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

[egnoc]

I posting my attempt. How you think?

[djslyda]

im trying the luminosity masks method but i have a question, what are we supposed to be doing with the shadows, i was making them darker like when i d and b but the dave hill style has details in the shadows, they are not just black, so do we make them darker or lighter lol?

[RooB]

Originally Posted by Adrian Payne

I don't think we ALL do...
It's just amusing that people start these threads and want info on how to turn a natural light photo into a Dave Hill photo with Shadow Highlight & High Pass!

If you're going to complain about how people are trying to learn something, who don't know how to go about it, then teach them the right way.

Don't just sit there and say, "You're doing it wrong! You're doing it wrong! You're doing it wrong!"

You're obviously good at what you do, either show them how to do it, or just say nothing at all, because being condescending towards people who are doing the best they can with what they're familiar with just makes you look bad.

[Adrian Payne]

touchy touchy!

[RooB]

All I'm saying is either contribute constructively, or leave those of us trying to learn alone. But hey, if you still want to stand on the podium and lecture people about their mistakes while teaching absolutely nothing, go ahead.

We all start somewhere, and learning is a process which you may have forgotten.

If this makes me touchy, so be it. I'll take touchy over trolling any day.

[Adrian Payne]

I'll wait till you're done preaching before I come to the podium.

Lighten up man!

[RooB]

Originally Posted by Adrian Payne

I'll wait till you're done preaching before I come to the podium.

Lighten up man!

Well, I apologize, I don't want it to be that I'm trying to take frustrations out on you.....

Maybe I seemed a little extreme in my post, but well, it can be frustrating when trying to get somewhere or learn something and someone is saying, "Nope, not that way" instead of saying, "No, not that way, try this way."

There's good criticism, and bad criticism, you know?

Either way, sorry.

*steps down from the podium*

[smanros]

Originally Posted by Adrian Payne

OK, I'll play along.

http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?i...829&size=large

P.S. I didn't once touch the Highlight / Shadows adjustment, or High Pass, or Unsharp Mask. Go Figure!

Kindly show the ORIGINAL photo so we could see the difference and hopefully learn more about the transition. Thanks.

[Adrian Payne]

http://homepage.mac.com/adriandavidp...ures/Bangg.jpg

http://homepage.mac.com/adriandavidp...res/Quarry.jpg

http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?i...829&size=large

I guess my big beef is with the Highlights & Shadows Adjustment. That combined with High Pass filtering drives me crazy. It is Lighting, Lighting, Lighting, Lighting, Lighting!!!!!!!!!!

I'm not perfect at it, but I've at least learned that it is SO much easier to do with a multi light setup. You have to have something to Dodge & Burn. Light & Shadows created by LIGHTING, gives you something to paint onto. Dave Hill, who incidentally lived right here in Nashville would Dodge & Burn for Hours the band photos he took for $100 a shoot. If you ever meet him ask him about his $100 a day gigs. Shadows play a big part in this that most people overlook. It is extremely difficult to create a "Dave Hill", "Jim Fiscus", "Joel Grimes", type look with a Natural light photo. Shadow Highlights adjustments just isn't going to get you there. Just go to Dave Hill's website and look at his personal work. No lights, he's just as Crappy as the rest of us

[djslyda]

thanks Adrian Payne for posting the original, i think most people will see that 90% of the effect is in fact there before you take it into photoshop, you still done a great job with the dodge and burn, loving your stuff on flickr by the way!

[Caesium]

Originally Posted by Adrian Payne

...who incidentally lived right here in Nashville...

Do you live in Nashville? I am opening my second studio/partnering on a 2nd studio there presently. If so, we should grab lunch sometime.

[cschirra]

@Adrian,
can you please correct the lighting below, thanks in advance.
1) Ringflash from camera axis as a fill light
2) Softbox from camera left as a main light?
3) Hard light from camera left and right behind the subject aimed at his head and shoulders to get the highlights

[Adrian Payne]

2 B800 into 24x24 gridded Softboxes from behind as rim. B800 into white 22" White Socked Beauty Dish up top in front center as key. Ring flash from waiste high in front as fill for abs.


P.S. Caesium we'll have to hook up...

[smanros]

thanks a bunch Adrian...i'm learning a lot! will also do some experiments on lighting.

[zogdart]

@ Adrian

For the backround image...what did you do to achieve this colors? i would be curious to see the original before the retouch...

Nice work!

[Adrian Payne]

The background I took 3 exposure HDR so there's really no original. Just Originals...
I did the HDR in photomatix, and the coloring in Lightroom.

[zogdart]

I tought there was sometigne to it!!!

Nice tone maping with photomatix.

Thank's for the response!

[santoro80]

Originally Posted by Adrian Payne

OK, I'll play along.

http://bighugelabs.com/onblack.php?i...829&size=large

P.S. I didn't once touch the Highlight / Shadows adjustment, or High Pass, or Unsharp Mask. Go Figure!

Great work! Could you please tell us what did you do in postproduction?

[Adrian Payne]

Post Production was aided by Pre Production. First I lit the shot with 4 lights creating shadows and highlights. I then just desaturated a little, dodged and burned the created shadows and highlights, placed him into my HDR background, I added a warming Filter layer, and sharpened with Smart Sharpen. I also added some extra sun spots here and there with a 10% white brush. I cannot stress enough how important LIGHTING is. I was not going for the Dave Hill look, but this one kinda looked similar to what he does so I thought I would share it.

[D4nY]

my try?!! but possible it isn't dave hill effect
so.. resources from deviantart.com .. last night i am bored and just start photoshop.. i have two version i dont know what is better.. soo... this is my first try and i dont want upload this photo other webpage/flickr.. etc only for here .. just i intrest retoucpro members critics ) (cutting is not very good..) work time: some minute.. :\

original: (stock model photo and HDR picture form DA) http://img710.imageshack.us/img710/4057/35409903.jpg
version1: http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/5276/79723762.jpg
version2: http://img805.imageshack.us/img805/8396/18465474.jpg

resources:
female: http://katanaz-stock.deviantart.com/...ck-43-71798484
HDR Background: http://paradax.deviantart.com/art/HDR-83397061

[Czarusek]

@D4nY... In a minute but you can urinate, and do not DH effect.
How do you become boring, go play in the sandbox.

[longside1]

Originally Posted by Czarusek

@D4nY... In a minute but you can urinate, and do not DH effect.
How do you become boring, go play in the sandbox.

Hey, that's bang out of order. Last time i bothered reading this thread I noticed nobody had nailed the Dave Hill look, I suspect neither yourself Czarusek.

Whilst D4nY may not have acheived the DH look, that doesn't give you the right to start taking the pi$$.

[garibaldi]

Click, click............Bang! Bang bang bang bang, bang , bang ,bang, bang, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click.....
does anyone have any more bullets?

[longside1]

Originally Posted by garibaldi

Click, click............Bang! Bang bang bang bang, bang , bang ,bang, bang, click, click, click, click, click, click, click, click.....
does anyone have any more bullets?

urgh...ya got me ;-)

Right, the shot below is prehaps more Greenberg / Dragan than Dave Hill, but as it is my last post on this god forsaken thread i don't give a $hit:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4142/...2a716d59_z.jpg

and guess what...not one single light used, all done with photoshop.

See ya.

[julianmarsalis]

People complain and complain but I have actually picked up quite a few nuggets from this thread that I added to my work flow.

A nice video attempt at a tutorial to produce a dh style not perfect but hey they are not DH lol.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MKQxvFo4lGQ

The key is learning different styles and techniques that can improve what you like and want to do better. Even if its just a little tip or trick or two....

[Czarusek]

@julianmarsalis what's been placed? what does this have to do with the effect dh?

do you really do not see the difference? on for months and nobody has learned nothing, since such entries appear if no one reads the previous posts to understand?

[Calvinhollywood]

Originally Posted by Czarusek

@julianmarsalis what's been placed? what does this have to do with the effect dh?

do you really do not see the difference? on for months and nobody has learned nothing, since such entries appear if no one reads the previous posts to understand?

I AGREE

lg Calvin

[julianmarsalis]

To me you can learn as much from peoples failed attempts as you can from successful ones its all about perspective the key is when people share how they are trying to achieve it that's where things can be learned. But hey like everything its just one mans opinion. When you just dismiss things out of hand is normally where your own growth is stunted.

[JohnnyL]

For the most part, I think i have an understanding on how his images are shot. Good glass, great model, lots of light, nd filters, right flash, ect.... As for the post goes im pretty sure most of us have the right idea as far as proper RAW conversion, multiple smart objects with various blending modes, light painting, reverse sharpening with surface blur, doge & burn, ect... Hes def. got his work down to a science tho. What I want to know is how hes making this rain look so good on this one image. ive seen rain done before (noise+motion blur) but this is the best ive seen to date. any ideas?

[marcchristopher]

Not that I have any idea how exactly he did that rain effect...
But that's a wonderful image, indeed. Thanks for posting it.