Photo Retouching - - questions for skin tones. am I crazy?

namphoto · #1 02-06-2008, 08:25 PM

Shot this band, Tonight The Prom, and their bass player was fun to shoot, but maybe Im crazy, but however many times Ive tried to get a good skin tone, I felt like I was getting too much greens or magentas.. Give me a fresh eye and maybe some advice on what I can do to fix this.

Post:
http://flickr.com/photos/21484632@N0...n/photostream/

Original:
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/6...16smallat6.jpg

dataflow · #2 02-06-2008, 08:50 PM

this is what i would do (see result in attachment)

1)duplicate image(background)
2)goto Red channel
3)select all and copy & paste into "layers"
4)change the pasted image blending to "Overlay"
5)erase the eye area of the blended image (so its not dark)

thats it

edgework · #3 02-06-2008, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by namphoto

Shot this band, Tonight The Prom, and their bass player was fun to shoot, but maybe Im crazy, but however many times Ive tried to get a good skin tone, I feel like Im getting too much greens or magentas.. Give me a fresh eye and maybe some advice on what I can do to fix this.

What's your intention? If we can assume that your original shot was somewhat representational, then clearly you're not worrying too much about realism, so it's just a question of what kind of effect you want. Don't know how you're seeing green, however; the numbers, if anything, show a deficiency in cyan and an excess of yellow—unless that's the color you want. It doesn't look bad, and compared to the original, you've done some interesting things with it. But, if you want to balance things out a little more, try a selective color layer with -4M and +10C in the Reds and +4C, +3M and -12Y in the yellows. Use a loose mask to keep the shifts in the face.

namphoto · #4 02-06-2008, 10:15 PM

i meant i saw too much green and magenta before, toned those down, but i just felt i hadnt perfected a good skin tone. i wanted natural but desaturated colors, but still natural i guess. but another quick question, can you direct me to the difference between cymk and rgb and what should i use. thanks edge.

pixelzombie · #5 02-06-2008, 10:34 PM

green and magenta cancel each other out, so where are you seeing both colors?

namphoto · #6 02-06-2008, 10:57 PM

I meant once I saw greens and another time I saw too much magentas, not at the same time.

saby · #7 02-07-2008, 03:35 AM

I like Ur foto very mutch U boosted the pict may be less color to skin?

rovis · #8 02-07-2008, 07:13 AM

I think the skin tone is fine. the overall tone is quite warm so I would't worry about the "extra" yellow, If it looks right it is right? And yes, I have a well calibrated display.

derLitograph · #9 02-07-2008, 07:23 AM

Hi namphoto,

what is your technic to get this smooth look for your pictures?

Manuel

namphoto · #10 02-07-2008, 03:01 PM

@rovis, awesome awesome, i think ill just get rid of some of that yellow and ill be happy. it was probably just a long night and my eyes were trickin me.

@derlitograph
its nothing complicated, color adjustment and saturation and shadows and highlights in raw, then some levels curves a gradient map. and then alot of direct painting and softlight gray layer painting, USM and then a small texture layer.
focus on your lighting if youre a photographer first though.

derLitograph · #11 02-08-2008, 12:44 AM

thank you namphoto.
I often heard that it is the lightning setup and also dodge and burn.
But HOW did YOU learn it? Is there a book or something? I never found a tutorial about it.

namphoto · #12 02-08-2008, 06:25 AM

man, if I had a book to learn what Ive learned so far, Id feel more confident to explain it.. I just experimented from other things I learned, mainly through this website. Also just looking at ALOT of photos, and reverse engineering-looking at the photo and working backwards. Lighting and DnB, in MY work is crucial, along with working with the right colors, making sure I have detail in every area of the photo I want there to be. So before you start editing a photo, make sure when you take that photo, you dont have blown out highlights or lose detail in your shadows. Idk if I have time Ill try to make a little more indepth and general tutorial.

derLitograph · #13 02-08-2008, 06:30 AM

ok. understand. That's the same way I do it. Watch, try & learn.
A in depth tutorial would be great

keiser · #14 02-08-2008, 07:33 AM

Love the photo.

Did some high pass sharpen and painted on 50% grey for shadows and highlights