High-end digital retoucher in NYC

[heyrad]

Hi All...

Just reaching out to the world... seeing what comes back.

-conrad
http://conraddigital.com

[grafx]

Great work!

I was looking at your "befores", are your photogs using digital or scans? I see that same fuzzy, red, yellow look from some of my photogs. They shoot digital, but with their SLR lens. I always have to color correct and sharpen. Well, done.

[byRo]

Conrad, welcome to RetouchPRO

Your before and afters are a lesson and an inspiration for all!
And your attention to detail has made me one very unhappy nitpicker - no wait a minute, the "Nokia Still Life" is a a dud!!

BTW Marinari Sauce can de posted here ( The RetouchPRO Cookbook)

Congratulations!

Rô

[cricket1961]

Nice work Conrad.

Were you just posting for views of your work or are you looking for position?

Chris

[heyrad]

Hi All..

Thanks for the kind words.. I really wasn't looking for a pat on the back, but it certainly looks like I got a few. Being from NYC, you don't come across so many cordial people.. so a heart felt thanks from a jaded ole New Yorker

GRAPF:

about 90% of the images are analog... The digial photos were quite problematic.. all but the Prescriptives work I did with Jesse Frohman... His digital files are quite nice. Had problems with quality on the Tom Munro stuff though... It never fails... even great film is held captive by the scanner operator. The old saying.. a chain is only as strong as it's weekest link really holds true here.

ByRo:

Thanks for the kind welcome to the site. I'd supply my recipe for a Marinara, but then I'd have to kill you and I really don't want to do that just yet Keep in touch... i'm getting soft in my old age.

Cricket1961

Well, I've been viewing this area for a while and thought I get involved. What I'd really like to do is network with some working photographers, reps and such. I'm currently VERY employed, but looking to branch out a bit... Always up for new challenges


THanks again everyone.. i'll be popping my head in and out to see what kind of trouble you're all getting into..

-conrad

[rutherford]

Hi Conrad,

Congratulations on your work! It is always good to see nicely retouched images!

Cheers!


George Rutherford
www.seagullsfly.com
www.fotolog.net/rutherford

[shellby]

Amazing work there. Do you freelance or are you employed by a company. I work in the UK at a DVD packaging company but I would really like to do more freelance work. Any advise? My website is www.retouchme.co.uk

[heyrad]

Are you looking to freelance in the UK? I'm not sure what the market's like there, but here in NYC there's always plenty of work. There are many retouching agencies here and they're always looking for retouchers.. The thing that's big now is "transparency" when retouching. You tend to use a lot of blurring to achieve soft skin and that will DEFINITELY get you nowhere... I find myself doing a lot of dodging and burning at very close zoom ratios to achieve my skin work...

Good eye, though... and best of luck

-conrad

[shellby]

Hello

I am doing some work now for a New York based fashion photographer. The last few examples on my website are his images. I can accept files via ftp so it doesn't really matter where the photographer is based. I haven't tried the technique you mention regarding dodge and burn. Is this used to even out the skin tone? I do use some Median blur but at a low opacity. I spend most of my time using the healing brush and clone stamp. I am really interested to learn new ways of doing retouching. Are there any tutorials on how to achieve this? Or is this a trade secret? ;-)

Thanks a lot

[cricket1961]

Shelby

Conrad is right. The use of a softlight layer filled with gray and painted with either black or white is the only way to get realistic skin texture. In Katrin Eismanns book it is gone over how to achieve this. In the new version coming out this October, I have an image that shows exactly what is going on with the technique in conjunction with the healing tool.
One thing I forgot to add when I told her about the technique for the second version of the book is that using a black brush can leave a gray "film" that is not nice when used on flesh. For Darkening(burning) pick a area around the hairline that is a darker area of the flesh. This will give you a good balance that you can then change in the color picker using the brightness slider to make darker/lighter while keeping the balance.
Good luck. Conrad is right. For high end retouching blurring the flesh and recreating texture will not fly at all.

Chris

[leuallen]

Chris,

If you use black to burn and get that grayed over skin color can you not just use a low opacity brush with mode set to Color, and pick a good color surrounding the grayed area and brush over it to restore the color. Seems to work for me but then I am not high end.

Larry

[byRo]

To dodge and burn using a soft-light layer, and avoid getting distracted by the off colours, make a duplicate of the original layer and place it above the soft-light layer with blending set to Colour. Now you'll only be tweaking the luminosity.

The hue of skin varies very little with the luminosity, but if you are doing some heavy dodging / burning you'll probably have to correct the saturation, in which case Larry's tip will help - if you have a reference tone to copy.

Rô

[cricket1961]

Originally Posted by leuallen

Chris,

If you use black to burn and get that grayed over skin color can you not just use a low opacity brush with mode set to Color, and pick a good color surrounding the grayed area and brush over it to restore the color. Seems to work for me but then I am not high end.

Larry

Larry

What you suggest would work but with one caveat. You are doing twice as much work. When doing the initial painting with white and black(or the color of your choice) you are using a low opoacity brush to begin with on RGB images. You will find that with CMYK images that opacity will increase.
The graying out that occurs with a black brush is really pretty minimal. But the retouchers who are very anal will notice it and be bothered by it.
You could do what Ro suggests, but you really need to keep the number of layers down when doing retouching. Also if there needed to be any kind of healing brush work or stamp tool work done you will find that you have to really figure out more logistics than you want to deal with. At this point most retouchers will create a merge of all layers and place it on top, effectivley losing the adjustability of all layers beneath.
If th esoft layer technique is done correctly there should be no introduction of oversaturation into the image. THe softlight layer however is a excelent way of getting rid of a cast in any direction by usiing a selection and curves. Locally with a brush and going into individual channels.

Chris

[heyrad]

Everything being discussed here so far can be considered a great way of achieving the end result. The important consideration here is flexibility. If you use a GRAY layer in an overlay/soft mode, you can dodge and burn with white or black till your heart's content.. The problem is, that if your dodging and burning are on the same layers-- no flexibility... If you REALLY wanna get your hands dirty and do things the smart way...-conrad

[cricket1961]

Conrad

Nice detail. One thing to add is that the layer filled with Gray should alway be underneath any color adjustment layers. Otherwise all hell breaks loose.

I am with you about thte credit stuff. I have one photographer who gives me credit on everything he gets published. One out of many.
I talked with Melvin Sokolsky, a sometime client of mine about just this thing.
It was just a talk in general that he started. He had a retoucher in California that asked him to give him credit for the image since he made it look good.
Melvin took all of his work away from him. His opinion is that he took the shot, it is his vision of what it should be, and his direction that the retoucher is following. Therefore it is 100% Melvin's shot and the retoucher was just another tool to get there.

I understand his point of view. But as a retoucher, I have seen to many of th ebig name photographers come in with half assed images that were lacking from proper photography technique and making them look stunning. Just to see that they get credit as a incredible photographer who really understands the use of light and shadow.

I'll join that orinization if you start it Conrad.

Chris

[heyrad]

I don't use a Gray layer when I've got my D&B set... It replaces the need for a gray layer. Although... A gray layer can replace my DARKEN/LIGHTEN curves for those who like useing the overlay method..

Now, as for the credits. There are a few mags(mostly European) that will give the retoucher credit and that's wonderful. Don't see it here too much. In regards to art buying and retouching. I don't believe in asking for something that i dont deserve. If a photographer sits with me and directs me to his final vision, then that's fine... it's his work. HOWEVER, about 35% of the time a photographer will simply ask me to perform "MAGIC" on his/her image... and that's when it gets mirky because the photo then becomes MY interpretation and thus credit should be due. I was talking to a French collegue recently and he was talking about Pascal over at Box and how he's trying to get rights to images. He's way over the top anyway, has more money than God and turns away people because it's a Tuesday and hasn't had his coffee yet(this is all rumor, not necessarily fact).

This new organization would have to have some influential people in it to work. Remember... right now i'm the little elf in the dark room, Michael Thompson and Steven Miesel don't have my home phone numbers(yet) and leverage is the key to any successful coup... So I plan and strategize and wait to pounce. Glad to know I've got some brave soldiers like yourself lying in wait

[Cassidy]

hey guys, tips and clues well appreciated by many I'd think. So thanks

[Cassidy]

Heyrad, other than all else, classy stuff

[cricket1961]

Originally Posted by heyrad

I don't use a Gray layer when I've got my D&B set... It replaces the need for a gray layer. Although... A gray layer can replace my DARKEN/LIGHTEN curves for those who like useing the overlay method..

Now, as for the credits. There are a few mags(mostly European) that will give the retoucher credit and that's wonderful. Don't see it here too much. In regards to art buying and retouching. I don't believe in asking for something that i dont deserve. If a photographer sits with me and directs me to his final vision, then that's fine... it's his work. HOWEVER, about 35% of the time a photographer will simply ask me to perform "MAGIC" on his/her image... and that's when it gets mirky because the photo then becomes MY interpretation and thus credit should be due. I was talking to a French collegue recently and he was talking about Pascal over at Box and how he's trying to get rights to images. He's way over the top anyway, has more money than God and turns away people because it's a Tuesday and hasn't had his coffee yet(this is all rumor, not necessarily fact).

This new organization would have to have some influential people in it to work. Remember... right now i'm the little elf in the dark room, Michael Thompson and Steven Miesel don't have my home phone numbers(yet) and leverage is the key to any successful coup... So I plan and strategize and wait to pounce. Glad to know I've got some brave soldiers like yourself lying in wait

Conrad

Hmmm. They(and a few others) do have my cell number. Not nice that they do always : )
Pascal works much differently then us. He has contracts with everyone, most especially with the Photographers. He really does have the rights to many many things, and for this reason, Mario Testino and others are shopping around for new retouchers. They are starting to dislike his style of look and want to have their own shine through.I have meetings set up with many to get their work in here. Fingers crossed. Luckily I have done a lot of work for them already.

I think we can make it work. Just need to get it started.

Chris

[byRo]

Originally Posted by heyrad

I constantly see credits going out to stylists, hair, makeup and often times their assistants, but NEVER do you see credits to the retoucher. The retoucher NEVER gets the credit ....

I'd say there's a Catch-22 situation in there somewhere.

Not sure exactly, but when things like this happen it's often because it's the logic that runs that way. (and saying "Catch-22 situation" makes you look fiendishly clever ).

Something like... if you are a really good retoucher and you get your name associated with an image, then that'll end up meaning that the original photographer could be (or was) crap. BUT, this is the guy that's paying you the money.

go figure......

Rô

[Cassidy]

copyright is a dark doormouse, as of maybe 5 years ago, a 15% difference in the graphic content in Australia consituted a claim for copyright. Maybe different now, maybe different elsewhere also. Was attached to artwork, but heck, define artwork

[heyrad]

Wow, sounds like I might have stirred up a hornet's nest

The perfect example of our industry and the pros that make those images look so amazing and transparent is similar to the CIA lobby.. all those "unknown" operatives who died in the line of duty who's lives were reduced to a single, anonymous star on a wall. Maybe we're a noble breed, like the Samurai of old who don't seek recognition, fame or wealth but study the art and devote their lives to an ideal....

What the hell am I talking about? I livei in friggin New York City!!! Somebody stop me already


Chris....

We need to talk

-conrad

[Cassidy]

ribs are breaking here, yes you have opened a hornet's nest, lol, rolfmao here

[Cassidy]

despite all else, thanks for your sharing....however, if I can get you alone, m going to hijack you for jewellery retouching, lol

[heyrad]

Sounds hot Cassidy....

[Doug Nelson]

Interesting d/b technique. Something like this? (see attached, drag folder to working image of any rez).

[Loverly]

Picking up all the retouching tid bit crumbs here!
Yummy! YUMMY!

Good brain food!

Loverly

P.S.Heyrad and Chris keep the "trade secrets coming"!

[heyrad]

Originally Posted by Doug Nelson

Interesting d/b technique. Something like this? (see attached, drag folder to working image of any rez).

Hi Doug... Yup.. that's essentially it. The rest is up to you. It's not much different than the gray layer d&b technique, but i've added some helpful hints to make the job a bit easier..

As for the trade secrets... I'm sure Chris(being Italian like myself) will agree that we COULD share more, but then we'd have to kill you....

-Don Corrado(conrad)

[Loverly]

hmmmm or maybe we could all just be retouching slaves instead of you killing us?
(we are not worthy)
Think about all that power!

PLEEeeeeeease????????????????

Loverly

[mseydel]

This may be considered heresy, but retouching is a craft, not really an art. It can come close sometimes, but our task is to make someone else's work look even better. The job of retouching has plenty of exciting challenges and rewards, but there will be few clients who will want to recognize you with more than a thanks and a check.

I agree with the dodge and burn by channels method being one of the most efficient methods for skin edits. Reality is richer than the imagination; skin detail can be faked relatively easily, but seldom is it done in a convincing way. However, client taste varies...what works for Clairol may horrify an art director at Vogue...