Here's a help section/tutorial on display color which has a pointer to why Photoshop sometimes (more like usually) displays the color differently than you see it through a web browser (like on smugmug or dgrin).
Now for the really easy part: skin tones. Skin tones intimidate almost everyone because they seem so subjective. But there's a very simple trick to see if you're in range. It doesn't matter how your monitor is calibrated or whether Photoshop is displaying things differently or even if you're color blind. It doesn't even matter if you don't know the true skin tone of the subject.
Sound too good to be true? It is. But it's true anyway.
Here goes: Open your photo and pick the eyedropper tool. Also open the info window that shows colors (see pic below). Hover the eyedropper over the skin tones and look at the magenta and yellow values.
The screen shot doesn't show it, but the eyedropper is hovering over the boy's cheek. The magenta (M) value is 54%. The yellow (Y) value is 40%.
If it's skin, yellow must at least equal magenta. If they're equal, that implies very fair skin, like a baby's. 2-3% more is usually about right for caucasians. Olive-skinned people can be as much as 15% higher.
That's it.
You can reduce magenta by going to hue/saturation --> red channel --> desaturate by 7% or so. You can increase yellow by going to levels --> blue channel --> slide the center so it goes from 1 to .9 or so. Or use curves.
Piece of cake.
But...but...but... What if his *actual* skin is not the color you just made it? Doesn't matter. He wants his skin to have more yellow than magenta. All caucasians do. He wants to believe that's what his skin looks like even if it doesn't.
But...but...but... Who cares what he wants? I want truth! Doesn't matter. Every magazine on earth uses this guide so they all change the skin tones to have more yellow than magenta, so when we see skin that has more magenta than yellow in a photo we don't believe it anyway, even if it's true. Deal with it.
Clear as mud?
Thanks,
Baldy
Thanks for this Baldy... I knew this once but Rutt is'nt here to nag me and I've slipped and slipped..... great tutorial.. thanks again.
Lynn
Got that alone feeling, reach out.......
Actually, this is one of my all time favorites. On Sullivan's Island, of course. I "collect" cell phone photos. g
All good
The cell phone guy is good. He's alone because the restaurant is closed? Or is he together because he's with the person on the phone. Reach out and touch someone - guess he's together. The subject as a whole doesn't pull me in so much.
The boy with the birds. - Great catch on that subject. I definitely like the color version. Composition is more simplified with the crop, nice balance after getting rid of the tree in the middle. Great work with the shadows and light . Why the B&W at all? It seems too dark and shadowy, no detail in the shadows. Why take away the color? B&W doesn't add anything. The color adds. The subject makes me want to stay and look. It seems like a great moment. The color adds life and energy. Says, together - all God's creatures. I like it a lot.
Amazing Grace - Another unique capture, the cross in the water. Don't see that every day. And a person walks out there? Great catch. Very alone. Stormy day too. Great mood. The cross is a hook, it's a special moment. Nice blue toning, I think it gives the B&W a glow a deeper mood. I like it.
The lady with the dog - she looks alone in a busy restaurant. Makes me wonder about what she is thinking. But, not a real grabber. Is it a little oof?
Fisherman on the dock in the challenge thread - Like the shot. Intrigues me. He's centered but the walker tells his story. Nice B&W conversion. This is good too. Hard to decide. Maybe some other people can help with the decision.
Snappy, I wish someone would come give me another opinion on these. I forgot about this one, too. I had to defrag, and defrag again, after I freed up another 30% of my hard drive. And CS still wouldn't work. Won't work, I should say. It says it is at the end of the scratch disk??? As far as I know I have no scratch disk, don't know what one is.
The same thing did work on PS 7, but I am worn out. It is very grey here. Not like in this photo, darker and duller. Kind of like winter, just before dark.
I would like some more opinions, I might just go with this............. It is how I feel right now. Only I don't have quite the pride that it looks like he has.
Snappy, I wish someone would come give me another opinion on these. I forgot about this one, too. I had to defrag, and defrag again, after I freed up another 30% of my hard drive. And CS still wouldn't work. Won't work, I should say. It says it is at the end of the scratch disk??? As far as I know I have no scratch disk, don't know what one is.
The same thing did work on PS 7, but I am worn out. It is very grey here. Not like in this photo, darker and duller. Kind of like winter, just before dark.
I would like some more opinions, I might just go with this............. It is how I feel right now. Only I don't have quite the pride that it looks like he has.
g
Yes, Ginger, this one says alone too. Very much so. The problem now is to pick the best out of a bunch of good images. I think this one could use something to make the guy stand out a bit. More contrast? I don't know. If I were you, I would start a new thread with a different title. Like "Final decision". I know they said one thread each, but this one that says "attention Lynn" will not get other peoples attention. Of course I don't think there are many members online at the moment. Maybe later. You could try sending a PM to a few.
Imo...
I told myself I wouldnt critique anyone elses photos until I got my equipment and started shooting myself and started making entries, but I really feel like letting you know what I think about your posts. In my opinion, which isnt always the greatest, I feel Amazing Grace is the best of the bunch. I cant explain why, but at first glance this image just jumped out at me. Although all of your other shots were very good, none of them had the immediate impact thats this one did. For me at least. Just like Snappy said in her last post the one of the man on the bench is a very nice photo, but needs something to make the man stand out. If you feel you can do that I think these two images would be very hard to choose between. But seeing the images the way they are right now I really like Amazing Grace much better. Hope this helped a little. I am a firm believe in the effect of having an image be able to just jump out at you and pull you in. Whice I believe this one does. Very nice work.
Snappy, I could PM you, but I have to say I can't make a new thread. I had about 10 threads on here when Pathfinder made his suggestion re combining threads. I was the offender. Then someone combined mine, and this was the title. I have been a trouble maker for weeks, I just can't do that.
I have thought of putting an SOS on the people thread, or some other place besides the challenges.
Nice of Mike wasn't it!!!!
Now I am going to look at that again, and you can paint a red cross on top of the old man's bald head. Oh, and drink, too, that would be good. I think I have some kind of fruit drink in the fridge, the one fridge I keep my Picassos and stuff on.
Re new thread...
I understand about the new thread, but you could say I suggested it.
Anyway, putting an SOS somewhere else is a good idea. I've done that myself. How about a PM to Baldy or whoever it was who combined your threads and asking them to change the title? Don't know what else to do. It was nice of Mike to give his opinion. I did notice another park bench shot in the challenge. Hard to get a shot of a unique subject. You've got two.
Snappy asked me to take a look at this thread for you... This one is beyond a doubt, my favorite... I like the fact that he is alone, and yet not alone.
Very nice... Like the composition and the colors, nice lighting... Nice shot all around.
ginette
"In the End, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends."
Another cell phone this week, I am just fascinated with the things
Only phone I have, and it can be difficult with its mind of its own. I never showed this, didn't think there was enough oomph, or something.
Amazing Grace
A very special picture, IMO. I went back that night, the cross was there, but the tide was out, the cross was high and dry and the interest was not there. I was just sitting on a storm ravaged beach, high, when I I saw this one woman walk over to the cross, I was lucky and got her in mid step.
Comments
ginger
Lynn
ginger
There are some good photos going up. I just had a grandchild, but I don't think a trip to Charlotte would get me photos that good.
He hasn't "formed" enough yet, and his mother looks a mite tired, he was 10 lbs.
However this idea of having a baby for the challenge, if possible, well, there may be an idea there.
I need to know more, more, more.
Now if I just could get the grass a bit different...... kind of yellow green isn't it?
Maybe should be bluegreen?
ginger
Thanks again, ginger
Actually, this is one of my all time favorites. On Sullivan's Island, of course. I "collect" cell phone photos. g
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
g
The cell phone guy is good. He's alone because the restaurant is closed? Or is he together because he's with the person on the phone. Reach out and touch someone - guess he's together. The subject as a whole doesn't pull me in so much.
The boy with the birds. - Great catch on that subject. I definitely like the color version. Composition is more simplified with the crop, nice balance after getting rid of the tree in the middle. Great work with the shadows and light . Why the B&W at all? It seems too dark and shadowy, no detail in the shadows. Why take away the color? B&W doesn't add anything. The color adds. The subject makes me want to stay and look. It seems like a great moment. The color adds life and energy. Says, together - all God's creatures. I like it a lot.
Amazing Grace - Another unique capture, the cross in the water. Don't see that every day. And a person walks out there? Great catch. Very alone. Stormy day too. Great mood. The cross is a hook, it's a special moment. Nice blue toning, I think it gives the B&W a glow a deeper mood. I like it.
The lady with the dog - she looks alone in a busy restaurant. Makes me wonder about what she is thinking. But, not a real grabber. Is it a little oof?
Fisherman on the dock in the challenge thread - Like the shot. Intrigues me. He's centered but the walker tells his story. Nice B&W conversion. This is good too. Hard to decide. Maybe some other people can help with the decision.
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
The same thing did work on PS 7, but I am worn out. It is very grey here. Not like in this photo, darker and duller. Kind of like winter, just before dark.
I would like some more opinions, I might just go with this............. It is how I feel right now. Only I don't have quite the pride that it looks like he has.
g
Yes, Ginger, this one says alone too. Very much so. The problem now is to pick the best out of a bunch of good images. I think this one could use something to make the guy stand out a bit. More contrast? I don't know. If I were you, I would start a new thread with a different title. Like "Final decision". I know they said one thread each, but this one that says "attention Lynn" will not get other peoples attention. Of course I don't think there are many members online at the moment. Maybe later. You could try sending a PM to a few.
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
I told myself I wouldnt critique anyone elses photos until I got my equipment and started shooting myself and started making entries, but I really feel like letting you know what I think about your posts. In my opinion, which isnt always the greatest, I feel Amazing Grace is the best of the bunch. I cant explain why, but at first glance this image just jumped out at me. Although all of your other shots were very good, none of them had the immediate impact thats this one did. For me at least. Just like Snappy said in her last post the one of the man on the bench is a very nice photo, but needs something to make the man stand out. If you feel you can do that I think these two images would be very hard to choose between. But seeing the images the way they are right now I really like Amazing Grace much better. Hope this helped a little. I am a firm believe in the effect of having an image be able to just jump out at you and pull you in. Whice I believe this one does. Very nice work.
Mike
Sigma SD9, SD14, and DP1
http://miketaylor.giph.com
I have thought of putting an SOS on the people thread, or some other place besides the challenges.
Nice of Mike wasn't it!!!!
Now I am going to look at that again, and you can paint a red cross on top of the old man's bald head.
g
I understand about the new thread, but you could say I suggested it.
Anyway, putting an SOS somewhere else is a good idea. I've done that myself. How about a PM to Baldy or whoever it was who combined your threads and asking them to change the title? Don't know what else to do. It was nice of Mike to give his opinion.
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
I dont know if my opinion matters much but my favorite is "amazing Grace", The girl on the cross on the beach.
My second favorite is the man on the bench. Good luck
Snappy asked me to take a look at this thread for you... This one is beyond a doubt, my favorite... I like the fact that he is alone, and yet not alone.
Very nice... Like the composition and the colors, nice lighting... Nice shot all around.
ginette
by ginger
Like the desaturated one better. But, still like the girl on the cross the best.
Susan Appel Photography My Blog
Only phone I have, and it can be difficult with its mind of its own. I never showed this, didn't think there was enough oomph, or something.
A very special picture, IMO. I went back that night, the cross was there, but the tide was out, the cross was high and dry and the interest was not there. I was just sitting on a storm ravaged beach, high, when I I saw this one woman walk over to the cross, I was lucky and got her in mid step.
g
The set is under the people, etc thread. It is funny. My daughter, not given to
much praise, she said she thought it was hysterical.
I don't know how to promote something here.
ginger
No faces showing, I wonder if I could use it, but for what I have no idea. It is best in the series. I am a story teller.