How they get those shots

havanese

I'm just a hobbyist with a 7D and some decent glass, but I'm also a IT coordinator and love the technical.

I am reading, watching, listen and experimenting with everything I can get my hands on...but I can't replicate what a lot of photographers are doing with portraits like from Amanda Pair http://www.amandapair.com/ or http://www.eternaltreasuresphotos.com/

The crisp sharp images with eye popping colors. I use LR and PS so if anyone could give me a work flow to achieve these types of images I would really appreciate it.

Qarik

whats lens do you have and could post some examples of you efforts to see what we are working with?

The images are very nice but certainly not impossible to duplicate. Start with:

1) cute baby
2) cute clothes/props
3) an 85mm 1.4 or some similar portrait type lens
4) open it up close to wide with single focus point right over an eye
5) good soft lighting (natural or otherwise)
6) pop the image in post

havanese

1 through 4, I can do...it's the number 5...pop the post editing that I would like to get some suggestions on.

What are they doing in LR and/or PS to get that style of image?

adbsgicom

Check out the most-excellent tutorials here on dgrin. For example, Making an Image Pop.

havanese

adbsgicom wrote: »

Check out the most-excellent tutorials here on dgrin. For example, Making an Image Pop.

I'll check it out...any other suggestions?

Art Scott

havanese wrote: »

I'll check it out...any other suggestions?

yes outline your workflow for us......including what versions of what software your using.

havanese

Art Scott wrote: »

yes outline your workflow for us......including what versions of what software your using.

Ok here goes:

I shoot in RAW with my Canon 7D most of the time either with my 24-70mm 2.8 or my 70-200mm 2.8

I have PS 4 and LR 2 (upgrading to 3 ASAP)
I convert to DNG when importing into LR
I have NIK Sharpener PRO 3 (along with Silver Efex Pro)
Last I have Onone Suite 5

I'm not good enough yet to have a set workflow to what I do for the images and after reading 12 books, bought videos and watch podcasts (I'm not kidding) I'm more confused than anything.

I would love to have a checklist or workflow for producing images that I mentioned from these websites and that is the type of pictures I will be taking of my family and friends.

Thanks guys

run_kmc

In my opinion (humble but accurate) these images are nailed in camera. Post processing is probably more minimal than you might be thinking.

http://x-equals.com/blog/?p=2910

and

http://x-equals.com/blog/?p=2759

are two excellent resources for really understanding how to work natural light effectively.

havanese

run_kmc wrote: »

In my opinion (humble but accurate) these images are nailed in camera. Post processing is probably more minimal than you might be thinking.

http://x-equals.com/blog/?p=2910

and

http://x-equals.com/blog/?p=2759

are two excellent resources for really understanding how to work natural light effectively.

Those shots are exactly what I am trying to do, and I think your correct that a lot is done in the camera, but with no help (from another photographer) I think I'm still lost. I think if I could watch someone shooting for the day from setup to post edit I would understand...so annoyed

Qarik

havanese wrote: »

Ok here goes:

I shoot in RAW with my Canon 7D most of the time either with my 24-70mm 2.8 or my 70-200mm 2.8

I have PS 4 and LR 2 (upgrading to 3 ASAP)
I convert to DNG when importing into LR
I have NIK Sharpener PRO 3 (along with Silver Efex Pro)
Last I have Onone Suite 5

I'm not good enough yet to have a set workflow to what I do for the images and after reading 12 books, bought videos and watch podcasts (I'm not kidding) I'm more confused than anything.

I would love to have a checklist or workflow for producing images that I mentioned from these websites and that is the type of pictures I will be taking of my family and friends.

Thanks guys

give us an example of your best SOOC image then perhaps we can do some post work. This will give you/us and idea if the post processing is the issue or if you can do better in camera.

I tend to agree though..my best shots don't need much post work..just some curves, maybe saturation boost, and some sharpening.

havanese

Qarik wrote: »

give us an example of your best SOOC image then perhaps we can do some post work. This will give you/us and idea if the post processing is the issue or if you can do better in camera.

I tend to agree though..my best shots don't need much post work..just some curves, maybe saturation boost, and some sharpening.

Here are two dng files that you can download then upload again or can email them directly to randy at randyandgerri dot com

http://www.box.net/shared/zb32ourblu

http://www.box.net/shared/sebi2lukj4

I understand that I should be able to "make" most of the shot from inside the camera with minimal post edit... That is what I am trying to learn

Once again thanks guys for hand holding me through this process.

Sam

Randy,

I took a fast look at the two images, both seem underexposed, but the big issue is they are ether out of focus or have motion blur or both.

Try setting your camera up on a tripod with a remote switch and photograph a stationary object at different f stops. If these are crisp, then the camera is working well. Next try taking photos of the same object but hand hold the camera.

This should let you know if your camera and / or you are capable of taking a basic crisp clear image.

Once this is known we can move on to the next step.

Oh, and for quick evaluation posting a jpg with exif should work, and will get you more suggestions.

Sam

havanese

Sam wrote: »

Randy,

I took a fast look at the two images, both seem underexposed, but the big issue is they are ether out of focus or have motion blur or both.

Try setting your camera up on a tripod with a remote switch and photograph a stationary object at different f stops. If these are crisp, then the camera is working well. Next try taking photos of the same object but hand hold the camera.

This should let you know if your camera and / or you are capable of taking a basic crisp clear image.

I'll post some later this evening.

PupWeb

Slightly over expose and focus
Hi havanese, these are things that I do that may help.

1.)Shoot in raw, I do not convert to DNG, read somewhere it mattered in Nikon with LR, don't know if this matters in Canon.
2.)Slighty overexpose in digital, better for post processing b/c when you increase exposure you will introduce noise. Decreasing exposure will not effect noise.
I looked at some of your images on your smugmug site and a lot where underexposed. You can increase the exposure +EV on your Cam. See exposure compensation in your manual
Use a light meter for Pete's sake. You will learn a lot by using one. I use a Seikonic L-358.
3.)The face has to be in sharp focus. As mentioned earlier the eye is a good spot to focus. If your slightly out of focus you can fix in Lightroom.
4.) Using a telephoto will give the subject more dimension.
I believe the images you were talking about having difficulty achieving, the photographer was at or near the upper focal length of a telephoto lens. A telephoto gives DOF (Depth Of Field) and will give you subject more dimension.
face focused sharp + DOF = POP
I saw a $60k Vogue shoot where the photographer had a 300+mm tele lens and was about 50 meters from the subject using radio's to talk to the model, lights and grips.
5.) Use a good noise reducing software. I must say that LR3 does a pretty good job at it.
IMO, All the images you referenced that I saw where enhanced to some degree post process. Saturation was increased and black was incresed. Increasing Sat and black slightly will help POP a photo post process.



6.)USe flash outdoors. Some people are thinking "the hell you say?" but it will help & is so much fun. This is briefly how I use flash mostly remote and not on hotshoe:

• Remotely off hotshoe if possible
• using lightmeter set flash to contribute 50% of light.
• use flash from behind to seperate subject form back ground.
• use flash to highlight hair

Recent example of a lot flash techniques:

This image is a composite of three images.
1.)remote flash on background and above subject pointing at the hair
2.)Subject holding flash pointing it at her face
3.)Grip holding the flash touching the book. This is where the lens flair effect was coming from. So the shiny light is not a photoshop trick.

havanese

I'm leaving work early today so hopefully this afternoon (if the weather holds) I will take some shots outside of stationary objects and post them later tonight.

Really hope everyone knows that this does help and I hope will help other beginners when they see this article.

havanese

Ok I took five shots and posted them on smugmug

All shots was with 7D using a Canon 70-200 2.8. Mounted on a tripod using a 10 sec timer (don't have a remote yet that works with the 7D)

I used Evaluative metering and the single AF point.

Shots 1-4 have no post edit of any kind and shot 5 has sharpening and saturation boost.

I focusing on the lip of the bucket at center.

PupWeb

I forgot to mention, calibrate your screen. Especially if you want your prints to look like they do on screen. W/o calibration your prints are usually dark and red tone dominate.

Color and Light
I looked at your images on a non-calibrated screen so this I may change this when I get back to a calibrated screen. I think seting your cam to +1/3EV will be good. In the final ernie is a little over saturated compared to the rest. Desat the orange and red collrs a bit.

Focus.
Focus is great on the tip of the bucket, but notice how Ernie goes out of focus. You have to be aware of your aperature (Light meter time). A small aperature(big hole) will let in more light and increase your DOF. With bigger telephoto's you can literally have the tip of the nose in focus and the eyes out of focus. To have Ernie in focus also you will have to increase your aperature (smaller hole). To keep your exposure correct you will have a slow your shutter accordingly. If you don't have a light meter or like me at a wedding where stuff happens quick, throw your camera in portrait mode, that's what your cam is doing in this mode. You can also set your camera to aperature priority (A) your camera will get the exposure correct. As a matter of fact I would dial your Canon to A go back to the same shot and shoot at different aperatures.

Have fun!