DXO Optics 9 - skintone challenge

[MichaelEzra]

Here is a quick conversion in RawTherapee using adjustments via CIECAM02 module:

[Stephen G]

I've been using DXO on and off since version 3.5. To summarize my experience: sometimes I hate it, sometimes it just nails an image in a way that's very hard to achieve in any other converter.

How's this look? all the important conversion settings are visible down the right.

[smahn]

Redcrown,

Sorry, but I have not received your emails or a PM.  But you have a good suggestion re posting the link for others to download as well.  I processed your file using Photo Ninja's Portrait preset.  No other adjustments were made, so what you see is right out of the box.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/s/qyq3oj6xmk8l6is/Italy2013-138v0_v1.jpg?dl=1&token_hash=AAHNk6M_G7iqqpU5D8WOXP_UwVydYTyY1IiYvl-P5JbQmg

Rob

I think this image simply shows the plain default settings, the portrait settings are warmer. But I'm new to PN so maybe it's a mistake on my end,

[robgo2]

I think this image simply shows the plain default settings, the portrait settings are warmer. But I'm new to PN so maybe it's a mistake on my end,

No, I'm quite certain that my version from Photo Ninja uses the Portrait preset.  However, you may have the Neutral preset selected as your default, so that the image will open that way.  Try downloading the original raw file from Redcrown, and open it in PN alternating between Neutral and Portrait presets.  You will clearly see the difference and I think will prefer Portrait for this image.

Rob

[robgo2]

I have already posted examples processed in Photo Ninja, but to be fair, I thought that I would also present my best effort with DxO 9.  I used the Portrait Standard preset and made adjustments to exposure, contrast, midtones, highlights, and shadows.  I also set microcontrast to 0, so as to more closely match what I did in Photo Ninja.  Here is the link to the the full image file in Dropbox available for download:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o8yfnu6pvx4j3q9/Italy2013-138v0_DxO.jpg

And below is the screenshot from DxO.  The DxO version is not bad, but for my money, Photo Ninja is the clear winner, not just in terms of skintones, but also in terms of overall rendering.

Rob

[smahn]

No, I'm quite certain that my version from Photo Ninja uses the Portrait preset.  However, you may have the Neutral preset selected as your default, so that the image will open that way.  Try downloading the original raw file from Redcrown, and open it in PN alternating between Neutral and Portrait presets.  You will clearly see the difference and I think will prefer Portrait for this image.

Rob

Yo Rob,

Sorry, you're right. I must have messed with other settings on my way to finding the portrait preset. With starting over I see that yours was accurately the portrait preset. Sorry to trouble you.

[Tiger1]

I find these things impossible because I don't know the actual real skin tones so I have nothing to match.  Even the T-shirt worn can be a pale colour in reality but I can make it anything I want in processing.

So what do you want? Reality? Punch? Surreal colors?
It also depends if you have your monitor properly colour calibrated as what you are seeing on the screen, others may be seeing something completely different.

Just my 2 cents worth!

[Fine_Art]

Another RT conversion. Screenshot to MS Paint.