Interesting. I have to say that I'm not a big fan of processing taken to this extreme (HDR?) but these images sure caught my attention. I like the first one more but the face of the boy seems very soft and airbrushed looking compared to the tack sharp background. The second one freaks me out a little. The edges of the figures look unrealistically outlined against the blurred background and the skin looks dirty like it was overly dodged and burned. The figures almost take on a kind of rubbery, inflated look. I would love to see these without all the processing. They look to be excellent captures.
"Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is about how that thing looks photographed." Garry Winogrand Avatar credit: photograph by Duane Michals-picture of me, 'Smash Palace' album
Interesting. I have to say that I'm not a big fan of processing taken to this extreme (HDR?) but these images sure caught my attention. I like the first one more but the face of the boy seems very soft and airbrushed looking compared to the tack sharp background. The second one freaks me out a little. The edges of the figures look unrealistically outlined against the blurred background and the skin looks dirty like it was overly dodged and burned. The figures almost take on a kind of rubbery, inflated look. I would love to see these without all the processing. They look to be excellent captures.
Hi Brian, I actually processed these images in Lucis Art and Not HDR software. Lucist Art tends to dirty the skin. I placed the image on site to get ideas for my future images. On the first image, I masked the face, arms and legs to obtain the original color back. I then softened the image and applied a modified Amy Dresser technique - by Joel Grimes.
Interesting. I have to say that I'm not a big fan of processing taken to this extreme (HDR?) but these images sure caught my attention. I like the first one more but the face of the boy seems very soft and airbrushed looking compared to the tack sharp background. The second one freaks me out a little.
I tend to agree with Brian. However, that said, lately this HDR style (or Lucis Art style) of portraiture has taken the commercial buisness of photography by storm. Espescialy in sports oriented advertising. I see some of the most sucessful shooters in the business using it frequently. Chase Jarvis imediately comes to mind.
It is a trend I believe that will not last too long as a mainstay but will sell well today and for a while to come. Until 3-D bumps it or merges with it. Like Impresionism vs Realism painters, there is room for all and tastes of clients to buy it all. I am more a realist but am thrilled to see this work and think it fascinating.
Davremdali,
Would you be interested in writing a short piece on this technique and your style of photography for guest posting on my blog? I would love to show your work there. Perhaps a little background and a pic or two? Let me know if you are interested.
Thanks. Albert
Lucis Art, Windows, only, and it is a one image HDR style process (tone mapping, I presume), according to that website.
Very interesting renderings of these images!
Don
Don Ricklin - Gear: Canon EOS 5D Mark III, was Pentax K7
'I was older then, I'm younger than that now' ....
My Blog | Q+ | Moderator, Lightroom Forums | My Amateur Smugmug Stuff | My Blurb book Rust and Whimsy. More Rust , FaceBook.
Interesting. I have to say that I'm not a big fan of processing taken to this extreme (HDR?) but these images sure caught my attention. I like the first one more but the face of the boy seems very soft and airbrushed looking compared to the tack sharp background. The second one freaks me out a little.
I tend to agree with Brian. However, that said, lately this HDR style (or Lucis Art style) of portraiture has taken the commercial buisness of photography by storm. Espescialy in sports oriented advertising. I see some of the most sucessful shooters in the business using it frequently. Chase Jarvis imediately comes to mind.
It is a trend I believe that will not last too long as a mainstay but will sell well today and for a while to come. Until 3-D bumps it or merges with it. Like Impresionism vs Realism painters, there is room for all and tastes of clients to buy it all. I am more a realist but am thrilled to see this work and think it fascinating.
Davremdali,
Would you be interested in writing a short piece on this technique and your style of photography for guest posting on my blog? I would love to show your work there. Perhaps a little background and a pic or two? Let me know if you are interested.
Thanks. Albert
Albert, as canvas artist (as I started out and instructed by one of my Panting Instructors – Never be afraid to create and explore) and photographers, we have to able to adjust with the trends in order to make a viable standing and profit. I am also a wedding and portrait photographer where my images are only processed in Photoshop. Not all clients are thrilled with the new Processing techniques. I look at HDR or Lucis Art, Topaz or Nik Color as a like to HD/Blue Ray. Every medium has its own market. Look at Salvatore Dali (strange but interesting) Rembrandt who fashioned the 45 degree lighting technique which gives structure to the face, Photographer and Lighting Expert Joel Grimes to name a few, HDR experts Rick Sammons and Trey Ratcliff. On the opposite spectrum you have Clay Blackmore International Known Wedding photographers. Anyway, it would be my pleasure to put something together for your blog. Reynaldo www.creativephotoimagesllc.com www.creativephotoimages.smugmug.com
I just noticed #3 which for some reason wasn't there when I initially replied to your thread. I like that one. For my taste, the effect enhances rather than oververpowers the subject.
"Photography is not about the thing photographed. It is about how that thing looks photographed." Garry Winogrand Avatar credit: photograph by Duane Michals-picture of me, 'Smash Palace' album
I just noticed #3 which for some reason wasn't there when I initially replied to your thread. I like that one. For my taste, the effect enhances rather than oververpowers the subject.
Hi Brian. I just added a third image The technique can be subtle to extreme. Lucis Art can also be used to enhance clothing. I would however mask the face and body parts then bring out the original skin tone. However it was not the case in this image everything was lightly processed in ucis Art and completed in PS CS4. This image was originally multiple images that I had to mask to get aone single image. The children were not looking up in all images.
Thanks for posting these. I really like this sort of PP. I just purchased LucisArt ED/SE, and I was wondering whether you'd be happy to share a little info on the sort of settings you used to achieve these effects. Did you use ED, SE, or both - and are you able to give an indication of the numbers? Thanks.
Thanks for posting these. I really like this sort of PP. I just purchased LucisArt ED/SE, and I was wondering whether you'd be happy to share a little info on the sort of settings you used to achieve these effects. Did you use ED, SE, or both - and are you able to give an indication of the numbers? Thanks.
Hi John thanks for viewing my work. I use Lucist Art ED (I must say that I love the software and thinking about updating) ai am a PC user and planning on switching to a Mac but I understand that future Lucist Software versions are not going to support the Mac) anyway, My primary settings are: Enhansed Detail 31 and mixed original image 30 Processed and 70 original. My second is setting is less destructive to the skin. Settings are 53/23/78. I always keep two originals one post processed with Photoshop and one unprocessed. Keep those them to later bring out the original skin tone by way of masking or superenpossing merging two images to form one. Depending on the look that I am looking for I will runny first pass and then rerun the second setting and cut back on the first slider and increase the second slider. I will sometime add Nik software into my technique. Nik filters are excellent. Let me know if this helps.
Comments
It is about how that thing looks photographed." Garry Winogrand
Avatar credit: photograph by Duane Michals- picture of me, 'Smash Palace' album
Hi Brian, I actually processed these images in Lucis Art and Not HDR software. Lucist Art tends to dirty the skin. I placed the image on site to get ideas for my future images. On the first image, I masked the face, arms and legs to obtain the original color back. I then softened the image and applied a modified Amy Dresser technique - by Joel Grimes.
Reynaldo
www.creativephotoimagesllc.com
Albert@WhetstoneImagery.com
http://Albert-Dickson.com
Very interesting renderings of these images!
Don
'I was older then, I'm younger than that now' ....
My Blog | Q+ | Moderator, Lightroom Forums | My Amateur Smugmug Stuff | My Blurb book Rust and Whimsy. More Rust , FaceBook .
It is about how that thing looks photographed." Garry Winogrand
Avatar credit: photograph by Duane Michals- picture of me, 'Smash Palace' album
Hi Brian. I just added a third image The technique can be subtle to extreme. Lucis Art can also be used to enhance clothing. I would however mask the face and body parts then bring out the original skin tone. However it was not the case in this image everything was lightly processed in ucis Art and completed in PS CS4. This image was originally multiple images that I had to mask to get aone single image. The children were not looking up in all images.
Reynaldo Williams
www.creativephotoimagesllc.com
Here are a couple where I used topaz adjust, also used ocf 580EXII.
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_7jXFxvonkm8/TIVA-MFj-tI/AAAAAAAAAPs/6VjYLW0eRgM/s1600/echilson_blog-1%5B16%5D.jpg
http://www.nancycuppyphotography.com/Portraits/chamlin-senior-portraits/chamlin03/825890042_pSH8e-M.jpg
Blog
http://www.marylandppa.com/
www.cameraone.biz
I really like the runner. The only thing That would add is increasing the contrast in the sky by adding a filter. Give it a touch of drama
Reynaldo Williams
www.creativephotoimagesllc.com
www.creativephotoimages.smugmug.com
Website
My Smugmug
My Canon Gear:
5DMII | 24-105mm f/4L | 45mm TS/E | 135mm f/2.0L | 70-200mm f/2.8L IS | 50mm f/1.4 | 580EX II & 430EX
Hi John thanks for viewing my work. I use Lucist Art ED (I must say that I love the software and thinking about updating) ai am a PC user and planning on switching to a Mac but I understand that future Lucist Software versions are not going to support the Mac) anyway, My primary settings are: Enhansed Detail 31 and mixed original image 30 Processed and 70 original. My second is setting is less destructive to the skin. Settings are 53/23/78. I always keep two originals one post processed with Photoshop and one unprocessed. Keep those them to later bring out the original skin tone by way of masking or superenpossing merging two images to form one. Depending on the look that I am looking for I will runny first pass and then rerun the second setting and cut back on the first slider and increase the second slider. I will sometime add Nik software into my technique. Nik filters are excellent. Let me know if this helps.
Reynaldo Williams
www.creativephotoimagesllc.com
www.creativephotoimages.smugmug.com