Luminous Landscape Forum

Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Digital Image Processing => Topic started by: ChrisJR on May 23, 2008, 09:22:52 am

Title: Processing techniques
Post by: ChrisJR on May 23, 2008, 09:22:52 am
Being a photography student, I'm always trying to learn new things but I would love to learn how images such as these: http://www.pbase.com/manny_librodo/vietnam08 (http://www.pbase.com/manny_librodo/vietnam08) (the first one especially) are processed.

I love the effect and have noticed some of the MFDB members here use techniques to get a similar effect. Is it a case of de-saturating and increasing contrast or is there some other way of achieving this effect.

Chris.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: DarkPenguin on May 23, 2008, 12:32:18 pm
That isn't the Dragan technique, is it?
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: ChrisJR on May 23, 2008, 12:38:39 pm
Looks very similar but after searching since I posted the message it appears I was looking for painting with light, as used by Jill Greenberg amongst others.

Thanks

Chris
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: tomrock on May 23, 2008, 04:47:57 pm
Those are really some great pictures. Good luck.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: The View on May 24, 2008, 01:33:08 am
Quote
Being a photography student, I'm always trying to learn new things but I would love to learn how images such as these: http://www.pbase.com/manny_librodo/vietnam08 (http://www.pbase.com/manny_librodo/vietnam08) (the first one especially) are processed.

I love the effect and have noticed some of the MFDB members here use techniques to get a similar effect. Is it a case of de-saturating and increasing contrast or is there some other way of achieving this effect.

Chris.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=197454\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Great photos!

DEsaturating?

It looks very saturated to me.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: ChrisJR on May 24, 2008, 06:07:16 pm
Quote
Great photos!

DEsaturating?

It looks very saturated to me.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=197668\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Apparently it's about creating different layers, one de-saturated, another overly saturated and sometimes another b&w and then masking them in together. Spent the last day trying to figure this technique out but completely stuck
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: The View on May 24, 2008, 09:57:28 pm
Where did you hear about this? Any source?
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: Andy M on May 25, 2008, 04:24:23 am
Manny is a very nice guy, and offers quite a few photo courses - why not contact him?

His style isn't to my taste, but I can see why people like it
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: ChrisJR on May 25, 2008, 10:13:29 am
Quote
Manny is a very nice guy, and offers quite a few photo courses - why not contact him?

His style isn't to my taste, but I can see why people like it
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=197835\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
If he did a workshop here I would most definitely attend it but I have already contacted him and unfortunately not had a reply yet.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: The View on May 26, 2008, 01:31:14 am
Quote
Manny is a very nice guy, and offers quite a few photo courses - why not contact him?

His style isn't to my taste, but I can see why people like it
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=197835\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

It's not about someone's style, but to know about a technique, that one can use to sharpen one's own style
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: maxgruzen on May 29, 2008, 09:28:38 am
Quote
Being a photography student, I'm always trying to learn new things but I would love to learn how images such as these: http://www.pbase.com/manny_librodo/vietnam08 (http://www.pbase.com/manny_librodo/vietnam08) (the first one especially) are processed.

I love the effect and have noticed some of the MFDB members here use techniques to get a similar effect. Is it a case of de-saturating and increasing contrast or is there some other way of achieving this effect.

Chris.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=197454\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Hey Radders if you you run across any info on this technique please post it. It's really very nice.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: ChrisJR on May 29, 2008, 09:40:08 am
Quote
Hey Radders if you you run across any info on this technique please post it. It's really very nice.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a] (http://index.php?act=findpost&pid=198723\")

Hi, one of the best tutorials I found for this technique is at [a href=\"http://www.metacafe.com/watch/735941/dragan_effect_photoshop_tutorial/]http://www.metacafe.com/watch/735941/draga...oshop_tutorial/[/url] It's not 100% accurate but gets you very close. Also, I found dpreview has some excellent tips on this technique, particularly the ones by Pam R in the discussion forum (type in Dragan, look for Pam R). http://porg.4t.com/kcdragan.html (http://porg.4t.com/kcdragan.html) rounds up these techniques from dpreview in one go.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: maxgruzen on May 30, 2008, 11:51:22 am
Quote
Hi, one of the best tutorials I found for this technique is at http://www.metacafe.com/watch/735941/draga...oshop_tutorial/ (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/735941/dragan_effect_photoshop_tutorial/) It's not 100% accurate but gets you very close. Also, I found dpreview has some excellent tips on this technique, particularly the ones by Pam R in the discussion forum (type in Dragan, look for Pam R). http://porg.4t.com/kcdragan.html (http://porg.4t.com/kcdragan.html) rounds up these techniques from dpreview in one go.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=198726\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Thanks Radders, I'll check it out and let you know how successful I am.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: The View on May 31, 2008, 10:18:14 pm
Imitating other people's photography isn't a great thing, and always looks like an imitation.

The original Dragan photography is true Polish, catholic photography - I mean the other side of the coin of catholicism.

PS: If you want to look at truly sick looking photography, go for Joel Peter Rifkin.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: Wolfman on June 01, 2008, 02:45:06 am
Quote
Imitating other people's photography isn't a great thing, and always looks like an imitation.

The original Dragan photography is true Polish, catholic photography - I mean the other side of the coin of catholicism.

PS: If you want to look at truly sick looking photography, go for Joel Peter Rifkin.
[{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a] (http://index.php?act=findpost&pid=199193\")


You mean Joel Peter Witkin: [a href=\"http://www.edelmangallery.com/witkin.htm]http://www.edelmangallery.com/witkin.htm[/url]
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: Jeremy Roussak on June 01, 2008, 03:49:24 am
Quote
You mean Joel Peter Witkin: http://www.edelmangallery.com/witkin.htm (http://www.edelmangallery.com/witkin.htm)
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=199205\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
OK, I've looked and thought and I give up. What on earth is he for?

Jeremy
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: ChrisJR on June 01, 2008, 09:34:19 am
Quote
Imitating other people's photography isn't a great thing, and always looks like an imitation.

The original Dragan photography is true Polish, catholic photography - I mean the other side of the coin of catholicism.

PS: If you want to look at truly sick looking photography, go for Joel Peter Rifkin.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=199193\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
When I started this post, I wasn't necessarily interested in copying his technique, I was more interested in learning how he gets his contrasty look and then possibly utilising parts of that technique into my post processing. I believe I've pretty much cracked his technique but for the images I've been producing recently his technique definitely doesn't work for me.

I prefer the processing techniques of someone like Jill Greenberg but again I don't want to copy her work, just interested in learning how people achieve their looks.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: BruceHouston on June 01, 2008, 09:54:04 am
We all copy each other's techniques, from birth to death.  If we didn't, we would never even learn to talk, let alone learn our complex professions.

Beware of false premises.  "If you buy the premise, you buy the bit."
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: maxgruzen on June 01, 2008, 10:24:15 am
Hey Radders, Thanks for sharing this tread about Manny with us.  His work and his technique is new to me, and like you I just want to learn how to do things in PS. Im' 69 and I've been a photographer for 65 years, don't know squat, and been copying others all my life. My work however is unique to me.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: jjj on June 01, 2008, 01:57:01 pm
Quote
Hi, one of the best tutorials I found for this technique is at http://www.metacafe.com/watch/735941/draga...oshop_tutorial/ (http://www.metacafe.com/watch/735941/dragan_effect_photoshop_tutorial/) It's not 100% accurate but gets you very close.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=198726\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
That's a very poor tutorial with a shockingly clumsy workflow and the end result is pants too.  And as for the wretched clicking noise    
Also Dragan's work looks like HDR work to me, which is a very different technique.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: ChrisJR on June 01, 2008, 03:14:39 pm
Quote
That's a very poor tutorial with a shockingly clumsy workflow and the end result is pants too.  And as for the wretched clicking noise    
Also Dragan's work looks like HDR work to me, which is a very different technique.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=199275\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
And that's the best I could find on the web    
I tried doing HDR on some portraits and the results look like nothing like Dragan's work. I give up!
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: jjj on June 02, 2008, 08:13:46 am
Quite a few of the shots in this section Pixus (http://www.imajez.com/pixus/pixus_futt_futt_futt_photography_02.html) are a little bit like the style you like. Done neither like Dragan, Dave Hill [http://www.davehillphoto.com/] or some HDR. I was just improvising with Photoshop many years ago and came up with this look, but all those pics were shot with a low res P+S camera [2.1M!], but if applied on a high res image would probably look a bit like the other techniques.
Just play around with PS, don't do things 'correctly' and see what happens.
Best way to learn, don't just copy someone's else's signature style.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: jjj on June 02, 2008, 08:16:29 am
Oh and one other thing, a large part of the look of say Dave Hill's photos is how image was shot/lit in first place. So it's not simply a PS technique.
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: jjj on June 03, 2008, 08:54:20 am
Working on some shots today and I ended up with this variation of an image.

(http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3077/2547453153_c0ff9f2415_b.jpg)

It's a 100% crop from a H3D-39 and I think MF quality and the lighting had a big effect on the look.
Very easy to do. Sharpening and two adjustment layers!
Title: Processing techniques
Post by: haefnerphoto on June 04, 2008, 09:10:00 pm
In the most recent Photoshop User there's an article that illustrates one way to accomplish this look.  It involves opening the image in Camera Raw (latest version) and  adjusting the sliders to your liking.  It works great!  The article suggests some extreme moves, they might not be necessary, it depends on the image.  Attached is an example I shot of my son at his All Star Game.  Good luck!  Jim[attachment=6908:attachment]