Can anyone provide an insight to this PP?

Marcus Geezer

Marcus Geezer

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I'm absolutely obsessed with a certain style of PP and I've seen it on mainly high end toggers websites, but a few on flickr seemed to have mastered it as well. I'm sure the technique is pretty involved but I'm very eager to at least get an appreciation of this and learn the skills over time so on demand I can produce my variant of this if I want to.

Here are a few examples from a very creative guy called Michael Herb. Although most of the images are composites, it's the processing on the models I'm intrigued with.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/204studios/6292014775/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/204studios/6276662848/in/photostream

http://www.flickr.com/photos/204studios/6242478446/in/set-72157625608249331

I think the starting point is skin smoothing, with some very selective dodging and burning, and then I'm not sure.

Any help is very much appreciated.
 
A style a really like.

Looks a bit like the enhanced detail style plug-in in Lucisarts, which I would like but costs a lot unless you use it a lot, but then pics will all look the same.

There is a trial version, but only works with small images and doesn't print. The trial is also limited in what it will allow you to do.

Have a look here:www.lucisart.com/lucis-art3-artist-gallery/lucis-art-3-gallery.htm
 
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Neither of your links work Dave.

EDIT: But I edited them and found it. Great stuff but I want to know how to do it myself, then perhaps create my own actions, etc.
 
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Marcus Geezer said:
Neither of your links work Dave.

EDIT: But I edited them and found it. Great stuff but I want to know how to do it myself, then perhaps create my own actions, etc.
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Not perfect, but the link now works! The basic processing looks similar, and if you find out how to do it, Marcus, I would appreciate the info.

Thanks.
 
david357 said:
Not perfect, but the link now works! The basic processing looks similar, and if you find out how to do it, Marcus, I would appreciate the info.

Thanks.
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Even if the process is complicated, I want to know what the steps are then learn/practice them each until I have them!

Lets hope this thread provides some insight.
 
Marcus, Pellepiano is a master of this type of editing...... among other stuff he does.

he posts on here some times especially in the glam section.
 
tiler65 said:
Marcus, Pellepiano is a master of this type of editing...... among other stuff he does.

he posts on here some times especially in the glam section.
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Good call Tom. I'll contact him and see if he can help.
 
Joey Lawrence and Dave Hill do work like this. Firstly it's not just processing it's layered lighting to start with, and the effects build from there in post.

There's a tonne of info on this, it's a common trend. I'll try and dig up some good links for you Marcus

edit: working at the mo so may take a little while but I'll check in breaks and be sure to supply some useful links
 
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People that use a similar effect are Dragan and Jill Greenberg, it's their signature style so to speak. Gotta stress, the key to pulling this off properly is the lighting, any image can have the photoshop actions applied and will work to a degree but won't look to a standard I'm hoping you are after :)

Have a quick look here at the lighting set up http://lightingforphoto.com/2010/04/30/jill-greenberg-lighting-setup-and-lighting-diagram/

Here's a portrait of Joey himself, seemingly shot by a friend of his http://www.flickr.com/photos/20973928@N03/2883004073/

http://vimeo.com/26297793 An insight from Dave Hill into his amazing Adverture series

Enjoy :)
 
Mahoneyd187 said:
I've not tried this, can't recommend it, but I thought I'd post it for you nevertheless http://www.flickr.com/groups/strobist/discuss/72157594577686705
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I have tried that method - it didn't work for me though I perhaps did not try hard enough. I felt that there were either steps missing in the processing, or I was mis-reading it.

I also am following this thread in the hope of finding out more about the pp style, I posted a similar thread a while ago but Lucisarts seemed to be the only way forward, along with wrap-around lighting as per the Jill Greenberg style.
 
david357 said:
I have tried that method - it didn't work for me though I perhaps did not try hard enough. I felt that there were either steps missing in the processing, or I was mis-reading it.

I also am following this thread in the hope of finding out more about the pp style, I posted a similar thread a while ago but Lucisarts seemed to be the only way forward, along with wrap-around lighting as per the Jill Greenberg style.
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Plug ins are most certainly not the only way forward :(

Look up "grunge technique", "Multiply technique" and so on. Anything a plug in can do, you can do better :D

What kind of image are you attempting this with? The lighting has to be right or it'll look like most of the other crap attempts at replicating this technique
 
Thank you Mahoney and Danny. I've had a response from Pelle and he said his main technique is good lighting technique, followed by dodging & burning combined with some skin cleansing techniques. I think my first step is to improve my D&B and skin touching up skills.

By the way, I've seen that link on flickr to try and re-create that look, and I agree, there's more to it than just following a few procedures. I think the art is to be able to smooth the skin to an 'almost' plastic look, then to apply some highly practiced D&B to accentuate/remove features, at least as a starting point.
 
Bit of skin softening, followed by topaz fine detail (topaz ajust 4?)

6332255734_328e952ae0_z.jpg
 
swanseamale47 said:
Bit of skin softening, followed by topaz fine detail (topaz ajust 4?)

6332255734_328e952ae0_z.jpg
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It's good Wayne but not any where near the kind of style I'm after. Have a look at the flickr links in my OP to get a feel of what I'm trying for?
 
I'm no expert in this field but this looks like it has as much to do with a careful and well executed strobist set as it is PP.

The photographer in the OP lists the processes and lighting set up (albeit vaguely) but is a good starting point to note. By looking at his other work he's obviously a serious strobist.

The Dragan effect, well placed lighting, HDR, d&b and tonal contrast adjustments seem to be key in these images.

The guys at the "How To Cheat In Photoshop" forum may help further
http://www.howtocheatinphotoshop.com/cgi-bin/simpleforum_pro.cgi
 
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To start with the lighting plays a big part in being able to achieve this look.

A couple of tools that might help you:
-Duplicate background layer>set blending mode to overlay> filter,other,high pass - usually used at a very low setting to sharpen small details but once cranked up a bit it can create some interesting "3d" ish effects..
-Use shadows and highlights tool SPARINGLY. Personally I'd only push the shadows up, highlights often look completely strange when pushed downwards..
-The above will often cause over saturation so knock that down a lot..

You could also try HDR. will give a similar look.. There will be about 10000 ways to get this look, you could do it with just curves and masking if you really wanted to, its just finding the easiest and best way to do it in. I'd be happy to have a go at an image or two if you'd like.
 
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