How Do I Create This Effect?

<p>Can this be done in Photoshop CS5, or some other program?</p>

<p><a href="http://ruffledblog.com/2010/08/vintage-coney-island-beach-engagement-editorial-shoot-from-me-to-you/">http://ruffledblog.com/2010/08/vintage-coney-island-beach-engagement-editorial-shoot-from-me-to-you/</a></p>

<p>I have a client that we did a wedding shoot for and she likes this effect. I'd like to process a few images in this style but I'm not sure how to go about it.</p>

<p>Any assistance is appreciated.</p>

<p> </p>

<p>First, it might be wise not to show a client styles other than you know how to create. It might set them up for disappointment, so be bad for business. When I was shooting weddings (before retiring) showed samples only of my best work, what Id had a lot of practice completing.<br>

Second, it does not look so much like a "style" just too high a contrast, or Direct Positive Slides, poorly exposed, that could not be corrected. Maybe shot with JPG'S instead of RAW, without any post processing. <br>

In my opinion, particularly bad for a wedding. It would cause a loss of a lot of detail in most of the whites in the dress.... Id not want professional work of mine out there as a sample of my work. Someone not knowing that the bride liked it, would assume all your work looks like this and go elsewhere. </p>

<p>We did not show her that style, she showed it to us. She's into the "vintage" look and the art deco. Her house is loaded with the stuff and she wants images like those. I tried direct positive in lightroom but it's woefully inadequate. She needs more. </p>

<p>I told her we don't do that style, and that is why she will get all the high resolution images so that she can process in a manner she prefers. But she did order some prints and I'd like to give a couple images in that style if possible. Not obligated, but it's just a little extra that we like to provide.</p>

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<p>Second, it does not look so much like a "style" just too high a contrast, or Direct Positive Slides, poorly exposed, that could not be corrected.</p>

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<p>I'm not a fan of heavy Photoshop or the style shown but do you really believe this? It's from a shoot by an competent professional photographer and is obviously a distinct, intentional style achieved in post-processing, far from poorly exposed slides.</p>

<p>Jees,</p>

<p>Just answer the question!</p>

<p>Manuel, very simple. Well exposed shot, up the brightness, a lot, up the contrast, and then vibrance. Done.</p>

<p>Manuel, did you really mean to link to the Coney Island +Happy Weekend page with the hyped-up color, or to the Vintage Beach Engagement (which to my eye looks more '40s than '30s Deco, but is close enough to prompt me to ask)?</p>

<p>http://ruffledblog.com/2010/05/vintage-beach-engagement-session/</p>

<p>@Bret, notice what I said, the word "LOOK" is qualifying. <br>

Never said the photographer was not competent or his work is bad. </p>

<p>@Manuel, The look can be achieved in Lightroom, with the Direct Positive preset. Presets are not the only setting to create a "finished" look. They are only a starting point for our own work. <br>

When using Lightroom, in some cases we may use all controls in Develop. Starting with a Preset, modifying the exposure, Recover, Fill in, Black, Brightness, Contrast, Clarity, Vibrance, Saturation, Tone Curves, Color, and Sharpening according to the "look" or "Style" that I may wish to create.<br>

Then, may even go back and modify something.<br>

Saying it "looked" like improperly exposed JPGs or Direct Positive Film, is not a comment about the Photographer, but merely a hint about how to create it.<br>

Expecting a step by step account of HOW to create images, does not increase our knowledge. Experimenting with images teaches us a lot more. In the darkroom, in my beginning years, sometimes made 25 different versions of a print. Making many test prints, at times even using different formula's of chemicals. It took many, many hours. We can do similar things in lightroom, with "Virtual" copies of images.<br>

Yes, I still think it "LOOKS" like it the contrast is too high, with loss of detail and colors "LOOK" more saturated like the old direct positive films. We would not say there was anything wrong with Kodachrome, just because many did not like the highly saturated color. Or photographers were wrong to state opinions about it. Kodak changed films over the years, due to feedback from photographers, and other companies made theirs differently to begin with.<br>

Personally, I still prefer prints in Black and White. Probably because Ive been making them since 1936. Believe they will last longer or are more archival than even the newest Color Prints. As color is improved, so is BW. My color shots of Monument Valley or the Grand Canyon and Sedona, are very dramatic in color. But, still make some BW prints of these areas. In many cases, in the opinion of many, the BW are more dramatic than some of the color prints. That does not make either Bad, just Different. If everyone liked the same thing, there would be no different styles.<br>

What we say, is opinion, opinions do not make anyone right or wrong.</p>

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<p>@Noreen, like the link to that Vintage Beach display much better.</p>

<p>CS4 vintage look</p>

<p>I see grain, mostly blown highlights and high color vibrance. It doesn't seem like it would be difficult to achieve.</p>

<p>To me the look is that of a cheap Instamatic. I get its appeal. I have old photos that look like that, some are my favorites. Somehow blown out highlights at the beach (makes sense at the beach, maybe not a wedding?) remind me of how my eyes react there when not wearing shades. It's retro and familiar.</p>

<p>What'd the photographer say when you asked?</p>

<p>Noree, it's the hyped up color one. Thanks all that replied. It was most helpful and I found the following link to help me with this process.</p>

<p>http://www.digital-photography-school.com/turn-ho-hum-color-into-wow-with-photoshop</p>

<p>Brad, the ceremony was on the water in Brooklyn at the foot of the Manhattan/Brooklyn bridges. Though not a beach, it's close enough and it was a very bright day on Friday. Again, this is not my thing but the bride loves it. We will choose one or two images and blow them out for her. Again, thanks all for your responses.</p>

 

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<p>Brad, the ceremony was on the water in Brooklyn at the foot of the Manhattan/Brooklyn bridges.</p>

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<p>Cool that work very well too.</p>

<p>Manuel you may want to post one of the photos you want process like this and let a few of us have a go at it. There are many ways to achieve a result in PS, but by the look of it, i would start with adding a duplicate layer to the original file, and changing the blending mode to screen. Then adjust opacity to taste. If that doesn't work you may have to work on the original layer and increase vibrance and add or reduce contrast etc. Good luck - michel</p>