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

[Cyberek]

It's becouse some words of my friends, who tried to guess, how do i made this kind of photos... everytime someone tryes to guess how this kind of ptohos are made, they usually wrong... or maybe... they right but not on 100%... the same as most threads topics
It can be done with good photo, that is usually made with "short" lenses and good lightning (U have to have lights and shadows to work on them later), with bad photo... i wouldn't even try.
It can be done few diffrent ways... Some are quick, some need more time... but usually the effect is quite simillar. Of course U can make few pictures of same scene, then make HDR from it, then work it out to get this kind of looking, then finally work with every person on photo just to get the best ligtning (from photographers point of view) - the long way, but U can also get a good photo with use 2-3 light sources + few blends (faster way)... then postprocess... with HDR U need some time, but after that, u Can make basic preperations, then some d&b and masking & d&b and this way, or sometimes there are some easiest way to get close to result, and use just a little d&b to get to that point... it depends. From my point of view... go to PS and try all things that was written here before... start from there and become creative... then You will get to the result - every one to his own, but all will look less or more the same. For me its not to copy someone, but to make own style.

[Cyberek]

Ps, dont get me wrong... read all 100% of tips written here (before), in whole thread, try this by your self, and U will get where U want .

[morpheus1870]

My attempt.

[crazyfly1]

Morpheus1870, I like the first image. Not overdone, still looks like a photograph.

[morpheus1870]

Originally Posted by crazyfly1

Morpheus1870, I like the first image. Not overdone, still looks like a photograph.

Thanks crazyfly, have been trying to emulate the DH style for awhile now and can't seem to get any better than my examples posted previously. I don't know how people get that smooth pastel look to the skin tones, when i d&b it never turns out even and flawless. What d&b method do you recomend? 50%grey softlight, traditional d&b tool, curves adjustment layer 1 highlight and one shadown with layer masks?

thanks

[crazyfly1]

Morpheus,
Personally I would forget about DH an work on perfecting what your doing, I like it better. My opinion the smooth pastel skin look will be something we look at in 15 years and go "wow, what were we thinking", not unlike the oversaturated films of the 70's.
As for D&B I can't tell you the best way, only what I use. I use the 50% grey layers (one each for lighten and darken) I don't use a curves layer as I want to train myself to see what I am burning and dodging without enhancment. I use overlay mode because I tend to overdue just about everything so when I'm finished with d&b and switch the layer to softlight it works out better. Also it seems that when I've pushed as far as I can in an area, in overlay that area starts to take on an orange cast so I know to stop.

I never use the d&b tool I use a white or black paintbrush. Reason for this is if you draw a couple lines of varying sizes in black on a white layer and then run over them with the dodge or burn tool you will see that when, for example you have the burn tool set to midtones and you run it over an area of midtones it acts like the tool just got bigger and it cuts a larger path through that section and then gets smaller again when you move to an area of light or dark. The brush tool does not behave that way and stays consistent throughout.

[superkoax]

Originally Posted by OperaFan1981

This is still on-going?

Yes it is...Are we getting any closer??? I think we are...how much closer you ask? Enough to keep it going

Originally Posted by Cyberek

So, heres my few words about my way :
- some ask if it is HDR - it is not
- some ask if it is few pictures connected together and mask work - it is not
- some ask if it needs good light - yes it needs... im lasy, bad ligtning meens more work, also its easy to get "halos" effect around edges... so it is about lightning (U can chceck shadows under the car, u will understand what i mean)
- some says, it needs a lot of time in Photoshop to get this effect - some yes, a lot no. Its more about preparing picture in the beginning, then to get the final look.

So, if U are a good photographer and can get good photo, with quite good lightning (2 Canon EX'es + 1 or 2 blends is enought if u know how use the light), then the rest is quite easy. Maybe today i will show u version with bad lightning to show what im writing about .

I understand what you are saying, BUTyour result isn't that good...It looks very lucis arts to me...So, maybe explain in more detail what you have done....Thanks for sharing...

Originally Posted by Mtmm

4 flashes. 3 softboxes and 1 ringflash and Wacom about 2,5 hours.

Your results are getting better and better each time....But your results are looking more like a mtmm photo/style and that is even better...thanks for putting in the effort to give us more ideas/inspiration and good tips...and thanks for the behind the scene...
As a side note, in your picture I would love to see more movement in the players...that is what I miss

Cheers

Gerry

[OperaFan1981]

I like the Morpheus' version. Still photographic! Right on.

Originally Posted by morpheus1870

My attempt.

[JD Spears]

Originally Posted by crazyfly1

Morpheus,
Personally I would forget about DH an work on perfecting what your doing, I like it better. My opinion the smooth pastel skin look will be something we look at in 15 years and go "wow, what were we thinking", not unlike the oversaturated films of the 70's.

Amen!!! I agree except I'm betting it will be more like 5 at best, rather then 15.

[superkoax]

sigh! Isn't wonderful?! Still after all this time we are still talking about what's hot and not with Dave Hill! Never thought that this thread would get this response, and all the different opinions that people have! We whent from d/b to lighting around post 325?!(haven't checked) and still people have to say what they don't like and do like about his style! AMazing! Every word count and every opinion is important!

KEEP POSTING

And thanks for sharing!


GErry

[skydog]

So Gerry...since you started this post what have you really learned? Again..the few that provide a good shot provide little details...just the tease...

[saby]

this thread should be summarized

[crazyfly1]

Saby, just read this page, pretty much sums it up.
Gerry is still really excited that he started this thread.
Some people are so enamored of this mediocre photographer with the one style of retouching that it's passed laughable and gotten sad.
Others think he and his style are just a sign of the times, kinda like torture porn-it doesn't have to be good or artistic or rely on any of the rules that made Hitchock great cinema, just show lots of gore and the kids will buy it. Same thing, only not gore-grunge.
When a dave hill is posted here nobody raises an eyebrow, and when they realize it was a dave hill they say "oh well, that wasn't a good dave hill he was just messin around there"
BTW Cyberek, Gerry posted almost exactly the same comment when I posted a DAVE HILL, so if that's the look you want keep going you must be close.
If we look for some merit it's gotta be people like morpheus who are getting lot's of practice (and becoming quite good in his case) at d&b.
Oh and about the tecnique... survey says lots and lots of lights and lots and lots of d&B.
Of course as always, just my opinion I could be wrong.

[snook305]

Cyber your last post is just blah blah blah blah...
Are you really even saying anything in your posts??
Seriously!!
And I cannot believe you guys are still talking about lighting..
Yes the light is not just One..
But it is rather easy lighting.
THE LIGHTING has ZERO effect on the Cartoonish look that dave and others are getting..
Would you guys stop saying that.
2 kicker lights from the side and One key with some kind of Fill (re:ringflash)
is not Rocket Science!!
Dave's Pictures would be next to Boring if did not have his effect and his Punk looking Band members...
Un like many Great photographers who have several kinds of lighting and looks, Dave , Although very talented, has a One look show going and it will fade pretty quickly...
Snook

[Mtmm]

Wrong sport two.