Since I didn't get much of a response from the Lauder post I've decided to use this image of Don Cheadle. You can see the before and after by clicking here
www.domophoto.com/don
And here are the high res downloads to inspire you (since high res images are so damn rare to work on in forums)
www.domophoto.com/don/022_before_hires.jpg
www.domophoto.com/don/022_hires.jpg

I'd love to try to use this example to try to achieve the same depth of Jill Greenburg's images. Pretty big challenge, and I don't think the lighting difference should impact the ability to pull it off. Any other suggestions I'd love to hear.

I like what you've done, but I would have taken a little (not all) yellow out of his eyes, and left a little of the pink in his lips.

Thanks for the suggestion. I have to agree, I'll play around with it.

Gotta do something about that color. Looks like spent his vacation at Chernobyl. The shadows are plugged pretty badly but there's some detail there to be uncovered.

http://edgework.tripod.com/samples/cheedle_sm.jpg

Thanks sooo much for your efforts.
I can certainly see that you are a fanatic for color as am I. I find it to be the most difficult thing in retouching. And although I sometimes don't know what is right; I KNOW what is wrong when I see it, which is why I used this ultra saturated image that I struggled with.
On this one, for my tastes, I think its gone too cold. I guess its artistic interpretation in the end, but the wall in the back is a white seamless background so I was using that as a judge for neutrality. Never thought of making it cooler. I think I'll go back and see what it looks like in between; for me that may be the perfect balance. Since this wasn't digital, I might have messed with the curves in an uneven way to begin with (scanning) meaning that while the gray is neutral, color shifts could have been imparted to the brighter and darker colors. Thanks again.

Thanks sooo much for your efforts.
I can certainly see that you are a fanatic for color as am I. I find it to be the most difficult thing in retouching. And although I sometimes don't know what is right; I KNOW what is wrong when I see it, which is why I used this ultra saturated image that I struggled with.
On this one, for my tastes, I think its gone too cold. I guess its artistic interpretation in the end, but the wall in the back is a white seamless background so I was using that as a judge for neutrality. Never thought of making it cooler. I think I'll go back and see what it looks like in between; for me that may be the perfect balance. Since this wasn't digital, I might have messed with the curves in an uneven way to begin with (scanning) meaning that while the gray is neutral, color shifts could have been imparted to the brighter and darker colors. Thanks again.It wasn't my intention to do a whole job on this guy. Masking out backgrounds to neutralize them is pretty much a no brainer, but it does take time, which I chose not to expend.

However, the face tones were a severe problem. After reading your post I took another look and decided that there could be a slight magenta adjustment, but just to ease off the yellow cast. But skin, Black or white or anywhere in-between, is never red. Not even "pink" little babies. Black skin tones can be pain due to the range and variety, but some basic rules can guide you. In general, magenta and yellow will come in at similar ratios to each other as caucasian skin, though yellow can be considerably higher. The lightest you'll see either is probably around 20% (subject to change from image to image, of course). But cyan is much higher in proportion to magenta, usually at least 50%, sometimes as high as 90% or even equal magenta. It's usually a judgement call whether the problem is too much magenta or too little cyan. In this case, the both channels were out of whack. Three random samples (both cheeks and bridge of his nose) give me 21C, 58m; 30C,82M; and 17C, 60M. The adjusted values are 27C,48M; 39C, 77M; and 28C,55M.

In addition, I did a down-and-dirty desaturation on the background. I think it's believable. Whether it's accurate...? Never met the man, couldn't say.

http://edgework.tripod.com/samples/cheedle2_sm.jpg

Just completed a new version. Trying to use the overlay layer to dodge and burn to carve the face and put the light into the eyes. Also altered the color a lot. What do you all think.

Found the white cap to be the first thing that draws the eye, tried to make it less obvious by blurring it a little bit. Here is my effort.

Came back and looked at my image again :aghast: still looks like it has too much red in it for my liking.

Came back and looked at my image again :aghast: still looks like it has too much red in it for my liking.

Just wanted to address the tones in your two images. I'm curious what is causing the overall image degradation, curves, levels? Really not trying to bash ya, just hoping to help ya out to improve the result. The quality has really taken a dive here.

my somewhat blotchy attempt at depth with this image

Just completed a new version. Trying to use the overlay layer to dodge and burn to carve the face and put the light into the eyes. Also altered the color a lot. What do you all think.Color is much better. Could use some sharpening.

I don't think that trying to pull of the "depth" of Jill Greenburgs portraits with just photoshop alone is going to happen. Jill Greenburgs work is all about the lighting. She does extensively manipulate them but her work is all about the lighting.

Just had to have a play, mainly multiply and screen using masks and some desaturation, mind you, this is rough and quick

Lots of good work, but as a Don Cheadle fan, can there be a "more" "unattractive" photograph of him?

tried to get the color right first...did some clone to hide some of the blemishes and and scars...as said before I don't like this picture of don so much...but tried to get "jill-feel"


Gerry

sorry guys but the original is the best one... meaning the one that hasnt been retouched at all...

well... my opinion...

this is not about retouching, its about the actor and the photographer.
the only thing to add here, if the client wants more (like they always do), is to do some nice toning on it. dont fiddle with depth and things.

here is just a bashed together sample of some diffrent tonings.
black and white, silverprint, cross process etc.

come on, please hate me!

camilla: there is no hate involved here at RetouchPRO ... only constructive thoughts...your idea around this picture is what I wanted to explain earlier, but my few words in english didn't cover it properly :tongue:

I agree as well, Don original is the best from our examples, but as well I think this picture is very honest and show a little too much detail of him then ordinary viewers want to see...if this was to be a portfolio picture I don't think he would get any jobs...

Heres my version.

PELLE: very nice job there...this style gives a little bit of signature towards don if you understand...it makes me want to look at him...very nice! how did you make his skin so shiney?

I used a little PWL to add to the highlights. Also used a little healing on the skin here and there, and added some conrast from the blue chanenel.

what didi you do to add contrast from the blue channel? can you give a short explanation?


cheers

gerry

I copied the blue channel to a new layer and set it to Lumnocity.

pelle: How do you go forward to do just that? When I copy it I can't paste it into the layerspalette...can only copy it into the channel palette...

pelle: How do you go forward to do just that? When I copy it I can't paste it into the layerspalette...can only copy it into the channel palette...

You have to select the the channel layer with select all (Select>Select All), ctrl C, layer palette, Ctrl V.

At least, always work form me :)

... and all channels must be ON when trying to paste into a layer, if I remember correctly.

nope...that didn't work...selecting all only selects the layers palette and not the channels...when rightclicking the blue channel i can push the duplicate menu, but that only gives me a new menu...with that menu you can only place an alpha-layerin the channel-palette....

Have an active layer visible. Make sure a single layer is selected and visible.
View the Blue channel ONLY - un-click the eye icons on the other channels or Command 3
Select all (command A). This doesnt mean select all the layers in the layers panel, it means Command A
Copy
Back to layers palette - view composite, command tilde or click on the RGB composite view in channels
Paste

I still can't do it...copy blue channel, paste into layers...nothing happens...and yes, the blue channel is selected when pushing ctrl + v and layerpalette is selected when pasting...

is this right?

You have to paste it onto a new layer, not the layer palate. Once you copy the blue channel go back to your layer palate, create a new layer and paste the blue channel to the new layer. Hope that helps!

I still can't do it...copy blue channel, paste into layers...nothing happens...and yes, the blue channel is selected when pushing ctrl + v and layerpalette is selected when pasting...

is this right?

Make sure you havent the blue channel selected when pasting into the layers ( all channels should be active ).

And there is a typo , should probably read "yes, the blue channel is selected when pushing ctrl + c".

this is an interesting technique. What was it about the original photo made you think to copy the Blue channel and set blending mode? And what made you pick the Blue over the other two?

Its a common trick to add some drama as the skin tones are usually darker in the blue channel. Some use it as the base of a b/w conversion too.

Hi, first post. Hopefully the attachment works. Let me know what you think.

Hi
I also had trouble coping the blue channel I kept getting no pixiles. So what I did was duplicate that channel as a new document, then I could copy it and went back to the orginal file and on a new layer I was able to past it in and change it to luminosity. That made it very dynamic.

Hi, no prob found in copying the blue channel the way described above. There is another way though...dup bg layer, add new blank layer, go to Image, apply image, select layer = bg copy, channel = blue, finally set blend mode in drop down menue in the layers palette to luminosity..hope that helps

Here's my attempt.
I tried for a natural look.
I love Pellepiano's version. I've been a fan of his work for a while.

I'm adding one inspired by Pellepiano's edit.
Nowhere close but fun to try.

Lovely portrait. This is my take. Not improving, just some personal taste color corrections.

Oh gosh, I coudnt stop myself and I had to retouch his face >.< That's my job:

Hello!

This is my first post and thus my first retouching try here. I used the Before/After-JPG as a ressource. Maybe you like it.

http://www.andreasresch.at/upload/Cheadle_01.jpg

Take care ... Andreas.

I like this photo who took it?