Technique on Prada adverts

[Christian_a]

Hi all

I am not so clued up with photoshop, and spend a lot of time using capture one for work while in the studio for purely processing of files. But I really like the prada adverts and wanted to experiment with my own images.

So far it seems to me (untrained eye) that it has something to do with high pass filter???

Any help or examples would be greatly appreciated!

Many thanks for any help

Chris

link to add

http://geniusbeauty.com/fashion-and-...09-collection/

[jbedford]

As far as fx go, that campaign seems to employ heavy use of the shadow/highlight tool in Photoshop. Play around with that tool after you do your main retouching and you should get something that looks similar.

[shift studio]

I think jbedford is right - shadow/highlight tool with low radius might the main tool causing this effect, and I think its something to be avoided! yuk.

--shift studio.

[Christian_a]

Hmm yeah looks like that way.

Many thanks to you both.

I will experiment tonight. Not that i love the technique or anything, purely a questioning mind while trying to still figure out bits of photoshop etc It all helps i think.

Regards

Chris

[ekuna]

I think it has something to do with the photographer and the makeup artist, no?

[shift studio]

Originally Posted by ekuna

I think it has something to do with the photographer and the makeup artist, no?

I think the makeup artist may have done a good job, but that didn't contribute to the overall look nearly as much as the work done in PS.

I'm unsure if the photographer did anything unusual specifically to create the look.

--shift studio.

[0lBaldy]

Originally Posted by Christian_a

<clip>

I really like the prada adverts and wanted to experiment with my own images.
<clip>
http://geniusbeauty.com/fashion-and-...09-collection/

I heard somewhere Prada is using HDR and Lucis art among other things in their ads.

[amica999]

Originally Posted by shift studio

I think jbedford is right - shadow/highlight tool with low radius might the main tool causing this effect, and I think its something to be avoided! yuk.

--shift studio.

+ 1 definitely yuk :-)

[helvetes]

LucisArt / Topaz / NikSoftware Tonal contrast.......I think many plugins do this effect
U can try it in other way......use the frequency separation method,close the layer in low frequency ( the layer u blur ) and u'll see a similar effect...
I hope u understand me......I'm italian and my english is not so good :-P

Massimo

[Christian_a]

Many thanks guys for your advice and help

I will have a play around on the ps. Although being on capture all day and then ps may not happen today, and instead a chill night with some red wine in the sun hahaha

I agree. Not the most wonderful or aesthetically pleasing effect, but worth knowing the route to take, as i may need part or all of it at some point in work career

Hope you all have a great day!

Chris

[shift studio]

Originally Posted by Christian_a

... but worth knowing the route to take, as i may need part or all of it at some point in work career

Chris

Agreed. I think this may look might be good for some more manly/dirty things - oilrig workers, cowboys, sports etc. Just a thought.

--Shift Studio.

[garibaldi]

in my opinion that looks like garbage. like some amateur took the shadow and highlight and got a boner, and then as if that wasnt enough, they took a high pass filter layer, left on normal, and reduced the opacity. Love the halos around every edge! and the color shifts from overcranking the processing.... well, only two types of people have the skills to achieve such divinity, a colorblind 7 year old or a total noob just learning photoshop. I could imagine how the pitch went "hey how can we take this decent shot and ruin it?" Brilliant! :-)

[Aladdin]

@garibaldi: You have one amazing Port. You look at things differently. You connect nicely with your subjects matter. I am glad that the Ferrari engine blew up!

Looks like Prada wanted that "futuristic" look, took whatever Steven Meisel did, send it out to some retoucher and that is what they ended up with.

I am not surprised, this is what you get when your art director is a 22 year old who has no clue about art! Happens all the time, everywhere unfortunately.

[garibaldi]

Thank you for the kind words aladdin! ;-) yea, it seems kind of sloppy for a prada campaign, I mean, you expect these big names to often do some odd looking stuff, but that treatment is kind of atrocious from a retouching standpoint. Id be pissed if I did a shoot and handed off files to a client and they sent them to their retouching dept and thats what they came up with. lol

[danhilburn]

I think that shoot would have looked good straight out of camera, before someone got all heavy handed with the HDR imitation. check the spot lighting through the perspex floor and from above. they would have looked like mannequins in a shop window.

[Qinter]

Originally Posted by garibaldi

Thank you for the kind words aladdin! ;-) yea, it seems kind of sloppy for a prada campaign, I mean, you expect these big names to often do some odd looking stuff, but that treatment is kind of atrocious from a retouching standpoint. Id be pissed if I did a shoot and handed off files to a client and they sent them to their retouching dept and thats what they came up with. lol

Yeah, it's pretty shocking how bad that looks.

[mushmush]

I couldn't agree more with Garibaldi: looks like someone just discovered the shadow -highlight adjustment

[women'sdesk]

you were spot on about shop window/manequins he shoots like that all the time:http://www.productionparadise.com/ne...ven_Meisel.jpg Maybe it was supposed to be shot through glass, he ruined it and tried to make up for it with 'unusual' retouching? lol

[sweetsurndr]

Ick I definitely don't like it ..but yes it looks like what happens when you go overboard with HDR software...