Photo Retouching - - How to get the Patrick Hoelck look?

eosguy · #1 09-05-2006, 09:34 PM

Hi all,

Really enjoy reading through the forums and getting some ideas on retouching techniques. Does anyone here know how Patrick Hoelck gets his colors? I love his low key work - and it seems some fair amount of retouching goes into them.

www.patrickhoelck.com

Flora · #2 09-06-2006, 02:19 AM

Hi eosguy,

welcome to RP!!

Patrick Hoelck's retouching reminded me of a 'similar' retouching style dealt with in this Thread.

Hope this helps...

superkoax · #3 09-10-2006, 04:37 PM

to get the look is to go to school for 3years and study studio lighting, then experiment with set ups and F/stop vs light and so on! he has a nice picture were he have explained the ligt,så you can see how much effect the light has to the models face

http://www.patrickhoelck.com/color/porsche2.jpg LOOK HERE!

Gerry

Faust · #4 10-25-2006, 02:54 PM

I love it when people say things like "this is just masterful studio lighting and excellent makeup", adding even more mystery

I work with up to 12 strobes in studio and can honestly say this has nothing to do with it, same as with Andrzej Dragan, Loretta Lux and other "mystical" icons, the lighting setup is obviously very simple and the light itself flat and soft, even a big softbox and maybe a contra light would do the job. to me it seems as a combination of the basic illustrated look with color tweaking towards cyan/green + lowering the contrast and brightness using curves, underexposing the background, maybe using a ND filter on the lens itself. sorry for my terrible english

Andyroo · #5 10-25-2006, 04:12 PM

I actually read an article last month that Hoelck did in a big photography magazine - although I can't recall which. He claims that he doesn't use too much post, and that the majority of his effects/look are acheived through lighting. He's said to have spent many hours on tweaking things for certain shots.

I wouldn't have believed it myself unless I read it. I've seen his portfolio before and there are obvious (although flawless) digital things going on in some shots, but I could understand how a lot of the stuff is done with lighting.

TheVeed · #6 10-25-2006, 10:58 PM

He has some work done in post, but the majority IS in lighting. I recognize some of the retouching on it (Marcus Klinko & Indrani primarily.) It's a lot of good photography and lighting. Obviously a retoucher tweaks things and brings in more colors, etc, but not to that extent.

Faust · #7 10-26-2006, 12:11 AM

of course, it always sounds much better to state "I am simply a great photographer", then admitting that your pictures are actually very common and it´s "just" a lot of photoshop. on the contrary, people like Loretta Lux spread urban legends like the one that she spends up to 6 months on a single picture etc

I don´t believe this at all, at´s a LOT of (very good) postprocessing, including the colours, highlights, the circular vignete, probably even the underexposed background is masked. anyone who actually works with studio lighting knows that there is no way how to achieve these in preprocess and that his lighting is obviously very simple and flat on most of the pictures. this is no disrespect to the artist, but I think that people often tend to create mysteries and some secret techniques, that don´t even exist

superkoax · #8 10-26-2006, 05:28 PM

It's so bad to take all the glory for a picture when sometimes the pictures only 50%of the job! sometimespictures is even less...I've seen work on the net where retouchers do all the manipulation and the photographer sits back and relaxes for a few weeks...collects the new pictures, sends them out to the wolrd and dod't give the retouchers any recognition...

If I some day get a picture out I will give teh retouchers equal recognition...

Probably the best way is to have a crew...1 photographer, 1 stylist and 1 retoucher...And go under a name nick name of some sort...then everybody get's the recognition....

hmmmm....

Gerry

superkoax · #9 10-26-2006, 05:42 PM

Me and a buddy of mine had a photoshoot the other day, we experimented with one flash against a silver reflector...i think that there is some patrick hoelck in this...picture...please state your comments on how to get it more right

the picture is taken by my buddy, Jorgen I'm holding the flash adn reflectore...I have one more picture I will share...

Gerry

superkoax · #10 10-26-2006, 05:55 PM

here is the other one....

taken by me

superkoax · #11 10-26-2006, 06:09 PM

one more...think this is looking better..adjustet the dark and mask out down under the feet and face...

his pictures is more about dark and shadows...and the back lighting is very nice...

Gerry

Johnny Blood · #12 10-26-2006, 06:14 PM

I guarantee you that much of his work is accomplished with studio lighting. While retouching is an intregal component, the 'proverbial' canvas he started with already had some dramatic lighting added to each image.

I also think some people forget how man man hours are probably spent on some of these images. While many want to accomplish the same 'look' in a matter of minutes or hours, I'll be some images take much longer in the digital darkroom. What Hoelck considers 'not much' post-production work may be infinitely more than what many on here are used to.

Johnny

superkoax · #13 10-26-2006, 06:29 PM

Johnny....Welcome to RP! Well, my response is that we are all on different hours and seconds on how much is much in post production...But I don't think that PH is doing the post pro on his pictures,...His talent is with lights...when the lighting is good and the models get teh right look in the face, the pictures is set to be great on any camera and anybody...But his pictures is fantastic due to posproduction...I don't think that PH has the time to process them all alone...He is quite famous and is heavily used by the hollywooders and celebs of america!

Gerry

Faust · #14 10-27-2006, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Johnny Blood

I guarantee you that much of his work is accomplished with studio lighting. While retouching is an intregal component, the 'proverbial' canvas he started with already had some dramatic lighting added to each image.
Johnny

well, how can you guarantee?

maybe you have a bigger experience with studio lighting than I do, and I really have some, but I dont see much "dramatic lighting" in his pictures. as for the picture that shows his light setup, there are just 3 equal light sources from the very same direction

in case it´s a great use of lights with minor postprocess, how come we haven´t seen this effect before the PS era?

I have seen so many photographers using obviously very similar workflow and saying things like "it´s my very special way of developing my negatives"/"it´s my very special lighting setup using years of experimenting and experience" etc

reminds me of Jill Greenberg and the flamewars about her amazing lighint skills, it all ended when someone discovered her before/after comparison at the website of her retoucher amy dresser

Faust · #15 10-27-2006, 02:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superkoax

Me and a buddy of mine had a photoshoot the other day, we experimented with one flash against a silver reflector...i think that there is some patrick hoelck in this...picture...please state your comments on how to get it more right

the picture is taken by my buddy, Jorgen I'm holding the flash adn reflectore...I have one more picture I will share...

Gerry

I like the first one the most, I think you got it

you masked the background and lowered it´s contrast and brightness + some PWL on the figure, skin tones turned a bit to yellow and bg more to cyan/green, correct?