Neil April 18th, 2009
Vintage Pinup and Boudoir Retouching
tutorial is sponsored by the generously donated pinup images of Kelly @ Bay Area Pinups
This is some of the fun vintage effects achieved with the Vintage packages, video guide after the jump:
…illuminate your understanding with more…
Neil January 15th, 2009
A quick comparative set using LAB color mode and the ONE ACTION set: starting with the original file just out of raw conversion….
First we retouch the skin to taste, consider the light when you do (opensextensive skin retouch tutorial)!
After skin retouch we have a richer and more directional feel to the light.
A Black and white conversion using L*A*B* color mode for luminosity. A very classy B+W conversion. Once we’ve shown the client the expected results we can easily proof them something more artistic, and unexpected using Beautiful Blurs, or Lighting Overlays.
Here a basic texture file from the Bleautiful Blur Overlays – Volume 2 gives the picture a little blue juice which contrasts the warmth of the skin with a Photoshop layer mode of soft light.
There are two answers to why to be creative – one is from your own motivation, the other is to sell more to your clients. With the ONE ACTION workflow you could complete this whole series in less than 3min simply saving out a JPEG at each stage.
Neil December 4th, 2008
Following in the footsteps of my retouching tutorials:
I know these are written to a more abstract level and so today I’d like to provide a more hands-on experience and so I have posted this L*A*B* colorspace photoshop file for you to download. There are eleven layers in this file, from the starting image, on up through the finished look.
…illuminate your understanding with more…
Neil October 29th, 2008
Here’s our starter image for this discussion:
here’s our finished image for this discussion:
Now you’re right that’s not the EXACT same image, but there’s just a moment’s difference – I couldn’t find the un-retouched version.
I did find a smaller resolution version – again the point of contention is the vanishing point in the composition. You may compose this while you’re shooting – and it may be proper as you’re composing the environmental elements in your image – but what is the compelling ‘moment’ of the image?
His EYES!
…illuminate your understanding with more…
Neil October 23rd, 2008
Before:
After:
I then added a little edge border to fancy it up just a little further…. I work in LAB color mode using my ONE action that allows me better control over burning down unruly highlights, and bringing out the colors with saturation control!
The ONE ACTION set is a professional grade retouching workflow for creative expression.
Neil August 21st, 2008
Hi Neil, I am a wedding photographer based in Tunbridge Wells, England and have just had the pleasure of looking through some of your amazing photography! I really loved the images from the above wedding and was interested to find out what software you use to get that unique look on some of your images. I am looking for a good ‘filters’ package to give my images some individuality and so would really appreciate your feedback.
I’m grateful for you interest in my work. I was teaching in the UK back in June and joined the BPPA. I hope my work continues to take me around the world. I’m disappointed to tell you that no filter set will help you achieve a unique look – in fact quite the opposite will occur….I’ve a strong opinion on this, so sorry if I come off well – opinionated!
You can listen to some of my theories from my creative journal, try out: http://makelightreal.com/blue-photoshop-tutorial/ as a start.
You’ll find that my philosophy is to approach each image as a blank canvas, respond to the elements and develop the picture to the highest emotional state I feel possible. Some images receive careful raw conversion for color and contrast, but no more alteration: 
Some receive a greater amount of attention, usually to help get at the emotion/effect I’m feeling:
Much of it simply has to do with basic doge and burn, which accomplish with a simple workflow that operates in lab color mode: http://makelightreal.com/one-action-photoshop-workflow-tutorial/ So the premise of my action set is to make the basics of art theory/color theory as close to possible to my fingertips to be able to reach for the tool, and have it as close to my subconscious artistic mind as possible.
The trouble with filters are they encourage you to push a button instead of stretch your inner vision abilities
The goal I reach for in my photoshop workflow actions, is the quickness to achieve the look that resonates with my heart – but also avoid the pitfall of escaping from true artistic resonance. Let me just type out the inner dialog that might occur when I open an image into my workflow. First off as I open an image, I’m often distracted from the focal point and emotional resonance by some feature in the photo, most often the response is to doge down (darken that element) – this is one of the biggest reasons I work in L*A*B* as you need to dodge to color. Removing a distracting element is a negative action, so I will often look next at what needs to come out – or be highlighted – in positive response. The automated adjustment layers in the ONE Actionset are not the solution, they are a starting point that is at my fingertip to customize. As I open the layer I seek the specific curve that blends with the rest of the picture and resonates with the artistic vibe in that picture. Or I do one of a number of advanced curve adjustments that do everything from smoothing freckles to polarizing areas of the tonal scale. This pause is not bad, it’s cause for careful reflection. The adjustment layers can interact with texture layers, vignette layers, and be re-ordered to refine and define your intended result.
The goal for the ONE Actionset is to put reflection without distraction at your fingertips.
Tao 46
There is no greater calamity
Than not knowing what is enough.
Neil May 16th, 2008
I realized again how much I love the color blue when VFXY had a blue theme week.
Ever wonder why blue is such a wonderful color?
Blue is the hardest color for camera sensors to capture, and the hardest color for CMYK printers to print.
So how we deal with it in Photoshop is of utmost importance.
We’re sitting here on this beautiful blue jewel hanging in the galaxy, wouldn’t it be great if you captured some of that uniqueness in your images?
If you’d like to continue learning about the possibilities to accentuate and control the blue channel, purchase the Beautiful Blues Screen cast Training video.
Neil April 5th, 2008
I found these pictures in a Model Mayhem thread where a bunch of photographers were trading retouching tips
I saw these pictures, which look to be shot with a consumer digicam and on-board flash.
Here is a before and after view of what I did with the image, finishing with a little texture overlay and warm B+W tone. I chose to abandon the color since the background was so bad and dark. I could have adjusted the skintones in color, but with that eye makeup – I would still have found it a difficult picture to like. By adjusting to B+W and using the fine tuned tonal controls over density in the Luminance channel, I was able to draw the attention straight to the eyes. The texture is a good way to add blur and interest over a nondescript and non-essential background. The texture appears visually as a surface element creating a sense of space between the print and the background. Thanks to the power of LAB color mode and the one action workflow I didn’t waste all day.
Again here, I just want to emphasize that the ONE Action will always promote you getting to the essence of any particular shot. With the power of lab color, you can get at that essence more quickly and with less effort. As a point of discussion, I used the transform controls to level and improve the symmetry of Lilia’s face. After that I helped shape the upper cheek bones by lightening them, and providing a nice shadow under them to accentuate the and slim the face. Same process on the neck…. I applied a texture overlay here to help the head float in a luminous background that overlaps the shoulders. I only spent 5 minutes to achieve this affect with the ONE Action and my library of textures, but I’d charge my client at least $40.
Neil March 12th, 2008
I’m including a You-Tube quality screen cast of the walk through using the ONE action:
Included in your purchase of the ONE Action set is a high resolution walk through video to help give you your bearings on using the LAB color space for your photoshop workflow.
Neil February 19th, 2008
Final image result:
Download the fiberglass insulation texture used in this tutorial. Visit Texture King.com
This photoshop tutorial attempts to mimic the traditional printing processes such as Daguerreotype, wet plate collodion, hand painted emulsion and filing the negative carrier for full frame prints. These traditional photographic processes created printing effect that were generated as light passed through the negative, or print material leaving artifacts of hand made imperfection. Modern printing papers such as Innova, Hahnemuhle Paper, and Moab offer the digital artist a fast and tactile solution for creating wonderfully warm pieces in Photoshop.
So the object in Photoshop is to use layers and blending modes to create the effect of light passing through an imperfect emulsion. To do this you will need at least two layers, one in a darkening type mode such as Darken, Multiply, Hard light, or normal mode with light pixels erased. To finish the effect realistically, a second border must be applied over the darkening border so that the two borders interact three dimensionally.
Other shot’s I’ve created borders for:
You can download some border and edge effects from several Flickr Groups….
UPDATE: 10/31/08 – custom borders can now be achieved with some control from within Lightrom using OnOne’s PhotoFrame 4
Photoshop Document tutorials included in the Light Touch Texture Package
Posting tweet...
Powered by Twitter Tools
. 
fan this site