The demystification of dave hill! let's all help!

superkoax · #1 06-30-2007, 06:10 PM

www.davehillphoto.com

Well, I want to, once and for all, break down the dave hill technique! Who's with me here???
My retouching experience isn't that good, but the thing I can say about the dave hill technique is this:

- All pictures are sharp almost no blur on backgrounds or details. This enhances the whole picture and gives what I would call a side effect the to whole technique...

- He light's all models separately(not in every picture) and takes several picture to put into one...look at the behind the scene photos...on some of the behind the scenes photos you CAN see that they light up only a person at the time

- he enhances shadows, details, highlights, with dodge and burn! Example1: is to look on wrinkles(if i can call it that) on clothing. look at first picture in portfolio 1.
example2:some clothes has been sharpened more to enhance texture look at 2nd picture in portfolio 1 ...example 3: at the same picture, look at the fridge...some burn is used to make a "haloish" effect...even on the wall behind! if you look at the stove, the details are enhanced with d&b...

Many people say: he uses lucis art plugin, but that is NOT true! I'm a true believer of D&B in his technique!

And his equipment is high quality! maybe canon with l-series lens or hasselblad/mimaya camera...I don't think dave hill uses a canon 350d or nikon d50 with 50mm 1.8 plastic lens...

I would say to people, study the details...shadows, where have they enhanced shadows and highlights...if you look closely you can see it!

I have made a psd file on some shadow enhancement! I can say immediately that my psd file isn't the best to look at, but look at the details in the clothes! it's all enhanced! I don't have a wacom board, so my "painting" isn't that good

Hopefully some questions are answered, and people are more than welcome to write opinions about the dave hill technique...

Cheers to all!

Gerry

PSD 96mb : http://download.yousendit.com/AE9460840D512CEA

EternalTomorrow · #2 06-30-2007, 10:58 PM

in your psd the layer "layer 1 copy", which is set to soft light / 63%, what is that layer? How did you get to that layer to look the way it does? What is that layer exactly? Thats the only one that doesn't really have a label for it.

also, would you mind doing a quick workflow outline for the PSD you posted?

And thank you for taking the time to post this along with the PSD for us all to look at! Very awesome of you!

Thanks!

superkoax · #3 07-01-2007, 05:32 AM

eternal: Thanks for replying! Well the layer 1 copy is the dodge and burn layer! If you push up the opacity to 100% you'll see it's all black and white "painting"...This is painting on the picture without destroying it...

My workflof is as follows:

- duplicate original picture...
-get the right colurs you want in curves
- on the duplicate picture i made it b&w in channel mixer. Adjustments-channel mixer. Push the monochrome button. then play with the channel buttons there...try to get more shadows and more light without the picture looking wierd(overexposed or underexsposed)

- To make a D&B layer is to go to Layer - new layer - mode softlight(remember to hit the "fill with neutral colour(50% grey))

- then start to burn all shadows, dark lines, the most important is to line out details. Highlights is imoprtant, you can even add your own highlights to "fake" shine or light!

- select all the layers you use, then copy them and merge selcted layers...

-sharpen in small radius, try sharpening in a new copied layer and mask out the areas that is too sharp!

- then add a adjustment layer, brightness and contrast

-if needed copy the d&b layer to get more power from the shadows and highlights

-and in the end use a curve layer if needed...

hopefully this was a good explanation on my workflow her

I will try a to make a better psd file and upload it again!

Gerry

ruud92 · #4 07-01-2007, 07:24 AM

Hi Gerry, very interesting what you saying up there, only I have to say one thing, you dit a noise filter over it, but Dave hill's photo's have no noise, they are really smooth, but also Sharp! overall looks nice

superkoax · #5 07-01-2007, 11:53 AM

ruud: thanks for replying here...In the PSD file I have added a noise layer, BUT I didn't use it! the noise you see is probably a mix between sharpening and contrast!

Gerry

CMS · #6 07-01-2007, 11:21 PM

Superkoax!!!
Dave is using a Hasselblad H2 with a Phase One P 45 digital back that is 39 milion pixels.You have notice corectcly that his pictures are sharp allover.Photographicly speeking that is hard to achieve in one exposure because of Depth of Field which is "controled" by the lens and the aperture.So he makes multiple exposures, he focus on all elements separatly and then combine it in one stylish photo.The thing is that this digital back has a dynamic range of
12 stops.If you compare this with the best slr Canon 1Ds Mark II which has only 8.1 stops dynamic range you will understand why is no noise.

Dynamic range can be translated like this: the ability of the sensor to handle the shadows but also highlights in the same frame.So when you have 39mil pixels and 12 dynamic range + multiple exposures+ smart lighting+ big talent = the only one Dave Hill.

CMS · #7 07-01-2007, 11:36 PM

and of course a lot of Photoshop

superkoax · #8 07-02-2007, 12:57 AM

cms: thanks for replying here...I've seen some of the movies on his page, I haven't seen any hasselblad...Only Canon 5d or 1dmark with either 50mm 1.4 or 1.2 ...But what you say it's true about the hasselblad! I really hope he uses a hasselblad since this will clear up a bit of what I think...But some of the pictures are wideangle shots, do hasselblad have wideangle lenses?

Gerry

crex · #9 07-02-2007, 11:41 AM

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ruud92 · #10 07-02-2007, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by superkoax

ruud: thanks for replying here...In the PSD file I have added a noise layer, BUT I didn't use it! the noise you see is probably a mix between sharpening and contrast!

Gerry

ah oke, that would it be!

bsphotog · #11 07-02-2007, 02:02 PM

Another thing it looks like he uses, and I'm not sure exactly what to call it, is a High Pass filter set to overlay or soft/hard light. That may add to the amound of sharpness in the image.

superkoax · #12 07-02-2007, 03:05 PM

crex: okey...I'm not sure what to do? It's says that I have 100downloads to this...But where can I put it up now? maybe I can upload it again?

anybody know where I can find a good filesharing site that allows files over 100mb?

Calvinhollywood · #13 07-02-2007, 03:33 PM

You dont need a expensiv cam for the dave hill look

You need 2 or more flashes and the knowledge in photoshop and placing the flashes

We have a photographer in germany named ondro with a close style to fiscus and dave
Ondro is using a nikon d70

Lg calvin
http:www.calvinhollywood.de

superkoax · #14 07-02-2007, 04:26 PM

calvin: If it's www.ondro.com you mean? I wouldn't say his style is anywhere close to Dave hill! His pictures are glamour and high end fashion photography! The retouch he does is purely beauty retouch! Dave hill has his own unique style! It's similar to fiscus, but at the same time not...it's like the amy dresser retouching style! you know it's hers when you see it...ondro is good with retouching, but not in the same way dave hill is

Gerry

Calvinhollywood · #15 07-02-2007, 10:52 PM

@superkoax
Ondro have 4 or 5 Pics in this Fiscus Style
Dont even watch his Portfolio
Watch his Blog
Of course not the Level like Dave Hill or Fiscus
Amy Dresser is a friendly person.... Ask her... Same what i did
She work really simple, no Tricks.
I dont think you can get something new of the fiscus or amy style

But well see*g*

Lg Calvin