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

[jimi62]

Try this approach in camera Raw or Lightroom with a RAW image.

•Recovery = 100
•Fill Light = 100
•Blacks = Drag this slider to the right until photo looks balanced again, because setting the Fill Light at 100 will wash the photo out big time. In our example, I dragged it to 24
•Contrast = 100
•Clarity = 100
•Vibrance = 100
•Saturation = -81 (basically what I do here is drag the saturation all the way to the left, to -100 (which removes all color, making it a black and white image), and then I slowly drag back to the right until some of the color starts to return to the image.
If after making these settings, the image looks way too bright, you may have to decrease the Exposure just a little bit, by dragging the Exposure slider to the left. If it’s too dark; increase the Exposure (so basically, those are starting points).

The thing I learned, that “aha” moment from looking at Dave Hill’s images is that the skin on everybody (including the men) is silky smooth. In fact, it’s the level of skin smoothing we’d normally apply to photos of women, but most of the images on Dave’s site are men.

apply a 20 pixel Gaussian Blur to the entire image, then lower the Opacity of this layer to 50%. Then I add a Layer Mask to this layer (click the Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers palette); get the Brush tool, choose a soft-edged brush, and then paint over his skin, while avoiding his eyes, eyebrows, lips, teeth, nostrils, hair—-these are details areas you want to keep crisp.

This is not mine, it's from the NAPP web site and works very well with no High Pass Sharpening.

Jimi

[Mtmm]

Originally Posted by jimi62

Try this approach in camera Raw or Lightroom with a RAW image.

•Recovery = 100
•Fill Light = 100
•Blacks = Drag this slider to the right until photo looks balanced again, because setting the Fill Light at 100 will wash the photo out big time. In our example, I dragged it to 24
•Contrast = 100
•Clarity = 100
•Vibrance = 100
•Saturation = -81 (basically what I do here is drag the saturation all the way to the left, to -100 (which removes all color, making it a black and white image), and then I slowly drag back to the right until some of the color starts to return to the image.
If after making these settings, the image looks way too bright, you may have to decrease the Exposure just a little bit, by dragging the Exposure slider to the left. If it’s too dark; increase the Exposure (so basically, those are starting points).

The thing I learned, that “aha” moment from looking at Dave Hill’s images is that the skin on everybody (including the men) is silky smooth. In fact, it’s the level of skin smoothing we’d normally apply to photos of women, but most of the images on Dave’s site are men.

apply a 20 pixel Gaussian Blur to the entire image, then lower the Opacity of this layer to 50%. Then I add a Layer Mask to this layer (click the Layer Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers palette); get the Brush tool, choose a soft-edged brush, and then paint over his skin, while avoiding his eyes, eyebrows, lips, teeth, nostrils, hair—-these are details areas you want to keep crisp.

This is not mine, it's from the NAPP web site and works very well with no High Pass Sharpening.

Jimi

Camoon, that will generate a totally ruined photo. Try that with human model at full resolution and you´ll see. I am now certain that some "photographers" are totally blind.

If you are trying to emulate DH-style, do it always at full resolution and any flaws will be visible.

[jimi62]

WOW! Mtmm 10 minutes after I post the hint you're here to shoot it down.

I'm now certain that some "Photographers" are nothing more than arrogant "know-it-alls" and I'm also reminded why I rarely participate in forums, there's always a self appointed expert spouting off and shooting everyone down....

I'm certain your level of knowledge is much higher than the collective group of people here and at NAPP. Surely you know more about this subject than anyone, so why not show us how it's done Sensei...

No need to reply, I won't bother you with any more of my Blind hints, but feel free to KMA.

[rudym]

If take a look at page 43 and page 45 showed what he can do but not a hint of how it was done.

[Mtmm]

Originally Posted by jimi62

WOW! Mtmm 10 minutes after I post the hint you're here to shoot it down.

I'm now certain that some "Photographers" are nothing more than arrogant "know-it-alls" and I'm also reminded why I rarely participate in forums, there's always a self appointed expert spouting off and shooting everyone down....

I'm certain your level of knowledge is much higher than the collective group of people here and at NAPP. Surely you know more about this subject than anyone, so why not show us how it's done Sensei...

No need to reply, I won't bother you with any more of my Blind hints, but feel free to KMA.

Well cry me a river. You can shoot out that technigue by yourself just trying it. Just try it. And if NAPP:s guality is reflected in your post, I would never ever pay that membership. Even a monkey can see the difference between that "everything to the max" and Dave Hill.

And if that softing method is also from NAPP, I will LMAO.

[rudym]

Mtmm i like the result that you have posted. Thank you. do you have any advise for us newbies

[Mtmm]

Buy tons of lighting equipment and stay out of those "NAPP is da best" tutorials. Sadly if anyone ever gets there, he/she will not reveal that secret.

What DH-look is not:

- Over used high pass
- NAPP kind of "everything to the max" shit.
- HDR (models)
- Only Lucis

What DH-look is/might be:

- Superb lighting (a fact)
- Lots of D/B with skillz, I mean lots of it pixel by pixel

After that? Dunno.

[rudym]

"Sadly if anyone ever gets there, he/she will not reveal that secret. "
Mtmm Thank you for your reply.

[rudym]

Mtmm keep up the good work and keep posting more photos.

[rudym]

CaptainHook I like your work thank you for your input.

[Mtmm]

I did buy that Ghostface killah book just to examine photos. I must say that DH:s style is so pure, there is no flaws. And when printed, there isn´t so much visible retouching, photos do look more natural, I am pretty sure, that lighting is over 50% of DH:s style.

Retouching shouldn´t be the point in this, when photo looks natural but still somehow unreal, we are there. Usually clones will look over retouched and retouching is so present, that it will over run natural look too much.

I suggest everyone to go and find some prints from DH and look at those masterpieces.

[rudym]

name of the book is "The World According to Pretty Toney"

[snook305]

Mtmm..
You keep squrming out of showing us something...
You and Obsilia (sp) are the only 2 that I have seen come close..
And you keep hassling others here when they post there try's..
What's up?
When you going to bust out the tutorial on how YOU got your images...
Not Dave Hill..
And for Godsake stop posting the lighting you people!!!!
The Lighting is BASIC lighting... 2 kickers and frontal key with some kind of fill.
Now back to the Post production of the process.
Mtmm you posted a good example..
Now why don't you help others here and post your POST processing apart from Dodging and Burning..
I think all would appreciate it...
After all looking at your posts.. you only have posting in this thread and continue to post only here..
So why don't you just post your basic steps... again Leaving out the lighting if you want...:+}
Funny Mtmm how this is the Only thread you write on...:+}
We are ALL waiting.....
If you say it is all lighting and D&B why don't you post a small PSD with your layers so we can see it is just lighting and D&B...
would be really easy for you as it should be just 2 layers right..?
I'll host if needed..
Don't be a troll... as I am starting to get that feeling from your post!
Thanks
Snook


PS...
Just took a look back and you babble a lot Mtmm..
Clearly on pages 42-43 -44-45 you have some examples that are really close if not closest enough to dave hill.
Please post your steps like SO MANY have asked you kindly and you continue to beat around the bush about how it is lighting..
Well prove it..
Some already asked you for a untouched image for comparison and you keep denying it and saying it is lighting..
Well post a small jpeg straight from the camera if that is so...:+}
Anybody else with me on this??

[TreesOfMyTime]

Originally Posted by snook305

Mtmm..
You keep squrming out of showing us something...
You and Obsilia (sp) are the only 2 that I have seen come close..
And you keep hassling others here when they post there try's..
What's up?
When you going to bust out the tutorial on how YOU got your images...
Not Dave Hill..
And for Godsake stop posting the lighting you people!!!!
The Lighting is BASIC lighting... 2 kickers and frontal key with some kind of fill.
Now back to the Post production of the process.
Mtmm you posted a good example..
Now why don't you help others here and post your POST processing apart from Dodging and Burning..
I think all would appreciate it...
After all looking at your posts.. you only have posting in this thread and continue to post only here..
So why don't you just post your basic steps... again Leaving out the lighting if you want...:+}
Funny Mtmm how this is the Only thread you write on...:+}
We are ALL waiting.....
If you say it is all lighting and D&B why don't you post a small PSD with your layers so we can see it is just lighting and D&B...
would be really easy for you as it should be just 2 layers right..?
I'll host if needed..
Don't be a troll... as I am starting to get that feeling from your post!
Thanks
Snook


Photoshop...
Just took a look back and you babble a lot Mtmm..
Clearly on pages 42-43 -44-45 you have some examples that are really close if not closest enough to dave hill.
Please post your steps like SO MANY have asked you kindly and you continue to beat around the bush about how it is lighting..
Well prove it..
Some already asked you for a untouched image for comparison and you keep denying it and saying it is lighting..
Well post a small jpeg straight from the camera if that is so...:+}
Anybody else with me on this??

I think many of the others that think along these lines have left because of the insults. Most come to learn and contribute.

[Mtmm]

Here is a total raw image, only lighting. Now Snook will say that this is not a raw(not edited) file?

http://www.bodynet.fi/kuvat/raaw.jpg