opacity white soft-edged brush to lighten fine lines without actually removing them.
copy the layer, run a dust and scratches filter on it, add a mask to hide it and then paint the mask with a low opacity white brush over the wrinkles and blemishes.

Once you have a good mask, make it into a selection and save it, you can use it over and over on different layers on the image.

I could go on . . . and on

I hope this answered your question a little better than my last effort. . . or else I'm just facing the wrong direction.


Spot on!

I'm in photoshop more then I'm in the studio so I'll give this a whirl for sure. And look into that book

thanks.