Photo Retouching - - How to get this look

GerardHenninger · #1 04-13-2006, 08:07 AM

I've been reading this forum for months now and I just love the expert retouching tips you are able to find here. Unfortunately I haven't found a post or article describing and explaining the following effect :

Photo - Example #1
Photo - Example #2

I have seen some posters in here achieve the effect but I haven't found a way to recreate this effect myself. I am talking about the skin-tone, the desaturated colors, the painterly effect.

I am trying to get this look with the following photo I shot (400kb):

Photo - Lisette
Anyone here who can tell me how to do this in Photoshop?

Thanks in advance.

Jann Lipka · #2 04-13-2006, 09:00 AM

your sample link don't work

fpellerin · #3 04-13-2006, 09:06 AM

Is this sort of the look you're looking for???

PatrickB · #4 04-13-2006, 09:35 AM

Or this? Happy picture guessing?

Syd · #5 04-13-2006, 10:29 AM

Or perhaps a light retouch! She has such wonderful skin.

Ziaphra · #6 04-13-2006, 10:34 AM

I have uploaded to imageshack as it quite a large file. I hope this is what you are looking for...

http://img364.imageshack.us/my.php?image=rtp89dn.jpg

I did this with the following steps...

1. Cropped to get rid of the blur at the bottom of the pic.
2. Desaturated by -39.
3. Gamma corrected to enahnced skin colour and get rid of most of the red.
4. Shadow/Midtone/Highlight changed to -30/0/50.
5. Clarify at strength 5.
6. Shadow/Midtone/Highlight changed to -30/-40/0.
7. Shadow/Midtone/Highlight changed to -30/0/0.
8. Desaturated by -20.
9 Dodged and burned following all original shadows and highlights. (I may have overdone the burning to match the example you posted...I did it to match my own taste...

)
10. Sharpened more.

Smaller version below...(unfortunately more pixelated)...see larger link above...

fpellerin · #7 04-13-2006, 11:26 AM

Nice one Ziaphra!!!

Verywierd · #8 04-13-2006, 11:31 AM

Based on your sample of the desired result:

- applied blue and green channels using soft light and hue blending modes
- high pass sharpening
- gaussian blurred layer selectively applied using a black mask and soft white brush
- right side of the image lightened using an adjusted duplicated layer masked and applied with graduated white from right to left.
- soft shadows created using a desaturated layer darkened and blurred, masked and selectively applied using black mask and white brush.
- reds brought back slightly with a selective colour layer.

NancyJ · #9 04-13-2006, 02:33 PM

Shadow & Highlight to balance the image
blue channel set to luminosity
green channel set to multiply
tweak curves/ selective colour on original to get desired tone

GerardHenninger · #10 04-13-2006, 02:59 PM

Wow, after trying to get the look myself (and failing a couple of times) I went to bed to get a nap. Just woke up and I see that you guys/gals already edited it a couple of times. Love you!

I updated the start post with two examples. I don't know why the original link died.

I found a couple of links on DPReview and the effect seems to be called silver lighting. I think Verywierd's edit comes very close. Still want it to be more painted/drawn, if you know what I mean. It's still a bit too realistic.

Has anyone ever used this effect for a photo they shot themself? Just curious if I am the onlyone trying to master this effect

NancyJ · #11 04-13-2006, 03:34 PM

one photo, so many options

GerardHenninger · #12 04-13-2006, 03:40 PM

Wow NancyJ, I like that last version very much...
Great work!

NancyJ · #13 04-13-2006, 03:49 PM

For the last one -
Set the red channel to luminosity
Merge layers and take a copy of the green channel and set it aside for later
Completely smooth the skin
Take the green channel from earlier and set the blend mode to multiply - use shadow&highlight or curves to balance up
to finish, copy that green layer again and set the blend mode to soft light and run a high pass filter on and tweak to desired effect.

Nanls · #14 04-13-2006, 04:38 PM

Here is another.maybe not what you are looking for, but I was having fun playing, the second is a little retouching and a little drama.
~Nancy~

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www.iphotofx.com

GerardHenninger · #15 04-13-2006, 04:59 PM

Thanks Nancy!

I used your technique and created the following (with some additional things I wanted to try).

Still not really the effect I am looking for, it's still too blurry, but I hope I am getting close.

BTW, I used a different photo just to see if it was a universal technique.

thanks again Nancy, learning alot today.