Hakan Celebi color proccess

LostHighway · #1 07-25-2009, 10:03 PM

Hi people, first of all, excellent community.
I usually read all the threads, but with the work the time was limited, now i'm on vacation and i want to open some discussion about the Hakan Celebi color retouch.

http://hakanphotography.com/galleries.htm

He said on his deviantart account:

"
- I am using Canon 5D with Canon lenses

- In most of my shots I use natural light. No flash, no lighting set-up

- My models for my personal projects are ordinary people that I happen to meet in real life or cyberspace. For most of them, it is their first time in front of the camera in a professional photoshoot."

Well first of all, is evident Canon 5D is a very good cam and with L lenses i'm sure you can amazing shots...but the post-processing work in Hakan's photos is totally outstanding related to camera properties. example:

http://hakanphotography.deviantart.c...ge-5-122588526

Second, about the light, is perfectly believable. Seeing this photo for example:

http://hakanphotography.deviantart.c...e-43-126674441

I think is noticeable he uses blur for the faces, maybe masking eyes, nose and lips. With some edges sharpen method too...but the colors again...brilliant.

About the models, i think he has a good style, dramatic, emotional and very soulless... but the stylist is just so good on reality? i think he really gets the clothes and MUp look totally different or so much better than the original.

It looks like the perfect location, with the perfect model, with the perfect styling, with the perfect angle and the perfect light to shoot.

So...i really tried a lot of things for get some similar colors and is just HARD.
No so easy as the people said about it. I've read about:

"yeah...just curves"
"color selection"

It is not only curves & color correction.
I'm not talking about the skin. Here is totally secondary imo.

i worked recently on some editorials and some stylist and MUA said me about get that colors (yeah i have 5D and some Canon L Lens. "Good start" i thought). But it's definitely complicated. I worked on color selections, zones, channel selections, color range, curves, levels, and all the stuff. And wehh, some result not bad at all but i really can't see the powerful color & rich gammas.

Finally, i'm trying to say you something like this:

this is "curves"

http://xxchange.deviantart.com/art/D...g-me-130342347

credits to xxxchange.

and this is "Hakan":

http://hakanphotography.deviantart.c...ers-3-85454124

So the questions are:

- what do you think about his work flow?

- the color space can be a great point here?

- do you believe he uses natural light at all?

- stylish and make up are really so rich on color and contrast?

- try to get your own result if you want to challenge yourself

i hope you like his work as i do and find the topic interesting.

cheers people!

Steve13 · #2 07-26-2009, 12:11 AM

Just an observation on the first picture, girl standing on slanted street. Does she have one leg longer than the other?
Hips look pretty straight for a 15 degree slanted street.

MacBurg · #3 07-26-2009, 02:15 AM

A lot of his images have terrible amounts of noise visible, most likely shooting at high ISO and then pushing the files too far in Photoshop. As to the editing, he has chosen a colour palette to work within for each series, then applied selective colour changes using the many techniques available in Photoshop. Most of his images have easy to spot colour gradients, ie the green in the last link you posted, obvious when looking at the curtain.

snook305 · #4 07-26-2009, 08:54 AM

I agrre with Macburg he is using many color gradient and cross processing most like actions and the erasing where he does not want them.
Some of his stuff is nice and some is horrible if you ask me. But if he cleaned up his website it would look better.
In any case his images all have different coloring tones added in in Post so there is not going to be a ONE answer for you.

Check out a lot of Cross processing thread and toning. there are tons out there.
You not going to get much information in here unfortunetly, you'll have to do your homework and make your own decision what color gradients or cross porcessing loks right with your images. The cross processing does not always look flattering on every picture tht is why he has varyied it a little from image to image.

Good luck
Snook

LostHighway · #5 07-26-2009, 09:53 AM

hey guys, thanks for your feedback. i have to apologize, maybe my english is not correct at all.

replies:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steve13

Just an observation on the first picture, girl standing on slanted street. Does she have one leg longer than the other?
Hips look pretty straight for a 15 degree slanted street.

maybe the shoes are a point in this case.
or maybe a simple duplication, move the image and mask the black right shoe. there are so many methods to do it! i really don't know if the model made some movement there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by MacBurg

A lot of his images have terrible amounts of noise visible, most likely shooting at high ISO and then pushing the files too far in Photoshop. As to the editing, he has chosen a colour palette to work within for each series, then applied selective colour changes using the many techniques available in Photoshop. Most of his images have easy to spot colour gradients, ie the green in the last link you posted, obvious when looking at the curtain.

i can't see that noise at all and I'm working on a LED screen. its clear there are some pics with that noise, but his work is too attractive for copy and print, sure he uploads in not the best quality.
maybe the noise looks good for me in this kind of work.

I've read about the color palette tip/method. but what do you think, paint in some layer mode? or just choose the color on some replace color tool?

selecting color here must be sure, but the gamma is totally amazing...

Quote:

Originally Posted by snook305

I agrre with Macburg he is using many color gradient and cross processing most like actions and the erasing where he does not want them.
Some of his stuff is nice and some is horrible if you ask me. But if he cleaned up his website it would look better.
In any case his images all have different coloring tones added in in Post so there is not going to be a ONE answer for you.

Check out a lot of Cross processing thread and toning. there are tons out there.
You not going to get much information in here unfortunetly, you'll have to do your homework and make your own decision what color gradients or cross porcessing loks right with your images. The cross processing does not always look flattering on every picture tht is why he has varyied it a little from image to image.

Good luck
Snook

hey snook thanks for your reply man.
do you think is not a precise retouching?
you're suggesting the gradients and color corrections are erased, but...i dont know man, there is a precision here in some specify points.

i'm not searching a solution in one movement. i'm just curious about your opinions. I have my way to work and don't like copy others but i really want to make something and say "oh...i got it...it was this way". And with that learning add to my work some colors touches.

i'll check the "Cross processing thread and toning", but believe me snook, it's not so easy. i didn't see works similar to Hakan on many years watching magazines, photographies and websites.

finally, it's evident all the images have a different retouching, but, the process is really similar. that way to work is my curiosity and i can't discover anything similar yet even passing several hours retouching diary.

thanks again people

Markzebra · #6 07-26-2009, 09:59 AM

LostHighway - I quite like most of that. In retouching, like you say its not perfect, but shows quite a lot of potential in photography and other ways. There's a real visual imagination there I think. Color work is perhaps a little overdone maybe? MacBurg in Post 3 has made some very good observations for you, about how you might approach a similar style. In particular thinking about color PALETTES is a good starting point.

Quote:

do you believe he uses natural light at all?

Yes, they mostly look like natural light, with a few exceptions. They are high ISO and pushed. This is not necessarily a problem, could be offset with something.

Some of your other questions don't make sense.

LostHighway · #7 07-26-2009, 10:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Markzebra

LostHighway - I quite like most of that. In retouching, like you say its not perfect, but shows quite a lot of potential in photography and other ways. There's a real visual imagination there I think. Color work is perhaps a little overdone maybe? MacBurg in Post 3 has made some very good observations for you, about how you might approach a similar style. In particular thinking about color PALETTES is a good starting point.

Yes, they mostly look like natural light, with a few exceptions. They are high ISO and pushed. This is not necessarily a problem, could be offset with something.

Some of your other questions don't make sense.

thanks Markzebra. i'll try to explain the questions:

- what do you think about his work flow? - i mean about processing. 16, 32 bits? some specific color profile maybe?

- stylish and make up are really so rich on color and contrast? - i mean clothes and make up.

i know the imaginary is totally amazing here (maybe it's only my taste).
and there's not so much "beauty shots" on his gallery.
i like to say he uses the girls/boys/models like objects. its not about perfect skin, its about fit the object and make it attractive on some specific location.

i really don't know exactly what's the way to do that COLOUR PALETTE method your are saying. if you have some link about it would be appreciated

Markzebra · #8 07-26-2009, 10:32 AM

Quote:

what do you think about his work flow? - i mean about processing. 16, 32 bits? some specific color profile maybe?

Does he say what his 'workflow' is somewhere that I've missed? 16 bit will give you more flexibility especially in these pushed methods and do less damage. On a certain TYPE of file you can do your visual work in 8 bit, giving you more speed, and then drag the adjustment layers over to a 16 bit version of the pixel retouching. Masks are only masks and you won't lose much by doing that.

Profiles? nah not really, stick with working in RGB (adobe RGB NOT sRGB).

Quote:

stylish and make up are really so rich on color and contrast? - i mean clothes and make up.

Photoshop is so powerful as a colour tool, that the original capture sometimes serves as a basis only.

Quote:

i really don't know exactly what's the way to do that COLOUR PALETTE method your are saying. if you have some link about it would be appreciated

This a bit of a controversial area, but there's now something called Kuler http://kuler.adobe.com/ - if you want to digitally generate complimentaries, or related color groups. CS4 has this included, and Illustrator had it for years. Actually my experience suggests that its best to use your instincts here. Don't know why this is, maybe because I guess you are responding to the feeling in a shot in some way. And that's going to produce some kind of better result. Just my view.

Remember just because its natural light doesn't mean its not controlled.

LostHighway · #9 07-26-2009, 03:26 PM

hey Markzebra, thanks again.
i knew about this thing too:

http://es-es.colourlovers.com/

i'm downloading palettes and color swatches since a couple if years from there.
controversy? maybe around the method to apply the colors?

i use most of them for design and illustration (illustrator shapes coloring is totally different than PS).

Quote:

Remember just because its natural light doesn't mean its not controlled.

totally

Gee · #10 07-28-2009, 05:01 AM

curves/gradient/selective color no?
yeah sometimes that looks akward.
but this is how we can recognize his work
i love what he do, aswell he's a pretty nice guy, even if i don't think he will drop his entire workflow.

but my guess is he is workin a lot with feeling.
and he is doing that for years now

LostHighway · #11 07-30-2009, 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gee

curves/gradient/selective color no?
yeah sometimes that looks akward.
but this is how we can recognize his work

maybe...or maybe brushing in soft light, overlay, screen or color?
i think he uses too the image/adjustments/replace color tool. maybe some polygonal laso for selections on buildings etc.

another think he uses a lot is some blur filter giving his works more depth of field and a "precise sharpen" look.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gee

i love what he do, aswell he's a pretty nice guy, even if i don't think he will drop his entire workflow.
but my guess is he is workin a lot with feeling.
and he is doing that for years now

he explained time ago how he did know some Japanese girl on the street and days after she was his model. that was feeling definitelly.

i love what he does too.

Gee · #12 07-31-2009, 01:09 PM

yep, i almost met him when we were in london at the same dates..
aswell as istanbul : ))
but its gonna be for a next time

bparsons · #13 10-12-2009, 09:51 PM

Hakan has some great colour processing techniques, and it's really refreshing to see a photographer of his calibre still retouching his own images (rather than sending them off to a retouching facility, like most agencies and magazines basically force you to do). I try to do the same with my work when I can - it just feels so much more personal when you've taken the photo and edited it too, and you've got complete control. It looks to me like he uses a lot of layers, curves, and possibly slight selective colouring in the neutrals.

You could probably easily reproduce it or something similar (or even better) using one of the actions on this blog:

www.buyouractions.blogspot.com

which are very rich in colour - much like Hakan's images. I don't like to admit it, but I use their curves and actions quite a lot in my magazine editorial work. Actually come to think of it, Hakan might even use the colour film effects in the Alien Skin Exposure program combined with curves and layer adjustments... but at around $200+, it's a little too pricey and IMHO not really worth it.

But hey, whatever works for you.