Main: 2x2' soft box directly above and metered at f/11
Fill: 3 pieces of white foam-core below left, center and right
Kickers: Large gridded strip boxes on left and right metered at f/9
Main: 2x2' soft box directly above and metered at f/11
Fill: 3 pieces of white foam-core below left, center and right
Kickers: Large gridded strip boxes on left and right metered at f/9
Backdrop: Bare SB900 centered on backdrop and feathered.
Main: 2x2' soft box directly above and metered at f/11
Fill: 3 pieces of white foam-core below left, center and right
Kickers: Large gridded strip boxes on left and right metered at f/9
Backdrop: Bare SB900 centered on backdrop and feathered.
Pull Back: Same as day 81 but with different backdrop
Main: 2x2' soft box directly above and metered at f/11
Fill: 3 pieces of white foam-core below left, center and right
Kickers: Large gridded strip boxes on left and right metered at f/9
Backdrop: Bare SB900 centered on backdrop and feathered.
Pull Back: Same as day 81 but with different backdrop
Do love the shots, colors and all. If you want to play put the background light behind the thin cloth bkgs and even try a gel to see what effects you get.
You are doing a spectacular job with you kickers......just a kiss of light!!!!!!!!
Yes indeed! We have traded messages and you have given me some good tips that I think others would benefit from.
Would love to share. As far as skin tones, the first important thing is getting white balance correct. Since I shoot in the same environment/lighting all the time with these shots, I have presets in LR setup for my 3 light setups. I find that my different modifiers have slightly different color casts and that's why I have 3 different presets. However, to get those correct, I simply shot a gray card and did custom WB in LR from it. I do this as well when I shoot outdoors.
Now, I think what really brings the skin tones to life is a little trick I do with layers and black white in Photoshop. Once I get the image the way I want it (i.e. healing, smoothing, curves, sharpening, etc.), I make a stamp visible layer (Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E) and then import it into Nik Silver Efex Pro. I have a couple presets saved that I use to convert the shot to B&W. From memory, I have contrast at 7 or 10, structure at 20 or 25 and then the yellow and red channels tweaked. I don't remember which way right now. I simply select the preset and convert. The B&W gets returned to PS as it's own layer.
I now take the new B&W layer and place it below the Stamp Visible layer I created. I then take the Stamp Visible layer and change the blending mode to Color. What happens is that the image now takes on the tonal properties of the B&W but with the color applied from the top layer. It really makes the skin tone come to life. I finish things off by adjusting the opacity of the B&W layer to any where between 40-85%. Just depends on the person and the shot.
Just as an FYI, I use this technique with landscapes and other types of shots. You can use other blending modes as well, like Overlay, Soft Light, Multiply, but they don't work as well for portraiture. OH... and if you don't have Nik Silver Efex, you can simply make a new B&W adjustment layer in PS the same way.
I will post a shot with and without the B&W layer technique later so you guys can see the difference. Hope you guys find this helpful.
I was told this technique by someone a few month back. Pretty cool, I tried it a few times and it just wasn't working for me... i'm sure it was me not the technique! lol
Would love to share. As far as skin tones, the first important thing is getting white balance correct. Since I shoot in the same environment/lighting all the time with these shots, I have presets in LR setup for my 3 light setups. I find that my different modifiers have slightly different color casts and that's why I have 3 different presets. However, to get those correct, I simply shot a gray card and did custom WB in LR from it. I do this as well when I shoot outdoors.
Now, I think what really brings the skin tones to life is a little trick I do with layers and black white in Photoshop. Once I get the image the way I want it (i.e. healing, smoothing, curves, sharpening, etc.), I make a stamp visible layer (Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E) and then import it into Nik Silver Efex Pro. I have a couple presets saved that I use to convert the shot to B&W. From memory, I have contrast at 7 or 10, structure at 20 or 25 and then the yellow and red channels tweaked. I don't remember which way right now. I simply select the preset and convert. The B&W gets returned to PS as it's own layer.
I now take the new B&W layer and place it below the Stamp Visible layer I created. I then take the Stamp Visible layer and change the blending mode to Color. What happens is that the image now takes on the tonal properties of the B&W but with the color applied from the top layer. It really makes the skin tone come to life. I finish things off by adjusting the opacity of the B&W layer to any where between 40-85%. Just depends on the person and the shot.
Just as an FYI, I use this technique with landscapes and other types of shots. You can use other blending modes as well, like Overlay, Soft Light, Multiply, but they don't work as well for portraiture. OH... and if you don't have Nik Silver Efex, you can simply make a new B&W adjustment layer in PS the same way.
I will post a shot with and without the B&W layer technique later so you guys can see the difference. Hope you guys find this helpful.
Thanks Alex for this insight. Is there any way to do this only in Lightroom? I think all of the Nik software has integration with Lightroom. Not sure with all of the continuous improvements in LR that I want to bite the Photoshop bullet.
I just love the colors and tonality of this one. What a great shot. Portraits of this type are going to be my summer project I think. This really is great and I need to learn it. Keep it coming!!
Main: 2x2' soft box directly above and metered at f/11
Fill: 3 pieces of white foam-core below left, center and right
Kickers: Large gridded strip boxes on left and right metered at f/9
Backdrop: Bare SB900 centered on backdrop and feathered.
Pull Back: Same as day 81 but with different backdrop
Comments
3-Light Setup:
Main: 2x2' soft box directly above and metered at f/11
Fill: 3 pieces of white foam-core below left, center and right
Kickers: Large gridded strip boxes on left and right metered at f/9
Pull Back:
Same as day 63
Shot:
Moderator of the People and Go Figure forums
My Smug Site
3-Light Setup:
Main: 2x2' soft box directly above and metered at f/11
Fill: 3 pieces of white foam-core below left, center and right
Kickers: Large gridded strip boxes on left and right metered at f/9
Backdrop: Bare SB900 centered on backdrop and feathered.
Pull Back:
Shot:
Moderator of the People and Go Figure forums
My Smug Site
3-Light Setup:
Main: 2x2' soft box directly above and metered at f/11
Fill: 3 pieces of white foam-core below left, center and right
Kickers: Large gridded strip boxes on left and right metered at f/9
Backdrop: Bare SB900 centered on backdrop and feathered.
Pull Back: Same as day 81 but with different backdrop
Shot:
Moderator of the People and Go Figure forums
My Smug Site
3-Light Setup:
Main: 2x2' soft box directly above and metered at f/11
Fill: 3 pieces of white foam-core below left, center and right
Kickers: Large gridded strip boxes on left and right metered at f/9
Backdrop: Bare SB900 centered on backdrop and feathered.
Pull Back: Same as day 81 but with different backdrop
Shot:
Moderator of the People and Go Figure forums
My Smug Site
You are doing a spectacular job with you kickers......just a kiss of light!!!!!!!!
www.cameraone.biz
Thanks for the suggestion. I have several thin cloth backdrops. Gonna try placing the light behind them. See what develops.
Moderator of the People and Go Figure forums
My Smug Site
Yes indeed! We have traded messages and you have given me some good tips that I think others would benefit from.
Would love to share. As far as skin tones, the first important thing is getting white balance correct. Since I shoot in the same environment/lighting all the time with these shots, I have presets in LR setup for my 3 light setups. I find that my different modifiers have slightly different color casts and that's why I have 3 different presets. However, to get those correct, I simply shot a gray card and did custom WB in LR from it. I do this as well when I shoot outdoors.
Now, I think what really brings the skin tones to life is a little trick I do with layers and black white in Photoshop. Once I get the image the way I want it (i.e. healing, smoothing, curves, sharpening, etc.), I make a stamp visible layer (Shift+Ctrl+Alt+E) and then import it into Nik Silver Efex Pro. I have a couple presets saved that I use to convert the shot to B&W. From memory, I have contrast at 7 or 10, structure at 20 or 25 and then the yellow and red channels tweaked. I don't remember which way right now. I simply select the preset and convert. The B&W gets returned to PS as it's own layer.
I now take the new B&W layer and place it below the Stamp Visible layer I created. I then take the Stamp Visible layer and change the blending mode to Color. What happens is that the image now takes on the tonal properties of the B&W but with the color applied from the top layer. It really makes the skin tone come to life. I finish things off by adjusting the opacity of the B&W layer to any where between 40-85%. Just depends on the person and the shot.
Just as an FYI, I use this technique with landscapes and other types of shots. You can use other blending modes as well, like Overlay, Soft Light, Multiply, but they don't work as well for portraiture. OH... and if you don't have Nik Silver Efex, you can simply make a new B&W adjustment layer in PS the same way.
I will post a shot with and without the B&W layer technique later so you guys can see the difference. Hope you guys find this helpful.
Moderator of the People and Go Figure forums
My Smug Site
www.cameraone.biz
*ahem*
We want moar we want moar
If I post it, please tell me how to make it better. My fragile ego can take it.
Aside from your lighting I just cannot get enough of Mrs. Alex.
Canon 600D; Canon 1D Mk2;
24-105 f4L IS; 70-200 f4L IS; 50mm 1.4; 28-75 f2.8; 55-250 IS; 580EX & (2) 430EX Flash,
Model Galleries: http://bilsen.zenfolio.com/
Everything Else: www.pbase.com/bilsen
Marcelo
Thanks Alex for this insight. Is there any way to do this only in Lightroom? I think all of the Nik software has integration with Lightroom. Not sure with all of the continuous improvements in LR that I want to bite the Photoshop bullet.
Thanks again, great thread.
Jim