Fashion post processing

<p>Hello. Can I get some tips on how to create the "hi fashion ad" look with my photos. I only have photoshop elements 7. I'm sure there has to be some basic things that lighten and smooth the skin tone, and darken the undertones, or whatever else is done to create that highly polished/finished look. I appreciate any feedback.</p>

<p>Yes its very simple. Get the best stylist to style the pretty and sexy high cost model. Use a very great photographer who have the knowledges of his equipment. THEN you go ahed and use the curve palette in photoshop when he gives you the file.</p>

<p>Ok. thx Erik. Yes, I am a photographer, and already work with stylists and models. So, u say that you do the finishing for this strictly in curves. Can you give me anymore details please?</p>

<p>Yes, here you have one tutorial for my B&W pictures:http://www.tmax100.com/photo/pdf/makingofalargeprint.pdf</p>

<p>In Photoshop i use the dodge and burn tool on a copylayer. NAd adjustmentmasks in curves for evening colour and light. Been doing this since 97 so its pretty hard to describe my whole tequnice in a forum post. But main rule: High quality in to the camera is high quality out.</p>

<p>Try join some high end workshops and read a lot of litterature on it. Many photographers are using decades in developing their style. Retouchers spends between 3 and 10 years in reaching world class level.</p>

<p>Yes, I agree on the workshops. Thank you for the information Erik. I will try what you have given me.</p>

There's an excellent tutorial right here on photo.net by Patrick Lavoie

 

http://www.photo.net/learn/digital-photography-workflow/overview/fashion-photography/

<p>Hello Jeff! I'm excited for the excellent tutorial that you are referring to me, but that link appears unavailable.</p>

<p>I fixed the link in the post. However, I will point out that there is a tab at the top called "Learning" that has quite a few tutorials. </p>

<p>Jeff, I have come across this link before, and it is excellent (and overwhelming, lol). I think, however, that I have kind of disregarded it because I do not use LR. although, i need to keep it as reference for the basic idea, and the photoshop at the end. So, Thank you for tossing it my way again :) Oh, and also ..... I've completely never noticed the Learning tab at the top here, lol. Very cool for showing me that as well. Thx Jeff :)</p>

<p>I don't mean to overwelm you but first get the full version of photoshop, then work your way through this article.<br /> <br /> http://retouchpro.com/tutorials/?m=show&id=209</p>

<p>It is really worth it, and really necessary if you want to take that next step.</p>

<p>Ok. Great stuff Phil. Thank you!! I will try to do what I can with this in elements for now, til I purchase the mac daddy :) ~ Excellent info. Thank you again. </p>

<p>Like Phil Evans said, get Photoshop and learn it.</p>

<p>I can recommend the Photoshop CS3 and CS4 ebooks from this Photoshop retoucher Gry Garness. <a href="http://www.grygarness.com/index.htm">http://www.grygarness.com/index.htm</a></p>

<p>I think Garness ebooks are great way for someone new to Photoshop and even a photographer like me who has experince with Photoshop to learn the Photoshop techniques for retouching Beauty and Fashion type photographs.</p>

<p>Bill</p>

<p>Okay. I didn't do any of those things for my pictrue, I used one of my photos lying around, I used one of my friends (who is NOT a model), we didn't have any makeup artists, hair stylists, a 400D canon with a 1.8 lens 50mm, and a 50W painting lamp. However, I made up a quick tutorial for you :) Note: Some of the colours are very messed up, its to do with my screen not being calibrated, the browser also distraughts colours which is also quite bizaar. I'm not a fashion photographer as perse, however I do know a thing or 2 about photoshop (and have been using it much longer then I have been photographing). The first thing I would say is to take your photos in a RAW format, and then download adobe lightroom 3 beta (which is free...for now). I find lightroom a lot more productive then photoshop for a few reasons (however, its on personal preferance). Taking pictures in Raw format also gives you a great deal of control over the black and white pictures, which is incredably useful if your doing high key photos (as it also comes with an ajustment brush). The other thing I like about it is it has a gradient tool, which is very useful for when you have a pure white background.</p>

<p>Okay what I've done is a mini tutorial based on some of the photos on http://www.rankin.co.uk/portfolio/fashion , the photo that I'm using is not fashion photography, however I'll try and illistrate some techniques. This image isn't perfect I know (and my friend isn't a model, but she does a very good job, she also doesn't need any tecniques applied :P) *this is going to be a loooong post*</p>

<p>*step 1* Import your photo into lightroom, from there, it depends on your look that you are going for, I'm going for an image like http://www.rankin.co.uk/portfolios/fashion/050%204375%2010%20024RGBFINAL.jpg and I'll be sticking in a gray (now white) background.So I'm not overly fussed how the background turns out. Once I've imported it there are a few key things that I've edited.<br>

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/2126/pic1kx.jpg</p>

<p>*original picture* Firstly I've taken the viberance right down, but left the saturation cuve alone, this generally creates the 'pale' type skin effect that alot of high fashion use, it also keeps bold colours like red intact. I've also increased the brightness and contrast. After I've done that, I've made the adjusted the highlights shadows so they look something like: http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/7042/pic3w.jpg The rest is pretty much minute adjustments, I find its useful to always have an image of what you want the colours to look like beforehand (whether it be a swatch or an actual picture).<br>

http://img709.imageshack.us/img709/9928/photo2fe.jpg T</p>

<p>his is what it looks like with those things adjusted. There are a few problems with it that photoshop can help with. Mainly the eye and the color on her arm is way to saturated, she’s also got a few too many highlight patches on her head (which was a result of an unfiltered 600w painting lamp :P) I then import it into either CS3 / CS4 (depending on whether my GPU’s fan decides to work or not…really need to get that fixed >.>), so I’ll try and use as little ‘new features’ as possible J First step is to ajust that arm. I make a quick selection and then ajust the saturation & contrast of the arm. For the eye, I used a combination of the clone tool and some painting techniques. Don’t be afraid of repaint stuff in. Chances are it CAN look natural. After I ajust the eye, I cut the image out, (I’m not going to give you a tutorial on cropping techniques). And stick it in a gradient background. I then make an exposure adjustment layer for the skin (smoothing it out)<br>

http://img15.imageshack.us/i/pic3o.png/</p>

<p>After I’ve cleaned up the image using the patch tool and heal tool, I then burned and dodged it a bit, giving it a bito f contrast in areas. This is image persific, so I can’t give you any tips. Once I did that, I got a threshold adjustment layer, and stuck it to multiply. I then reduced the opacity and faded it with a brush tool. here's what it looks like:<br>

http://img204.imageshack.us/img204/1629/pic5z.png</p>

<p>I then decided I didn’t like the grey background and changed it to white. After doing that I added a vibrance ajustment layer and increased it, removing it from the dress and thestockings. I then added a bit of blush and some eye makeup (very quick) and some really *DODGY* shadowns. This is kinda rushed, and the image quality isn’t that great however hopefully it helps you :D<br>

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/9927/screen2vi.png</p>

<p>~time, 2h (including writing), I have no qualifications in photoshop and am a university student in computer science. Most of these techniques I've learnt from playing around. Hope it helps you ^^ (Ps you might want to upgrade from elements to say cs3 / cs4)</p>

<p>Wow, what great responses. Thank you so much. I can't wait to try them all :)</p>

<p>1_add a hue saturation adjustment layer</p>

<p>2_apply -100 to the middle slider</p>

<p>3_change the blending mode to softlight</p>

<p>4_use another hue saturation</p>

<p>5_apply -100 to the niddle slider..again</p>

<p>6_leave the blending mode to normal, but drop the opacity to around 20%-25%</p>

<p>That should give you a good starting point.</p>

<p>The article Jeff refer you to is more than just the use of lightroom..its how a fashion shoot is done, from start to finish, and i think its a good help for your digital workflow in general. Dont be shy to ask question after the post..the guy who wrote the article like to anwser them ; )</p>

<p>Seriously? I mean, first of all - thx for the info. I'll try it. But thx 4 letting me know that questions get answered on that article :)</p>