Flat Images

  • Thread starter Thread starter RobbieW
  • Start date Start date
R

RobbieW

Guest
Hi

Recently some images I have posted some images on this forum and on another one I frequent, and sometimes the feedback I get is the images looks a little flat.

Can someone expand on this? and how do i correct it? If your able to show examples too that would be good.

Thanks

Rob
 
Erm adding a bit of contrast i think would probally make it a little less flat.
 
RobbieW said:
Hi

Recently some images I have posted some images on this forum and on another one I frequent, and sometimes the feedback I get is the images looks a little flat.

Can someone expand on this? and how do i correct it? If your able to show examples too that would be good.
Click to expand...

If YOU could post examples of those images of yours that "look a little flat" we wouldn't have to guess wildly, Robbie: we would be able to SEE what's the matter, and perhaps have some advice on how to improve that.
 
Some may consider Joceline "flat", but she looks just right, to me! Lovely piece of work.

I must agree that it would help if you posted images or links to relevant threads.
 
There are a couple of great DVD on just such issues by a chap called Guy Gowan, he covers how to give shap and form to your images without just increasing the contrast whcih can also give problems with loss of detail in the shadows and hilights, they are a bit pricy for DVDs but very informative and extremely useful, they tend to concentrate on faces, but the same rules apply to all images.
 
My verdict would be, add more contrast and also if you have photoshop, go onto exposure and try bringing the gamma down a little :) It seems to have no strong shadows or highlights, and doing this would add some
 
It does look underexposed to me, photographically speaking :) The histogram seems to bear this out. Here's the histogram from your original.

MWSnap%202008-06-30%2C%2020_01_42.jpg


Consider that for a "normal" exposure you can use your palm as a grey card substitute and dial in about +1 1/3 stops EC. Her skin looks very pale, and should easily be +1 1/3 stops above middle grey, if not a bit more, in the brighter areas. Maybe there is an artistic intent that I am missing but a simple +1 increase in exposure within Lightroom really gives her skin a lift and creates a better contrast all round. In DPP, dragging the white point in from the right by one full division on the RGB histogram yields a roughly similar result.

By making either of the adjustments above you retain the black point where it is and thus automatically add contrast to the photo by stretching out the right hand side of the histogram. I'm not saying these examples are the finished article, just the result of a fairly simple lifting of the midtones and highlights.

Lightroom version - http://lh4.ggpht.com/EezyTiger/SGkxXE-6M0I/AAAAAAAAm3Y/-zYFr2Nq1xQ/s800/20080630_195642__LR.jpg

DPP version - http://lh5.ggpht.com/EezyTiger/SGkxZ-qcJqI/AAAAAAAAm3g/a5aikSWhPds/s800/20080630_195642__DPP.JPG

FWIW, I prefer the Lightroom version.

By the way, I do like the pose and the quality of the lighting, just not the exposure levels.

EDIT : I just tweaked the white balance on my Lightroom edit - http://lh6.ggpht.com/EezyTiger/SGk5QI0QGlI/AAAAAAAAm4A/8ydSRP3pg80/s800/20080630_195642__LR-2
 
I'm a real beginner in terms of photograpy and all that it entails and know absolutely eff all, but looking at the shot in question I wonder whether it's a lighting (of the subject when taking the shot) issue that you need to address? :shrug:

I was impressed by the use of light in Bean's Shots which might explain things better. Bean gives a run down on his set up which you might find useful.

Hope this helps :)
 
Flat = low dynamic and/or tonal range, i.e. everything is similar in colour and/or brightness. Gave the image a treatment and left some instructions for you to play wilth. Oh and it was done in the Gimp but it shouldn't make a difference.

edit: personally I think this image would be best in B&W btw.
 
Take a look at what can be done with a single light source:
http://www.williamcoupon.com
Bear in mind that photographers may find the images too similar and want to use four or five sources.

The late Don Blair was one for using just enough, and advocated bare bulb flash for adding texture and roundness (brolly or softbox being too flat):
http://www.google.com/search?q="don+blair"+"bare+bulb"&btnG=Google+Search
You might be able to find a Sunpak 622 handlemount flash with the bare bulb head or the Sunpak 120J (which is now more expensive than when it was in production), but have a read round to decide whether bare bulb is worth pursuing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top