How to achieve this look?

[kimwillard]

I have been looking at this website and was wondering if anyone knows how she is getting this effect in Photoshop.
http://briannagraham.typepad.com/bri...---senior.html

[grannysdc]

According to her site, she will be glad to show you how she achieves her 'LOOK'..

This is from her pages:

"Brianna Graham Workshops...
Find out how Brianna Graham connects with her subjects in her workshops. Choose between the two day: Urban Session Workshop (which concentrates on natural lighting) or the two day: Studio Lighting Workshop (which focuses on studio lighting in a studio setting) and in select events, both are offered as one collective 3 day Workshop, combining the best of both. All three workshops narrow the focus of the last day to marketing, upselling to clients, unique product offerings, and the art of post production (ie; very intensive Photoshop post processing secrets, tips, techniques, etc...) "

Registration NOW OPEN for All 2009 Dates

March 1 - 2: Location: Sacramento, CA
March 29 - 30: Location: Austin, TX
April 26-27: Location: Grand Rapids, MI
May 10 - 11: Location: Salt Lake City, UT
May 31 - June 1: Location: Washington DC
July 26 - 27: Location: Seattle, WA
October 18 - 19: Location: Grand Rapids, MI

Price: $1150 (Add $500 for additional studio lighting day) call 616.855.2196 with any questions or to register over the phone.

Accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express and PayPal payments. Please view the "Details" page on this website for more detailed instructions!

http://www.briannagrahamworkshops.com/index2.php

[igot2pman]

Start with a very good picture. One with a forground, Middle(subject), background. Low apiture for selective focus. Tripod for best sharpness.

Looks to be:

1. Color correction (curves/levels)
2. Very high noise reduction
3. select shadow highlight
4. High contrast
5. Good sharpening
6. select surface blur (Multiple times)
7. D&B (lots!)
8. possibly some smudge (Hair)
9. painting with colors, (color blending mode)
10. Vibrence or sautation reduction for subject
11. Vibrence or sautation punch for select parts (background items)
12. gradients and/or vegenting tward the subject

Not the easyest things to do, hence the high price for the workshop.

Hope it helps,
-Keven

[kimwillard]

Thanks for the response. I am sure she is starting with a sharp image and that she uses a lot of lighting. I will try to work on one tonight with your info. I have looked at her website enough to know about the workshop. Just can't afford that at this time. Her photos really catch my eye though. Thanks!

[zhelong]

great "Look"

[garibaldi]

wow, i know nobody asked, but I must say, that "look" youre referring to is very cheesey, theres this magizone i get for free, I think its Rangefinder or something like that, anyway, it focusses a lot on portrait and wedding photographers, and it seems liek alot of those guys do that look, especially for senior portraits and such, to me I think it looks really dumb, and to be honest , the examples she has on her blog are bad, they are sloppy and way overcooked. JMHO

[Fade To Black]

Originally Posted by garibaldi

wow, i know nobody asked, but I must say, that "look" youre referring to is very cheesey, theres this magizone i get for free, I think its Rangefinder or something like that, anyway, it focusses a lot on portrait and wedding photographers, and it seems liek alot of those guys do that look, especially for senior portraits and such, to me I think it looks really dumb, and to be honest , the examples she has on her blog are bad, they are sloppy and way overcooked. JMHO

I must say, I love your work, and yes, for the most part, you're right. But admittedly, a lot of people love that look. General populace eat that crap up. Cheesy, yes, typical, yes, but it sells! Theres usually a line pros must walk in which they retain their true artistry, but at the same time, must whore themselves out. Me personally, I'd love to do some really different effects and crap for weddings, but it doesnt sell. Even the ones who are willing to try it a little bit want the same...old...cliche...photos time and time again.

[garibaldi]

Hey thanks! I wasnt trying to be offensive by my reply, and you are right, sometimes you gotta do what sells....why do you think I spend my friday nights in the mens room of the exit 9 rest stop of the NJ turnpike...ahhahahha just kidding!

Basically there is really no magic to that look, It really isnt a refined technique. What they are doing is really banging out the retouching on the face, smoothing is out with a sledgehammer...hows that for an oxymoron. Run a heavy surface blur and mask it on the skin., basically hide any detail. then go in and selectivley over saturate the colors, boost them beyond anything realistic that you would see with the naked eye. Then whack a shadow and highlight layer onto it, and perhaps mask some areas. then run a high pass filter to over do the sharpening effect, and then dupe the layer, run a gaussian blur over it and then change the blend mode to either soft light or overlay, that will give that sort of nuclear contrast. thats pretty much it, I myself have never done a picture like that, but I would bet you hands down that would yield what youre looking for. IMO the look wows merely because it is so in your face, but truth is that is is reached with the very heavy and liberal us use of global adjustment layers that sort of hide the fact that it is a ho hum image to begin with. Its like an average looking girl who bleaches her hair blonde, cakes on a ton of makeup and lets her tits hang out becasue shes wearing a severe push up bra. You can tell that it isnt really refined by the clear and obvious fact that there are halos around many of the elements, and there are severe color shifts through the image where there was dodging, and espically becasue the blacks and contrast are all clogged up....hence the need to try and salvage it with the shadow highlight layer, which just make it worse, then once the retoucher see all the color is fkd up, the go in and just saturate the crap out of it to try and make it better. Sort of like a dancer who messes up during a performance and plays it off like they meant to do that....but you know they really just screwed up. Another analogy is called polishing a turd, making chicken salad out of chicken shit, and things like that . LOL!

[Fade To Black]

Originally Posted by garibaldi

...Its like an average looking girl who bleaches her hair blonde, cakes on a ton of makeup and lets her tits hang out becasue shes wearing a severe push up bra...

Did we go to the same high school?

[garibaldi]

i went to all boys catholic school, so unfortunatley, I want privy to such high class eye candy! lol

[Insensitive.]

I agree, the style of retouching is tacky.

[phased]

Anyone else notice the models head is in exatly the same pose on every photo?? (exept the one where its leaning the other way:-)

I don't mind the post pro, aulthough I think its slighty too saturated for my taste.