adam elmakias

[kylejackson]

his stuff is pretty good, a little overprocessed for me but still. i'm more interested in this picture than anything, on how he got the sky to look sort of hdr ish.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/elmakias/2966815976/

edit: please don't point me to the dave hill thread.

[Steve Payne]

I imagine all will be revealed here:

http://dvd.adamelmakias.com/

[kylejackson]

no way!!!!!

[Steve Payne]

ummm... way.

[kylejackson]

aside from the smartass remarks, i'm pretty interested in learning how to do this manual hdr. not really the lighting or d&b dave hill style stuff.

[Steve Payne]

What you don't seem to understand is the example photo you linked to is the exact same photo that is used in his dvd tutorial that I linked to.

It has everything to do with the 'lighting' and the 'd&b dave hill style stuff' as you put it. But that's not of any interest to you, so I don't know what to suggest...

...and I think the first smartass remark came from you with your "No way!!!!!" comment, so how about you just chill out a little bit poncho.

[kylejackson]

i realize that.

[holgaman]

Kyle,
He's probably applying local contrast. You can try it like this - make a duplicate layer, go to filter - other - high pass. Set to 6 pixels, apply, and then change blending mode to soft light. For more effect try hard light or overlay, but watch out for halos. You can then mask out areas like skin that you don't want to be affected. You can get much better results with a plug-in called Photo Lift by Pixel Vistas. It has a lot more control and is really great on making clouds pop.

[namphoto]

How do you get this look? Start with a big ass softbox. You can't recreate the way shadows fall in photoshop.. well you probably could but I don't imagine it being very good.

[chillin]

In photoshop D&B using luminosity blending.

[Gee]

badaboom.
he doesnt use photoshop propertly.
he do levels/curves/sat on the picture itself (...)
and sells a retouch dvd.

[SymbolPhoto]

Dude has one photo...

[snook305]

He bought the Joey Lwarence DVD and has just copied it.. even the models with Blood..
He is a loser for copying..
Snook

[longside1]

I agree Snook. Read the guys "About Page" he has his head so far up his own arse it's untrue!

[prizo]

Originally Posted by longside1

I agree Snook. Read the guys "About Page" he has his head so far up his own arse it's untrue!

Whoa. There's self-promotion then there's that.

[longside1]

Originally Posted by prizo

Whoa. There's self-promotion then there's that.

ha ha ha! I know, it's absurd! His bio is the best self motivation script i have ever read, all I want to do now is go out and take better photos than him!

Re: his tutorial video, I read over on the Strobist group on flickr that it wasn't very good. The guy got burned big time, apparently he doesn't even use adjustment layers...but when you're that good do you really need to? !!

[aixchel]

JoeyL's video didn't use adjustment layers either.

[longside1]

Originally Posted by aixchel

JoeyL's video didn't use adjustment layers either.

Although he didn't use adjustment layers, if I remember correctly in his vid he says that other methods exist for acheiving an effect...such as adjustment layers with masks...

[LaurenW]

-content removed-

[klam]

To the OP question. my take is that he under exposed the sky, scene, he pretty much shut out a lot of ambient light to get the clouds that look. Look at his camera data. f/13 @ 1/160 of second. He underexposed everything and used alien bee strobes to bring back the correct exposure for the subject while keeping the sky/scene under exposed.

[garibaldi]

I cant wait until this look falls flat on its face and dies. All of these pictures look the same. I just threw up in my mouth a little bit again

[klam]

I do like this look with some images. . Joe McNally has an awsome pic using this technique. But it's really more about the/your "vision" and the technique is used to help mold that "vision" which some do really well.

Originally Posted by garibaldi

I cant wait until this look falls flat on its face and dies. All of these pictures look the same. I just threw up in my mouth a little bit again

[Caesium]

Aww, I must have missed the "About Me" page.

[markd]

Hey Guys, Adam here

Figured I would try to do a little bit of damage control here

Originally Posted by prizo

Whoa. There's self-promotion then there's that.

My apologies on the old bio, my manager at the time had written it to get me jobs, It wasn't really my call and I think I was 17 or 18 when he originally wrote it. I am a pretty simple person and the last thing I would want you to think is that I am full of myself, but I totally understand the assumption, I even felt bad about it. Sorry about that!

[markd]

Originally Posted by LaurenW

im slooow to the uptake.. but i know this guy.. until he moved to cali he was my biggest competition here in WI...

He's got his head soo far up his butt its not even funny >.<
He's not good enough to be selling "his own" dvd.. i edit with alot of the same techniques, that i learned from him before he became a bigshot and was actually still nice.. and you dont see me trying to sell a dvd of that stuff.

If you are gonna spend the money, get the Joey L one.. thats where both he and i learned most of our techniques.

Well, to start off, I am adam, nice to meet you. I don't think we have ever met, and if we have well hello again.

Yes, my own dvd. I made it in my basement during the winter in wisconsin which I am sure you know is nearly impossible to shoot in. I came up with all the content on the dvd while I was locked up in a psych ward for two weeks. A lot of the techniques, like any technique are rehashed and revamped techniques of other photographers/ designers that I have worked with and learned from in the past. One is Joey L. He is hands down one of the nicest guys I have learned from and helped me out a lot when I was 16.

I would never try to argue for someones money, my reasoning behind the dvd was that I was receiving emails with questions similar to this thread, and I simply didn't have enough time to go as in depth as I would have liked to with each person, so I made a dvd. It is very DIY as I know nothing about DVD production, but it definitely gets my points across and I felt that was the important part. I put a lot of time into it and had a blast making it. My goal was never to really sell many of them, just have it available if anyone need it!

Sorry for any confusion or any assumed "head up my butt-ness" because of my efforts. I never became a big shot, in fact I still can't afford a bike. I am just trying to have a good time, as I hope you do is well.

Best of luck in WI, it's a cold one out there.

edit: just reread my post, and to avoid further personal attacks- i seldom post online outside of my blog merely because I can never successfully get my point across. The tones are always off, so the tone for this was supposed to be serious and friendly, not sarcastic or anything of the sort. Hope this all helps

cheers

[markd]

Originally Posted by Caesium

Aww, I must have missed the "About Me" page.

I wish I still had it laying around, searched my e-mail but I must have deleted it. It was a good laugh.

[markd]

Originally Posted by LaurenW

im slooow to the uptake.. but i know this guy.. until he moved to cali he was my biggest competition here in WI...

He's got his head soo far up his butt its not even funny >.<
He's not good enough to be selling "his own" dvd.. i edit with alot of the same techniques, that i learned from him before he became a bigshot and was actually still nice.. and you dont see me trying to sell a dvd of that stuff.

If you are gonna spend the money, get the Joey L one.. thats where both he and i learned most of our techniques.

I have no problem with people not liking my work, thats okay. Thats the fun part with this stuff, you can like and hate whatever you want. Its the personal attacks I have a problem with, so please, don't go there. We don't need it, we are just one community trying to have a good time and share our experiences with each other.

Feel free to e-mail me with anything, I always answer.

best of luck with you endeavors.

much love
ae

[Flashtones]

Haha, awesome entrance. Welcome, Adam. Stick around.

[LaurenW]

Originally Posted by markd

.

i know i already have spoken to you about this adam, but i'd like to make another formal apology here.
I have no ill will against you.. I'm actually a big fan of your stuff, fairly jealous to some extent
I just got the internet again recently after not having it since about christmas, and i've discovered that a former colleague and someone i thought was a friend of mine hacked into my email and multiple web accounts of mine while i was without internet. They have been saying nasty things on boards and sending rude messages to clients and friends.
I sincerely apologize for what was said by this person!
And while i have never had the privilege of working with you, i do hope to as some point in some setting
Lauren

[Caesium]

This guy seems spot on to me. He certainly took the "Welcome to RP, here's your lashing" introduction better than some other dvd authors who make an occasional appearance around here!

Adam, I'd have a beer with you anytime (unless you aren't old enough, in which case I would offer ya a mean Shirley Temple).