Official "The Look" Thread

[skilove73]

ok i open the background in camera raw with your usual settings, clarity (not that much) contrast, color, ect.
in photoshop i play with curves to darken the shadow and lighten the highlights.
the flatten image
to bring out the details :
1.) Start with two copies of the image to be separated.
2.) Working on the bottom copy, run the gaussian blur filter at the intended pixel frequency (same as you would input into the HP filter).
3.) Selecting the top copy, choose Apply Image from the Image menu at top (Shift+Ctrl+A on PC; Cmd+Shift+A for Mac).
4.) In the Layer dialog, select the bottom layer which you blurred in step 2.
5.) In the Blending dialog, choose Subtract.
6.) Enter '2' into the Scale box, and '128' for the Offset.
7.) Preserve Transparency, Mask, and Invert should not be checked.
8.) Choose OK.
9.) Your top layer will now look much as a HP result, albeit a bit flatter. Set the Blend Mode to Linear Light. Opacity should remain at 100%.
Turn off the blurred layer and you have a sharpen image.
run this action on the background : http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/blogs/amica999/
then select the luminosity mask you want (dark, midtones or light)
apply the selection as a mask on the sharpen layer, play with opacity
copy the sharpen layer and apply different luminosity mask, this for every tone you want.
You have to practise and play with the blur radius, it takes time but it's very powerful to avoid the usual halos.

[HelloPiccadilly]

very very very useful thread on MM

[skilove73]

another compo based on the same tutorial as MM for local contrast
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3504/...9e7b57ee_o.jpg

[HelloPiccadilly]

It's getting better )
Is background HDR image?

[skilove73]

the background is not hdr, i used multiply blending, mask out light, and local contrast explained in MM + channel mixer (infrared with overlay or softlight blending)

[snook305]

Looks good. I prefer your other one. The guy in this one looks to big for the ambient. I would make him slighly smaller so it looks real.
Good job.
Are you doing the difference masking as well.?
Snook

[skilove73]

i use fluid mask to cut out the character.
regards

[Sam Bacon]

Interestin thread indeed!

Originally Posted by HelloPiccadilly

very very very useful thread on MM

What is MM? Or what is tutorial on MM?

[snook305]

MM= Model Mayhem, it's another retouching model forum.

Snook

[mikedimples]

Here's a retouch I did from a challenge thread on MM (just joined today). Seems like this thread would be the place for a good critique. Hit me!

full: http://a3.vox.com/6a0110184cd071860f011016ad26db860d-pi

Argh, just noticed the double brow. I'll fix that.

[d00dle]

what's the advantage of using skilove73's sharpen technique? I cant tell a different using unsharp mask, high pass, or this.

[Fadewoodarts]

Originally Posted by skilove73

my inspiration with your thread, thanks
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2590/...875ba26b_b.jpg

Man my email notification has been slacking on me, I didn't realize how many posts this thread has got over the last week!

@Skilove that pic is pretty damn slick, and also thanks for posting some links and tutorials.

I'll shall post a new image shortly.

@Snook, thanks as well, every image I do, I spend alil more time on than the one before.


@Morpheous "This image is sick! Please tell me your lighting setup!! I have one 580exII and two 430exII's can achieve the same effect with a three light setup? All the lights can be triggered via my canon ste-2. I also have a ring light modifier for the flash gun."

You can achieve the same if not better effects with a three light set up.. to be completely honest, I only used my ABR800 Ringflash for that shot, and let the sunlight give me some directional light as well. I have been working with a lot of sunlight lately, its fun.

[snook305]

I told some people in an older post that if you are on a Big Bugdet, in other words NO MONEY..:+}, you can buy 2 small mirrors and redirect full sun to the sides of the model to act like kickers. Not the greatest but works pretty well when you need it to..
and it is cheap.
Good job and keep up the good work.
Snook

[Sam Bacon]

Originally Posted by d00dle

what's the advantage of using skilove73's sharpen technique? I cant tell a different using unsharp mask, high pass, or this.

Neighther do I realise the purpose of this technique in this content...

Also:
Where can see the MM tutorial, please?
Thanks!

[Fadewoodarts]

Originally Posted by snook305

I told some people in an older post that if you are on a Big Bugdet, in other words NO MONEY..:+}, you can buy 2 small mirrors and redirect full sun to the sides of the model to act like kickers. Not the greatest but works pretty well when you need it to..
and it is cheap.
Good job and keep up the good work.
Snook

Yes I would like to make a shout out to my buddy Sun. Thank you Sun for always being there for me, and letting me use your free power without upping the bills. Thank you.

I really had no idea where I was going with this one, but here you go. I played around with a lot of things with this one..

http://www.fadewoodarts.com/ro8.png

[d00dle]

oh, snap. look really good. his leather is so shiny.

[Fadewoodarts]

Originally Posted by d00dle

oh, snap. look really good. his leather is so shiny.

Reminds me of Alien, for some reason haha. It looks like Alien Skin or something.

[Fadewoodarts]

*Sorry in Advance for the double post*

Was screwing around trying to create a Jill Greenburg effect... eh not the best but check it out...

http://www.fadewoodarts.com/stevenalbee.png

[Sam Bacon]

Very nice! Not really a JG impression, but very nice indeed.

[skilove73]

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2605/...1053a202_o.jpg
another interesting tutorial to work with to enhance details :
http://www.lightfocus.net/tutorials/...ent/photoshop/

[Sam Bacon]

Originally Posted by cypisek

Can you show before&after of your work it would be very helpful.thanks

Well, B&A would be great! But a screenshot of the layers would be fantastic!))

[skilove73]

i'll post the two images unprocessed within the next days
thanks

[manzneri]

Looking forward to see them

[Fadewoodarts]

Originally Posted by Sam Bacon

Very nice! Not really a JG impression, but very nice indeed.

Haha yeah, not a JG impression at all...

Mabe if I had him throwing some poo it would work.

[skilove73]

the two images uneretouched
the guy :
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2445/...eb0e04e7_o.jpg
the background
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3023/...deb0b087_o.jpg

[manzneri]

Someone tried to retouch any pictures yet with those advices that skilove73 gave earlier?

Before and after links, thanks...

[skilove73]

another before after
background raw:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/...64133d80_o.jpg
subject raw :
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2661/...407b7d24_o.jpg
final :
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/...2b255987_o.jpg

[Fadewoodarts]

Originally Posted by skilove73

another before after
background raw:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2639/...64133d80_o.jpg
subject raw :
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2661/...407b7d24_o.jpg
final :
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3454/...2b255987_o.jpg

Very cool Skilove, I am interesting in your fluid mask techniques lol, Ive tried it before and couldn't figure it out!

Regards
Fadewoodarts

[Svald7]

Originally Posted by manzneri

Someone tried to retouch any pictures yet with those advices that skilove73 gave earlier?

I tried several times but I get stuck on step # 5.) In the Blending dialog, choose Subtract.

The only dialog that includes Subtract as an option is in the Image-Calculations-blending, am I supposed to go into calculations at this point?

Svald

[d00dle]

Originally Posted by Svald7

I tried several times but I get stuck on step # 5.) In the Blending dialog, choose Subtract.

The only dialog that includes Subtract as an option is in the Image-Calculations-blending, am I supposed to go into calculations at this point?

Svald

nvm. ok, after image->apply image. u should get dialog w/ blending option, then change it to subtract.