I set myself a little exercise today to try to take a dark and gritty portrait... I was home alone so I used myself as the subject (I knew the result wouldn't be flattering - I didn't want to get slapped by posting ugly shots of other people here)

I originally did this image as b/w only (and have posted the b/w version in the new "B/W Assignment #15" thread), but I also did this colour version and can't decide which I like.



Pointless as it may seem at first, the colour version actually incorporates the b/w version to supply its luminance values, it just allows the colour values from the original to "seep through" the b/w version. I just changed the Mode of the Channel Mixer layer (which performs the monochrome conversion) from Normal to Luminosity and then added a Hue/Saturation layer to fine-tune things (actually de-saturate some of the skin-tones).
As the monochrome conversion was based on the hues used in the original shot and not just the luminosity, this technique can give quite a distinctive look to an image.

Just a word of warning, when I did the Channel Mixing for this image, I pumped up the blue channel to around 200% and then put the Red and Green channels into negative values. While this does wonderful things for eyes (especially blue and probably green eyes), it can really make skin look disgusting! Every pore becomes a blackhead, every pimple becomes a mole, every freckle becomes a melonoma! :o You may need to take measures to remove some of the blemishes. In this photo I tried to remove my freckles (which tend to come out the worst), but left my pores to keep the leathery textured look in the skin. Mind you, I've got quite pale and pinky skin - I wonder how different these Channel Mixer settings would look with different skin tones and colours.

With this technique, what you lose in beauty you gain in character!

To put the PS processing into perspective, here is the same photo as it came out of the camera (ooooo.. don't I look like I mean business! Sometimes I scare myself! hahaha). Also a monochrome version which I think I prefer over the colour version, but not sure.



Edit: I slightly desaturated the colours in the main pic and added the small monochrome version to the bottom.

This is just great! As I don't give a fig about beauty in a man, I really like the result.

Superb!!

aww thanks guys.

Because so much of the detail is in the shadows I was a bit concerned that it might just turn into a murky blob on some people's monitors, but at least there is enough of it visible for you two to see what I was trying to achieve!

FWIW, my little monitor calibration spyder was one of the best investments I've made when it comes to editing photos... It has solved many problems with editing, displaying and printing, especially with tricky things like the deep shadows in this shot.

Great processing Adrian. The image is also quite good to start with.

Very impressive. Excellent. Great. Crackin'!

Here's another shot taken at the same time and given the same kind of treatment... only this time I did nothing to reduce (or increase) the blemishing effect of the channel mixer.

Its not the kind of shot I'd use to try to pick up girls, but I do still like it.



btw, for those interested.. both shots were taken with the EF 135mm f/2L. The first at f/2 (1/60th sec) and the 2nd at f/4 (1/20th sec) - both at 100 ISO. The main lighting was from a window off to the side, but I also had an EX430 external flash bouncing off a white reflector on the floor directly in front of the camera.

Edit: I lightened the image very slightly and re-uploaded it, replacing the original in this post.

I like it. I find it a touch dark but still quite good. It almost reminds me of a technique of Jamie's. http://www.shuttertalk.com/images/articl...176039.jpg

It almost reminds me of a technique of Jamie's. But better.

Just to make clear I personally wasn't comparing as I find both techniques fantastic.

Splendid work Kombi, I really like the first one... I think it is great... the last one is fantastic... Very nice post processing in all of them...

Btw... You have beautiful eyes, and you look very handsome

Oi! :o

guerito Wrote:Oi! :o

I was wondering when the reaction would be posted. This is when you gain ammunition for later times G.

lol.. well thanks Irma <blush> Sorry G..
Maybe this is exactly the kind of shot I should be using to try to pick up girls after all! Maybe that's where I've been going wrong all my life?

Peto, Rufus.. Thanks for your kind words, and yeah I agree there is a definate similarity to the look of Jamies shot.
Certainly I never meant there to be (his shot never crossed my mind at the time), but I've seen that shot of his so many times on the front page of shuttertalk that it is well entrenched in my brain, so it may have subconsciously influenced me.
After I posted my first pic above, the thought did occur to me that it was similar to his shot and I went and had a look at his pic to see just how similar they were. I certainly wasn't trying to draw any comparisons though, and happily I think (hope) the shots and techniques are far enough apart to avoid such comparisons... but there is still a definate resemblence. Sorry Jamie!

At the same time, I could probably name half a dozen other sources that have influenced me in some way which also have a similar look to these shots. The second shot in particular reminds me of the music video for the Smashing Pumpkins "Bullet with Butterfly Wings", but that didn't occur to me until after I'd done it either (although it was one of my favourite music videos back in the mid 90's).

*sigh* I think it just goes to show how difficult it is to really come up with an original idea. Everything we do is just the result of the sum of our experiences. :/

But I'm just happy that I achieved the look I was after and developed a new PS technique to add to my arsenal. Its all part of the learning curve for me, and this is just one more small step forward.

oh, and Peto, yeah that second one does appear a bit too dark - I think because its on quite a bright web-page (in a non-colour-managed environment in IE). I'll lighten it just a touch to compensate and change it back in its original post.

Thanks
Adrian

Rufus Wrote:It almost reminds me of a technique of Jamie's.

That's what I was thinking. Very similar.

Looks great!

Great technique!! I'm going to play with it if I can find an appropriate shot...

guerito Wrote:I don't give a fig about beauty in a man

I do!!
And I like the result :-) could be temped to call, if the first version was in an ad of yours :-))) but it isn't, and I'm engaged anyway.... (not just to my camara :-))

anyway: the shot looks good, and the post processing is really impressive, I guess you've played with it quite a bit, as you said you like close portraits.

the only thing I find slightly distracting is the quite heavy reflection on your right (wait - that's your left) eye, and just under the other one (left? right?? whatever :-)) at first glance I thought it was flash light reflection, but must have been the window you mentioned.
I don't think there shouldn't be any reflection, just finding it quite harsh in this particular shot, especially since your (thinking but not saying: "bright and beautyful" ;-)) eyes are going to be a main point of interest in the picture.

hope you don't mind. definitely impressive work! enjoying your lense, hugh? :-)

uli

wulinka Wrote:the only thing I find slightly distracting is the quite heavy reflection on your right (wait - that's your left) eye, and just under the other one (left? right?? whatever :-)) at first glance I thought it was flash light reflection, but must have been the window you mentioned.

Thanks Uli
You make a good point about the reflections. The large one in the brighter eye (the right eye from the viewer's point of view) I quite like, but I agree that the reflection under the left hand side eye (the darker eye) doesn't look good.
I wanted a little light to fall on the dark side of the face so it doesn't look like that eye is just suspended in space, and the highlight being there also provides a nice dark outline to that eye to match the other eye and shows some eyelash detail, but the shape and size annoyed me, and it seems you noticed it too.

So I modified that highlight to give it a more suitable shape and blending, but left the brighter eye alone. I also re-did my blemish-removal layers to retain a bit more detail and texture in the skin. And finally I put it back to its original b/w to give it a more classic look.

And here's the result:



ps: Yeah, I'm loving this lens! I still need lots more practice to get the most out of it I think, but I walk around looking at everything and asking myself "What would that look like at 135mm?" and "What would that look like at f/2?"

I'm with Irma and Uli on this one, I don't see no 'ugly'!
I really love the pose and all your post processing is extremely creative

As always, its a pleasure to view your work Adrian

wow, that last version I really like! It looks more artificial/processed than the first one, but that's said without value.
I like the shape of the light on the darker eye a lot more now, certainly does the trick for what you intended. Great job!

Thanks Schell and Uli.
Ironically Uli this version is less processed than the first (but parts of it might be a bit over-sharpened).

When doing this kind of processing, invariably the biggest question eventually becomes "Where do I stop?"



And I think the answer in this case is "Here."

This last one was inspired by Don's recent idea of composites. I wanted to introduce the notion of time passing through repetition and try to put a bit of a story into the images. Looking at it now the repetition also reminds me of a bunch of prisoners in cells.

But now I've had my fun with this thread and its time to move on before I do this idea to death.

Very cool Adrian!
I like how the image is blurred to the left and comes in to focus on the right. Great composition, very artistic.

This is cool!
The "here" is very loud! the one with the scarey stare!

Adam was here - 2006!