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

[julianmarsalis]

Originally Posted by snook305

This guys stuff is pretty dar good. I like it much more so than Dave Hill. But now I get where dave copied his style from.
Snook

PS.
Sorry was shooting all day today and could not post it earlier.

Check this guys out.

http://www.garylandphotography.com/

I like the work his B&W work is so crisp very nice and his other work is cool but some stuff just looked over done all in all tho very nice work.

[d00dle]

Originally Posted by DJSoulglo

Funny, just retouched a campaign that he shot. He's a nice guy. He's also really into post himself, which makes it nice to work with him.

Attached something from the campaign.

pretty high end stuff.

[mikedimples]

Thanks Flashtones, I'm flattered that you'd be curious about my process.

As you can see I suck at photography, so I really have to rely on post. I used many dodge and burn curves adjustment layers to mold the highlights and shadows into aesthetically pleasing shapes (I rely on my mild understanding of facial anatomy -- bones and muscles -- as well as my understanding of how light hits form to guide my dodge and burn.) Basically, just painting with light.

Then I cheaped out and used that nik color effect pro filter-set to give him a nice tan, and the color cast.

I ended with a gradation that's dark in the middle and light on the left and right side, the pillar shaped gradient - set to soft light This was to try to exaggerate the rim lighting, and surprisingly was very effective.

Oh, and massive symmetry correction -- in fact here's the updated version. Now I know I shouldn't have bounced my flashes. More direct lighting brings drama.



Throughout the dodge and burning, I retouched his skin, then smart sharpened it

[snook305]

Which filter to get the tan?
I like the tan look you got, looks just right not like to yellowy..
Thanks
Snook

[mikedimples]

I came across it by pure luck, and was thrilled. I applied it to a duplicate layer, then turned down the opacity until it looked nice.

The filter is in Nik's Color Efex Pro 3.0 set, and it's called "contrast color range."

For the settings: put the hue tab in the reds, then mess with the brightness and contrast options.

[mikedimples]

I just looked at your website Snook, and I think your work is just beautiful. I hope I'm a good a photographer as you some day. I started earlier this year (saved up and bought a G10, and I'm very happy with it so far, although I don't really have anything to compare it to so far What camera do you use?

[snook305]

Thank you Mike I appreciate it..
Really the site does not even show half my work b/c I like to keep things tight when I am doing a certain look. So that site is just mainly for commercial clients to look at so they get a basic idea of what I can do.
Thanks for the Nik tip I have never seen that and work a lot Nik filters..
See even the newer guy can help a Veteran...:+}
Thanks and feel free to ask any questions any time. Just don't ask me about Dave Hill...:+}
Snook

[d00dle]

look pretty good mike. look close to Jill.

snook, ur a pro. beautiful photographs. care to gimme some of beauties to practice for retouch?

[snook305]

Sure I could... But you can only use them to Practice on.. I have 31 megapixel Phase One back images if you want to try one out.
I think there is a thread where some guy offered and has posted some High rez images as well. Did you see that thread?
Snook

[d00dle]

Originally Posted by snook305

Sure I could... But you can only use them to Practice on.. I have 31 megapixel Phase One back images if you want to try one out.
I think there is a thread where some guy offered and has posted some High rez images as well. Did you see that thread?
Snook

that would be very kind of you. can i post it on deviantart? in a low res flash file anyways (before & after). i seriously dig through millions thread on here for quality images w/ professional models

[Flashtones]

Originally Posted by mikedimples

Thanks Flashtones, I'm flattered that you'd be curious about my process.

As you can see I suck at photography, so I really have to rely on post. I used many dodge and burn curves adjustment layers to mold the highlights and shadows into aesthetically pleasing shapes (I rely on my mild understanding of facial anatomy -- bones and muscles -- as well as my understanding of how light hits form to guide my dodge and burn.) Basically, just painting with light.

Then I cheaped out and used that nik color effect pro filter-set to give him a nice tan, and the color cast.

I ended with a gradation that's dark in the middle and light on the left and right side, the pillar shaped gradient - set to soft light This was to try to exaggerate the rim lighting, and surprisingly was very effective.

Oh, and massive symmetry correction -- in fact here's the updated version. Now I know I shouldn't have bounced my flashes. More direct lighting brings drama.



Throughout the dodge and burning, I retouched his skin, then smart sharpened it

Thanks for your thorough answer. And the update looks better still.

If I could make one small constructive suggestion it would be to smooth out that "tan line" around the left eye socket (in the latest version - after you flipped the image). I see it's in the original too, but it draws my eye too much. Smoothing it out would be the finishing touch.

[mikedimples]

Nice catch about the "tan-line." Actually, I moved the eye and forgot to blend it in -- so embarrasing.

Here's another attempt that I did today. It's not trying to emulate the Dave Hill style persay, but more of the general polished illustration/high contrast look. Any advice greatly appreciated!

link to full size: http://fc03.deviantart.com/fs49/f/20...ikedimples.jpg

[DaveTeu]

Hi Mike, very very impressed with your artwork. Any tips to share for beginner?

[mikedimples]

Thanks Dave -- I'd say learn to draw! I know it's painful, but helps so much. I strongly recommend you go buy one month at Lynda.com and have some tutorial marathons, that's what I did. You can even go and preview many of them first for free! After you're an intermediate photoshop user, start watching and reading all the tutorials you can find on advanced photoshop and retouching.

Also start learn photography (LIGHTING), some makeup artistry, some graphic design (mainly composition and color theory), perspective, and basic anatomy. Those are all areas of study that will benefit you greatly as a retoucher. I recently lost all my bookmarks or I'd give you some of my favorite links.

The best advice I can give is to develop a love of learning new things on your own. Force yourself to use keybindings/shortcuts.Teach yourself how to teach yourself. Good luck!

[Mtmm]

Beware of Nik filter, it sometimes crashes photoshop. Remember always save before going to Nik.

[snook305]

Originally Posted by Mtmm

Beware of Nik filter, it sometimes crashes photoshop. Remember always save before going to Nik.

Real men do it with masking and local contrast.. So no need for your Nik tonal contrast or Bleach bypass filter you are using..
Plug ins are for girls and Newbie photoshoppers...

It is probably crashing on your pirated copy you have. Buy a real copy and it should not crash!!

You have been so helpful lately Mtmm it is amazing... Have you turned over a new leaf?

Snook

[Mtmm]

I´m not talking about bleach bypass of tonal contrast. Just warning that Nik filter can crash photoshop, so always save before going into Nik. You can google it, a typical bug at least in OSX. Try cross prosessing in Nik, it´s a bug.

Real men dont whine like you. So get over it.

I have helped some users via email already. But sorry, I dont answer to your love letters to me. Please, leave me alone, don´t spam my email.

[Flashtones]

Snook, do you ever fear that as a professional photographer some art directors will witness how you conduct yourself on message boards and decide not to hire you out of fear you wont get along with the creative team?

[DJSoulglo]

Originally Posted by d00dle

pretty high end stuff.

Well I do a lot of adidas and Omega stuff these days, so yeah I guess it is pretty high end. Thanks.

[snook305]

Originally Posted by Flashtones

Snook, do you ever fear that as a professional photographer some art directors will witness how you conduct yourself on message boards and decide not to hire you out of fear you wont get along with the creative team?

Yeh, About as worried as Dave Hill is having you discover his technique..

Snook

[mikedimples]

I think Snook's quippy, brutally honest responses add to the message board. Come on, you have to admit it can be entertaining seeing the response to a Snook post by a 15 year old blur retoucher after they're facebook retouch was ripped apart for the travesty that it is. There's got to be both nice, sugar coated critiques as well as the Snooks approach.

[Flashtones]

It's not snook's critiques I'm referring to, it's the pissing contests, one-upmanship and petty squabbles I've seen here and on Luminous Landscape.

Entertaining? Sure, in a traffic accident sort of way. Would I be concerned for him if he were posting anonymously? Not deeply, he'll probably outgrow it eventually. But do I think it's good self-promotion for a pro? Not in the least. The internet is global and lasts forever.

But if he's not concerned about his professional reputation I wont sweat it for him either. Carry on, gents.

[CaptainHook]

I think Snook is just filling a bit of the void Ant seems to have left. Good on him.

[snook305]

Hey Flashtones you seem to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed.
That came from left field.
In any case better that you hide behind your anonymous name as that shows what kind of person you are.

I usually tried to help most people in most forums but there are a few boneheads like your self that I have to deal with every once in a while.
Sorry you had such a bad day..
Tomorrow is always another day...

PS. I do not use filters on my thoughts and am quite fine that way.
You also sound like you have a slight case of paranoia if you think clients are in here worrying about what I write. I should hope most would agree with what I have to say.

Watch out you do not want to seem like the stupid one here.

And to tell you the truth I do not even have any idea what you are talking about.
Because I said some things about some 15 year pimple face kid who is what most forums call a LEECH. That has upset you..
Get a life or better yet keep your comments to yourself...

Snook

[Flashtones]

Snook, it was meant as constructive criticism. I shouldn't have bothered. Peace.

[waffeliron]

Calm down ladies!

[snook305]

Originally Posted by Flashtones

Snook, it was meant as constructive criticism. I shouldn't have bothered. Peace.

Last comment I'll make about it but how could your statement be constructive?
Basically you are doing to me what you claim to have done to others.
Putting gas on the flame. And you might get burnt.
Snook

[chabashvili]

Got a question on Dave Hill retouching: in one of his posts on his old blog (photographyisrad) one of the users told him that he had omitted one thing on one of the G-unit shots (the one where they get out of the car). The guy said that on 50Cents right hand there was black and white segment, and he added that this probably was used for applying color to the skin. And in his comment Dave agreed that he actually forgot about it and that it was for skin color. (I hope i remember all this correctly) Could anybody here explain how bw conversion of skin helps in better applying skin color?

[Flashtones]

He might use it for texture and contrast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr12ZfPK2co

[chabashvili]

Originally Posted by Flashtones

He might use it for texture and contrast:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vr12ZfPK2co

He might ( i saw this video, which is awesome), but I do remember that both Dave and the user, were referring to color. Any ideas?