Trying to figure out how this skin was processed.

[mhartman]

Hey everyone -- this is my first post here:

I really like this guy's photos on flickr:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wefwef

In particular, I really love the skin (color, detail and texture) in these photos (more of a reality than a beauty approach to skin):

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wefwef/5078479263/

and

http://www.flickr.com/photos/wefwef/5120878553/

I've been able to pull off a similar overall look (separate subject from background, darken and desaturate the background, and selective sharpening, etc.), but I haven't been able to get the skin on my photos to look similar.

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mike

BTW, I've seen the photographer post on German forums and he has indicated that he isn't willing to share the details of his processing.

[Tareq]

Hello there,

So if he is not willing to share his processing then better you shoot portraits with wide open and separate from background and then post something here, we all can help each other to do something similar or even better than him if we want.

[JSFphoto]

Besides the sharpening and maybe some small global color adjustments I think most of this is in camera. If you want a photo like the first one, look up how to retouch eyes on google and apply whatever you find about 4 or 18 times... Too much :-/

-JSF
http://www.exposingfashion.com/

[Boneappetit]

I agree with JSF, the first thing that comes to mind when I see the pictures is: Color adjustments, and sharpening, and of course the blury background. The background don't even look like the artist did a selective process. They look great !!!

[JayRiches]

There is not much about it..as he states it he was shooting on 1.4f which means the blur is cameramade...maybe he blured it a little bit more. The eyes are obviously completly manipulated but the rest is sharpening and some coloradjustments and i d say playing a bit with curves for the contrast. Nothing much about it. I guess the sharpening was done with a high pass filter because it looks kinda clean and the normal sharpener usually has some flaws.

[mhartman]

Thanks guys, I really appreciate the feedback and ideas. I'll take a couple shots with my 85mm 1.4f this weekend and post a before/after to show you what I can come up with and to see if anyone has any ideas. I've got one that I've been working with that I was able to get closer to what I'm looking for using your ideas from above, but it was a quick snap of my wife after a long day of work and she wouldn't be happy with me if I posted it.

Thanks again,
Mike