How Do You Do This Effect - I Can't Figure It Out!

[John Brode]

I've tried to re-create this a dozen different ways, and I cannot duplicate the effect. Nothing fancy was done with the camera because I saw the original a couple years ago and it was a pretty standard color photo, but I didn't keep it. This is all Photoshop.

All suggestions or sample photos would be appreciated.

Thanks, John

[Peter S]

I think this is similar to what you want.
Used a Curves AL and made it M shaped, then added a Gradianr map AL set to black to white and tweaked slightly, then a little levels adjustment.

Hope it gets you on your way.

Peter

[LonK]

Yes, like Peter says, this "solarization" effect can be done using curves, converted to B&W. (See attached for curve)

[John Brode]

Thanks guys,

I appreciate your versions and the M curve info and the graphic showing the curve adjustment. It helps a lot.

One of the things that I'm trying to accomplish with this technique is to be able to reduce or at least control the 'glare' factor and keep it as natural in it's lines and contrast as possible when using this radical of a process. You can even see freckles on the shoulder in the sample image.

I did find the original that the final "Blackness" version came from. Maybe that will help because it will give a common starting point and get rid of other variables such as different colors, lighting, etc., etc.

I look forward to more approaches to this end result.

Thanks much, John

[LonK]

This particular one can be gotten with a much simpler curve, John. If you convert to B&W first, you can preview the curve effect easier. You just have to keep adjusting slightly until you get exactly what you want.

[crazyfly1]

I took a cue from Lonk and used the solorize filter. Then I used Photoshops black and white conversion set to the blue preset.

[John Brode]

Thanks much for your replies and insight.

After trying and failing for ages, and I mean LOTS of attempts over a few months, I used your combined suggestions, and in less than 5 minutes came up with the image linked to the thumbnail below - You guys hit the bullseye. It needs a couple touches, but all images do and it's 99% there. I hadn't come anywhere close to that in my solo efforts. I'll get back to the touchups, but I wanted to get out a quick thanks for your feedback.

At the risk of seeming greedy, but not wanting to miss out on a great source when I've found it, I've found something that puzzles me about this and I want to figure it out. I've been trying to apply this same technigue to a photo of a friend of mine. While her features are a slightly darker and the garments a bit heavier, I can't see how that could keep me from making the effect work, but when I try, it comes out all harsh and blown out...

I'm hoping for some more suggestions.

Here's a link to a higher res 1 meg file and below is the thumb for the 100K version.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/318538983_dFQ5W-O-1.jpg


Thanks again, John

[crazyfly1]

Hey John, the effect doesn't work on every image the same. It's an issue of brghtness and contrast and the effect that solarize has as well as the effect that the bw conversion has on different colors.
I used levels an ran the midtone slider up to make the face lighter. Then I did solarize, then bw with the blue preset but the tweeked the individual sliders to lighten the effect on the eyes and skin.
I believe it's the same method it will just take some messing around with the levels or curves on the origional before you solorize.

[Peter S]

M curve
Grad Map
Levels
D&B on eyes

Peter

[Darkhorse]

I hope you can see this - my first attempt to upload a picture, being a newbie.

Technique here was
* convert to grayscale
* solarize filter
* play with curves, brightness-contrast
time: about 3 minutes
--DCW

[John Brode]

Thanks all for your info - I'm learning a lot

A note to Peter S: Any chance to get more of the specifics of the settings that achieved the top half - I think that's a very interesting version. Much darker but would be great on some images that the other approach doesn't work on as noted by CrazyFly above. I'd also really be interested in seeing it applied to the whole image.

I appreciate your efforts and would like to be able to re-create it.

Thanks, John

[crazyfly1]

Hey John, I gave it another try. You'll see I tried to make your origional as close to the other origional as I could as far as tone and contrast. I did it all in raw, lowered the luminance on the lips and lightened the face, darkened the sweater. used the same process as before in Photoshop. Just had to play with the sliders some in bw. Th eyes arnt' quite the same because the other girl has blue eyes and yous has brown. You'll see a ring on top of the forehead, that's the deeper tone of orange in the skin caused by the shadow of the hat.
If you take it from camera raw into ps as a smart object, you could do the whole treatment and then open it in camera raw again and make adjustments there to color/luminance that will update on the image still in ps. I think with a couple of tries and going back and forth you could see what is causing which effect and get it nailed down pretty good.

Oh btw, it haskind of a gritty look, I think you could get rid of that with the color slider in details in raw. I see it as being an issue with oversaturation (I bumped vibrance up) and not with skin texture.

[Peter S]

Originally Posted by John Brode

Thanks all for your info - I'm learning a lot

A note to Peter S: Any chance to get more of the specifics of the settings that achieved the top half - I think that's a very interesting version. Much darker but would be great on some images that the other approach doesn't work on as noted by CrazyFly above. I'd also really be interested in seeing it applied to the whole image.

I appreciate your efforts and would like to be able to re-create it.

Thanks, John

Thanks for that, but it was just as I said in the first post, plus a levels AL and a little dodging to brighten the eyes, as they had gone darker than I wished.
The levels adjust was the the trickiest bit, I just kept playing with all the sliders till ....
I preferred the grad map AL way to desaturate, as it still remains adjustable later.

Peter.