Amazing product retouching....

[Andrew Lawrence]

If you guys haven't seen Shu Akashi's still life work - Check it out

http://www.shuakashi.com/

It's amazing, from what I heard from someone that tried to assist for him a while back - it's a lot of shooting with different lighting setups and later compositing them into one final piece, definitely worth a look if you haven't seen it yet. Website's a little intense too, you might want to click the low speck version of it.

[Cuervo79]

Different strokes for different folks, I personally didn't like the phtos I saw, the jewelery as "astrological stuff" isn't to my interest. I don't negate that it would take work to make what he does but I didn't like it.

PS I hate when you get a web page that not only opens a new window (not a tab) but forces you to have the window in a certain size.

[toan thai]

i must have slow connection

[Andrew Lawrence]

Originally Posted by Cuervo79

PS I hate when you get a web page that not only opens a new window (not a tab) but forces you to have the window in a certain size.

Oh man tell me about it.... makes me so angry.

I do like Jim Fiscus's page though http://www.fiscusphoto.com/ doesn't mess with your current window size but if you change the window size the whole website follows through so you can see a larger size, it's a little slow loading too though.... but it looks like the photos hold their quality well at a large size too, the page might have some sort of algorithm to sharpen the photo depending your window size, I'm not sure if that's what it is but that would be pretty awesome.

[ptyap]

Nice! Thanks for sharing.

[SteveB2005]

Originally Posted by Andrew Lawrence

If you guys haven't seen Shu Akashi's still life work - Check it out

http://www.shuakashi.com/

It's amazing, from what I heard from someone that tried to assist for him a while back - it's a lot of shooting with different lighting setups and later compositing them into one final piece, definitely worth a look if you haven't seen it yet. Website's a little intense too, you might want to click the low speck version of it.

Very interesting jewelry images and retouching. Never heard of this particular artist/photographer, but the web is full of surprises.

I have shot quite a bit of jewelry products for clients and spent many hours fixing, color correcting, enhancing, masking, cutting clipping paths, retouching, removing dust, hair, smudges, you name it, I've tweaked it. But the main goal that I shoot for is getting the cleanest, focused, accurate color of a jewelry product out of the camera and keep the enhancements and retouching as minimal as possible.

Almost weekly, I see requests on the forums here from members asking about jewelry retouching, where and how to learn it with Photoshop, how long it takes to do, how much jewelry retouchers charge, etc. Unfortunately, of all the Photoshop books, DVD's, tutorials, there is no real concrete knowledge or resources that I'm aware of online, on how to begin learning jewelry retouching. Most of the pro jewelry retouchers learned on the job, were self taught through trail and error or paid a pro to teach them a trick or two.

I would say that the RTP forums here mostly focus on about 90% of the retouching, compositing tutorials regarding portrait and hi-rez fashion ad images and the remaining 10% on product/jewelry technique. We all know that "skin tweaking" and D&B is a biggie subject here.

Finding resources on how to retouch product and hi end jewelry photography images is almost non-existent. I think there is a book by Honiball that offers some product retouching tutorials.

If anyone on the boards here know of any product retouching tutorials or jewelry resources, feel free to provide links. So far, my research has been about nil. Product retouching is more of a "secret art" that retouching people is, IMHO.

Several months ago a graphic designer/photographer sent me some hi-rez cosmetic and beauty packaging images for a retouching test. He sent me a yousendit.com link to download some examples of what he wanted the retouched images to present. There was absolute color matching, masking, cloning, cleaning, clipping paths to do and since this was a new direction for me, I didn't know where to start, except trying to duplicate the retouched examples.

I finished up and emailed back the results. Then the art director red lined the things he liked and didn't accept on the retouched images I worked on. He picked up the most subtle things I missed that the average viewer wouldn't notice, but he explained the products had to look better than real when they went to pre-press. He paid me for the test, thanked me for my work but said I was not experienced enough with product retouching to offer me the job. He had dozens of images and was paying a competitive rate for the work. I wanted the job, but true, nowhere to get resources on how to retouch product images. Ya live and learn.

katt

[Cuervo79]

Originally Posted by SteveB2005

Almost weekly, I see requests on the forums here from members asking about jewelry retouching, where and how to learn it with Photoshop, how long it takes to do, how much jewelry retouchers charge, etc. Unfortunately, of all the Photoshop books, DVD's, tutorials, there is no real concrete knowledge or resources that I'm aware of online, on how to begin learning jewelry retouching. Most of the pro jewelry retouchers learned on the job, were self taught through trail and error or paid a pro to teach them a trick or two.

I would say that the RTP forums here mostly focus on about 90% of the retouching, compositing tutorials regarding portrait and hi-rez fashion ad images and the remaining 10% on product/jewelry technique. We all know that "skin tweaking" and D&B is a biggie subject here.

Finding resources on how to retouch product and hi end jewelry photography images is almost non-existent. I think there is a book by Honiball that offers some product retouching tutorials.


I finished up and emailed back the results. Then the art director red lined the things he liked and didn't accept on the retouched images I worked on. He picked up the most subtle things I missed that the average viewer wouldn't notice, but he explained the products had to look better than real when they went to pre-press. He paid me for the test, thanked me for my work but said I was not experienced enough with product retouching to offer me the job. He had dozens of images and was paying a competitive rate for the work. I wanted the job, but true, nowhere to get resources on how to retouch product images. Ya live and learn.

katt

My inexperienced opinion regarding jewelery retouch is that it would be the same as other retouch but it has more work regarding reflections and exaggerating the facets of the encrusted jewels. Most of what you learn in skin retouch you can use in other areas in one way or another. Being a photographer as well as my own retoucher I've learned that if you don't take into account the details when taking the photograph, you end up with lots of work to correct in post.

Now I would be interested in you detailing more about the experience you had, the subtle details you didn't see that the AD pointed to, etc.

[garibaldi]

I think that the work is good, but one caveat, i think its good due to the impat of the color and contrast, overall, the images are mediocre, but on the same note how interesting can you make a pack of cigarettes? Some of the effects I found a little gimmicky, and its heavy heavy handed retouching

[DiamondsDr47]

Once again same thing about jewelry retouching, a good quality photography a must! In order not to rebuild but enhance the image.
Also it's good idea to be familiar with the subject in reality, to bring up the quality’s of gem, diamonds, gold or whatever it is..
In my minimalistic view jewelry doesn’t really need(unless there is specific project idea)additional beatification but need to show its own beauty,
Especially diamonds where pieces of jewelry made specifically for them…
Best regards,
www.edgarmaivel.com

[alexscott]

Well all the Jewelry products are awesome at shuakashi.
I love the presentation on the Jewelry on the Website.

[Quantum3]

Mmmhhh... It looks like too many nosense pics to me (I just saw the fashion area) and lot of time and willingness to edit those pics. The shots looks quite random, even if they're thought, they look random. I find the fashion shots in that website quite boring and uncreative

[lesalee]

Looks like some of shuakashi's works are almost 3d renderings. Does anyone know what kind of processing do you do to achive that look from a photo?

[Andrew Lawrence]

Originally Posted by lesalee

Looks like some of shuakashi's works are almost 3d renderings. Does anyone know what kind of processing do you do to achive that look from a photo?

Like I said earlier, I heard that it's a bunch of image compositing with photos that are shot with different lighting on the products.

For a simple example, a bottle of cologne with a metal cap: lets say you set up the lighting in front of the subject to get a nice direct reflection of the light in the metal cap but this also causes a horrible direct reflection of the light in the glass of the bottle and you can't see the liquid. So you decide to light the bottle from the back illuminating the liquid and turning off the light in the front so it doesn't glare on the glass, now you just composite those two photos together to get good light for the liquid and good light for the cap. Now image the endless possibilities you have with with lighting a multi-sided translucent object in countless ways building the look piece by piece, section by section until you have something put together that looks surreal (or like a rendering.)

[Quantum3]

I should take a look to products... Really interesting how he shot the products, eyecandy stuff.

[itsallgoode9]

Originally Posted by Andrew Lawrence

Like I said earlier, I heard that it's a bunch of image compositing with photos that are shot with different lighting on the products.

For a simple example, a bottle of cologne with a metal cap: lets say you set up the lighting in front of the subject to get a nice direct reflection of the light in the metal cap but this also causes a horrible direct reflection of the light in the glass of the bottle and you can't see the liquid. So you decide to light the bottle from the back illuminating the liquid and turning off the light in the front so it doesn't glare on the glass, now you just composite those two photos together to get good light for the liquid and good light for the cap. Now image the endless possibilities you have with with lighting a multi-sided translucent object in countless ways building the look piece by piece, section by section until you have something put together that looks surreal (or like a rendering.)

You're more than likely correct. I"m sure it depends on who's doing the project, but on everything I've done for products, the workflow is to do that method exactlly. I do alot of work on liquor bottles and that's how our photographers all do it. One shot for the liquid and bottle. One shot for the label and sometimes a seperate one for the cap

[Andrew Lawrence]

Originally Posted by itsallgoode9

You're more than likely correct. I"m sure it depends on who's doing the project, but on everything I've done for products, the workflow is to do that method exactlly. I do alot of work on liquor bottles and that's how our photographers all do it. One shot for the liquid and bottle. One shot for the label and sometimes a seperate one for the cap

Yeah the label always needs different lighting than the bottle/liquid. But apply that technique in an extreme nature with some product with multiple different angles and you can eventually come up with something like this: http://static.chinavisual.com/storag...01P26302T1.jpg

[seattle-light]

He's doing some brilliant work, but some of it is just intense playing around with lighting, effects and compositing -- to the point that they don't really look like photographs. Are the images effective or are they contrived? Maybe the two aren't mutually exclusive. Some of the images seem like he's creating more distraction than focus on the product. I'd really have to see the images in their final context to get a better sense.

[DiamondPlatinum]

In my opinion most of the images appear unnatural to me and as far as jewelry is concerned I am fairly new to retouching it however I am designing it for more than four years now.. There are certain images that really take away the viewer’s eye from the product itself and most of them are out of focus. Digital image compositing is neither good. I feel the backgrounds need be more subtle enhancing the product. The diamond ring camouflaged in the sky …….wwwoowohh that blew me off ..”SURREAL”
The web page has its own flaws of it not opening in a different window and also nothing to switch off the music or lower the volume, it is really annoying no matter how much the owner likes it.

[RobertAsh]

I think this photographer's work is fantastic. I really do.

Part of it may be my own personal approach - I tend to like to push colors a lot myself, especially in landscapes. In my personal experience I've found people I've met who have broken new ground themselves and have gone off in new directions that many others have followed (e.g., Jack Duganne, David Ziser, Hanson Fong, David Saffir) have tended to like my work and my approach a lot. But work like this is not for everyone, because certainly everyone does not like it. And that's ok.

At the end of the day his customers' opinions are the ones that matter most (to him, anyway ). Shu Akashi has 5 studios - in the most prestigious cities (and expensive cities) in the world. Obviously the man is very successful and his customers love what he does.

Even if I didn't like Shu's work -- and I definitely DO like it -- I'd still take the opportunity to notice that he's very successful and to see if there is some takeaway for me that would help me improve, or help me learn how to reach my audience better or maybe reach a new audience I might not otherwise have thought about.

[ikagami]

Originally Posted by Andrew Lawrence

If you guys haven't seen Shu Akashi's still life work - Check it out

http://www.shuakashi.com/

It's amazing, from what I heard from someone that tried to assist for him a while back - it's a lot of shooting with different lighting setups and later compositing them into one final piece, definitely worth a look if you haven't seen it yet. Website's a little intense too, you might want to click the low speck version of it.

I think he uses a lot of daylight (daylight studio) in combination with flash e.o.
Thats how he gets those halo's and movement effects. I used to teach students here in the netherlands working in a daylight studio. almost forgotten knowledge .........

[onesh0t]

Ikagami, please, follow through with the daylight studios concept. I've never heard about it and I'm quite curious about the idea.

[jetretouch]

Great! Great artworks! He is a brand by himself. These photos are a great high end magazine advertising material. Looks like he experiments a lot with each shot. Does anyone know what's the price range for this kind of work?

[Tareq]

I wish to learn how to do high-end quality products shots.

[RobertAsh]

Originally Posted by Tareq

I wish to learn how to do high-end quality products shots.

Hi Tareq,

If you don't have a good commercial photography school near you then I'd recommend Perfect Picture School of Photography.

I use them for any area where I want to expand, fill in gaps or try a new type of photography but don't have a lot of time to read a lot and do a lot of practicing on my own, or need some good background fast. I'll be taking their Architectural Photography course starting June 3. They also have a Commercial Photography lighting course and a couple of Food Photography courses that I've seen on their site.

They have downloadable lessons and study materials and so you can refer back to the material after the class is over, and you also have 1 year of access to any video material. I've taken 2 classes so far and this will be my 3rd. So far it's been a good experience.

Another bonus is that if you sign up for their free email newsletter they send a very nice stream of photo tips in articles and videos. Great place.

[Tareq]

Originally Posted by RobertAsh

Hi Tareq,

If you don't have a good commercial photography school near you then I'd recommend Perfect Picture School of Photography.

I use them for any area where I want to expand, fill in gaps or try a new type of photography but don't have a lot of time to read a lot and do a lot of practicing on my own, or need some good background fast. I'll be taking their Architectural Photography course starting June 3. They also have a Commercial Photography lighting course and a couple of Food Photography courses that I've seen on their site.

They have downloadable lessons and study materials and so you can refer back to the material after the class is over, and you also have 1 year of access to any video material. I've taken 2 classes so far and this will be my 3rd. So far it's been a good experience.

Another bonus is that if you sign up for their free email newsletter they send a very nice stream of photo tips in articles and videos. Great place.

I think i am a member there long time ago, but i feel they are not different than another forums/websites which have nice articles about different aspects of photography, i am registered to over 40 photography websites and many are so worthy, but i feel they all or most give you just basics to advanced, i want professional levels, i just don't want advanced level, i said i want to learn high end quality not just to know or how to start, i did products shots even not much but i did started and have some enough photos to work on, i try hard to use lighting as i have read from books and most photography websites, but the problem is with retouch only, i really saw many products shots as original not as good or same as i did and they turned it to amazing mind blowing by retouching, so it is only retouching what i need, but really i am not good in retouching because i don't have that long patience and i am not good in English to understand every step by step, even the books i have i couldn't read 30% of it because i take over 4-5 months to read 25% of one book.

Unfortunately, we don't have any school here for the high standard level of photography, professionals here working for themselves and keep secrets for themselves and just teaching us some basics or tips that we can all get from the net and most books, i went to two professional photographers workshops and they didn't teach me much more than what i know already, i learnt more from the net over their expensive workshops.