How to get bronzage?

[mijo999]

Hi all,

My name is Mikael, and I work as a freelance photographer, mainly in fashion and PR.

Now, I stumbled upon ta site where I found som fantastic pics with a bronzage tone.

I am quite experience in PS work, but this one is a mystery to me.

Does any of all you skilled people around here have a clue how to achieve this?

[madclark]

Easiest is to add a Hue/Saturation layer and darken and desaturate Reds.

[LonK]

Try lightening a decent image about 10%, duplicate it, then set to Multiple blend mode. That should get you goin' in the right direction.

[Andy Bird]

I'm with you … Similar to LonK but perhaps more subtle

If you have started with good, dynamic lighting, giving good definition:

Duplicate
Completely DeSaturate the copied layer
Soft Light the copied layer
Mask off the bits which you want to keep black detail in.

If you'd like, do this after doing your skin retouching and d&b layer.

Originally Posted by LonK

Try lightening a decent image about 10%, duplicate it, then set to Multiple blend mode. That should get you goin' in the right direction.

[mijo999]

Thanks for the helpful comments!

I've tried it and it goes in the right direction, but there is still something in the process missing I believe.

Well, I'll keep on working to get my bronzage look!

Best regards,

Mike from Sweden

[Andy Bird]

Yeah I know what you mean.
That technique actually only really works if you use Bronzer or Shimmer (Make Up) in front of the camera. It looks stunning.

Put up a photo when you find the magic!