Probably getting tired of this question but..

[Johann29]

i was trying to search the forums but havent got a clear answer.

im trying to achieve the hazy look ( I KNOW! AGAIN!) of this photo.
its like a dreamy faded look. i honestly dont know what its called so i couldnt do a proper search for it. but please be patient and do give out some tips.
im not asking for the whole workflow. just the hazy and faded look of it.

http://www.photodom.com/photo/2244668

http://www.photodom.com/photo/2214656

http://www.photodom.com/photo/2182868 <-- my fave

some things i noticed. and im not a photoshop pro. its high contrast (HDR look) and has some bit of noise put into it. and i feel the highlights is controlled.

Advance Thanks to anyone who can help me

PS: i couldve gotten an online lesson from her but i am hearing disabled so yeah unless she releases an ebook im stuck with trying to imitate her

[Tony W]

Obviously it can be difficult to describe exactly another photographers workflow some things can be accomplished in both Photoshop and in camera.

One thing that appears consistent is the combination of no true blacks and selective blurring and vignetting.

The gentle off balance colour could be achieved using a process known as cross processing. The example shown Here may get you started in the right direction although you may find the effect is too contrasty and need to reduce this in the curve process.

On some images it looks like selective blurring has been applied probably in post processing as it is more difficult to accomplish accurately in camera.

IMO the most important part is getting the image correct in camera including control of the lighting appropriate for subject etc. It is likely that the photographer actually visualised the final image prior to even pressing the shutter release and that any pp applied was required to achieve that visualisation

[Johann29]

tony w thanks so much for the informative reply. Yes! i know its true that i have to get it in camera correct. we are planning to have a shoot that has a similar theme.

I do have a few questions. what do you mean by no true blacks?

[Nasturtium]

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/pho...eamy-look.html

[Jerryb]

hi,
if iam looking correctly .. smiling...i call that the softness effect... or sometimes dreamy effect....

there different ways to achive..... and if you do a search for
"photoshop tutorial softness effect" get a lot of hits...

here a couple...
http://photoshopessentials.com/photo...ft-focus-lens/

http://www.icanbecreative.com/breath...-tutorial.html

I hope that helps...

[Tony W]

I do have a few questions. what do you mean by no true blacks?

Just that there are no actual deep blacks in the image they have probably been lightened in PS on a channel by channel basis.

If you look at the image below the histogram reveals a large gap on the left hand side where the shadows and dark areas would normally be seen. For a full tonal range subject it may be expected for the histogram to fill more evenly across the entire range from left to right with a gradual tail off at extreme right and left. The attached tries to represent how the histogram may look after processing the camera file to reduce the density in the dark areas of the image.

So to get this effect on your own images you will need to lighten the shadow areas. One way to achieve this in Curves would be to grab the black point and move vertically up to get the desired effect in the required channels.

[Johann29]

i see! learned something new again today! thanks tony!

@Nasturtium
saw the thread but really cant get anything out of it.

[Tony W]

Your welcome hope it helps you to go in the direction you want. If you do not you might want to post your results and I am sure that advice will be offered

[mshi]

take a look at this PSD file by Peano, who posted it on another forum.

https://www.yousendit.com/sharedFold...9iEaIz25qdopUk

[Johann29]

thanks mshi! will look into it!

[Johann29]

i really need to learn how to get colors out of curves. so far im only relying on gradient map and color balance.

[mshi]

You don't have to use curves at all. There are more than just one way to achieve toning in Photoshop.

[Johann29]

Been playing with my photos around. of course i couldnt get the exact effect because of a lot of factors including styling and models. but im pretty satisfied about the output.

many thanks to those who unselfishly gave tips.
btw about the selective blurs. how do you choose where to put it and how strong is the blur?

[Tony W]

Originally Posted by Johann29

...btw about the selective blurs. how do you choose where to put it and how strong is the blur?

Placement of blur is personal choice but normally you would want to limit the blur to the objects surrounding the area of interest. Background and possibly some of the foreground comes to mind.

Stength of blur will be dictated by many things not least of which is content of the image and your personal preference - if it does not look and feel right then it probably isn't

[Johann29]

If anyone would be kind enough to comment on a photo i tried to process using julians style. im really interested in her processing. any kind of criticism is good

http://500px.com/photo/4459813

http://500px.com/photo/4466266

i used curves to put the tone in there. im having a really hard time getting the tone i want. is there a method to get a specific color tone in curves w/o trial and error?

[skoobey]

Second one is really nice.