That was a good example. You used the simplest of methods in LAB and it probably took you all of a minute max. The one I did, I went way overboard but that's another story. I think that once someone gets the method you used down and sees the differences it can make, they will naturally want to see where it takes them next. Despite what Shay says, the method you just used is reliable and repeatable all day. Using more advanced methods doesn't change that. Nice job.
Kids, I don't mean to be rude, but not one of these fixes has good skin tones. By turns they have too much magenta, yellow or red. Not a one looks natural, I'm afraid.
Kids, I don't mean to be rude, but not one of these fixes has good skin tones. By turns they have too much magenta, yellow or red. Not a one looks natural, I'm afraid.
Come on then put your money where your mouth is
Trapped in my bedroom taking pictures...did i say bedroom? i meant studio!
I'm curious. Without knowing the models, or their clothing, or the lighting conditions when the picture was taken, how can you possibly determine what is more or less accurate? At best, you are talking about a range of plausibility and a matter of taste.
And even if you could determine what was more accurate, I'm not sure that would make it better. Everyone else went for more saturation in these images. Given that they were taken at twilight, I think thats at least a reasonable choice. The "accurate" version, however, looks less saturated than the original and seems to have less pop.
Even so, its still a pleasant picture, and because color variation has been reduced, it puts the skin tones into a narrower range, which some people like. Again, I think its a matter of taste.
Duffy, I think everyone tried to change the black point too much. When I used Curves or Levels and messed with the dark side, the shot looked like everyone else's. So I didn't try to bring up the dark very much. Hence the lack of contrast.
I was just going for somewhat natural looking skin tones. Not saying I got them. But I am saying that no-one else did. None of the images looked plausible. Making things challenging is that the woman seems to have a natural yellowish cast to her skin, and the child's face is in a bit of a shadow. I do think you can look at the child's face and dress, the woman's dress, the grass and the sand and know what looks right.
I do think you can look at the child's face and dress, the woman's dress, the grass and the sand and know what looks right.
I agree to a point but the light at the time can make a massive difference to the colour contrast of the dress,grass and skin etc.
It really is almost impossible without a reference of having seen it ourselves through our own eyes whether or not its "right" So I tend to go for what in my opinion looks good rather than what i imagine it should look like.
Trapped in my bedroom taking pictures...did i say bedroom? i meant studio!
That was a good example. You used the simplest of methods in LAB and it probably took you all of a minute max. The one I did, I went way overboard but that's another story. I think that once someone gets the method you used down and sees the differences it can make, they will naturally want to see where it takes them next. Despite what Shay says, the method you just used is reliable and repeatable all day. Using more advanced methods doesn't change that. Nice job.
Thank you. You are correct, I only spent a minute or so doing what I did. However, before I did that, I had wasted several minutes trying to set the color levels, but nothing I tried improved on the original, so I left it the way it was.
Thank you. You are correct, I only spent a minute or so doing what I did. However, before I did that, I had wasted several minutes trying to set the color levels, but nothing I tried improved on the original, so I left it the way it was.
Tim
There are several steps in this correction, none of them drastic. I can understand wanting the quick fix when there are a lot of images to work with; quality must be balanced with time. But sometimes, as with this image, a little more attention seems warranted. I did some basic lab moves for color and contrast, a couple of sharpening moves and then a slight retouch on the faces to smooth out imperfections that became apparent with the sharpen moves.
There are two ways to slide through life: to believe everything or to doubt everything; both save us from thinking.
—Korzybski
Comments
Tim
That was a good example. You used the simplest of methods in LAB and it probably took you all of a minute max. The one I did, I went way overboard but that's another story. I think that once someone gets the method you used down and sees the differences it can make, they will naturally want to see where it takes them next. Despite what Shay says, the method you just used is reliable and repeatable all day. Using more advanced methods doesn't change that. Nice job.
My www. place is www.belperphoto.co.uk
My smugmug galleries at http://stuarthill.smugmug.com
levels, set grey
bumped brightness, contrast slightly
usm
corrected horizon, cropped accordingly
got some red out, can't help but think it's close to her skin tone...being a redhead/blonde mix. oh yea, removed the grass from her nostrile too.
final go, minor retouching and removed more red (reset my colorspace too)
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Come on then put your money where your mouth is
My www. place is www.belperphoto.co.uk
My smugmug galleries at http://stuarthill.smugmug.com
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
I think this is more accurate, tho not necessarily more flattering.
And I think this is less accurate, but warmer.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
Flattering trumps accurate every time.
Here's my shot at it:
Dgrin FAQ | Me | Workshops
good on ya....you did it with this one.
And even if you could determine what was more accurate, I'm not sure that would make it better. Everyone else went for more saturation in these images. Given that they were taken at twilight, I think thats at least a reasonable choice. The "accurate" version, however, looks less saturated than the original and seems to have less pop.
Even so, its still a pleasant picture, and because color variation has been reduced, it puts the skin tones into a narrower range, which some people like. Again, I think its a matter of taste.
Duffy
I was just going for somewhat natural looking skin tones. Not saying I got them. But I am saying that no-one else did. None of the images looked plausible. Making things challenging is that the woman seems to have a natural yellowish cast to her skin, and the child's face is in a bit of a shadow. I do think you can look at the child's face and dress, the woman's dress, the grass and the sand and know what looks right.
Catapultam habeo. Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam
http://www.mcneel.com/users/jb/foghorn/ill_shut_up.au
I agree to a point but the light at the time can make a massive difference to the colour contrast of the dress,grass and skin etc.
It really is almost impossible without a reference of having seen it ourselves through our own eyes whether or not its "right" So I tend to go for what in my opinion looks good rather than what i imagine it should look like.
My www. place is www.belperphoto.co.uk
My smugmug galleries at http://stuarthill.smugmug.com
Tim
There are several steps in this correction, none of them drastic. I can understand wanting the quick fix when there are a lot of images to work with; quality must be balanced with time. But sometimes, as with this image, a little more attention seems warranted. I did some basic lab moves for color and contrast, a couple of sharpening moves and then a slight retouch on the faces to smooth out imperfections that became apparent with the sharpen moves.
—Korzybski