Saturated backgrounds AND natural skintones?

[rob_pierce]

I've been noticing a lot of super-saturated images recently, ala Velvia, that

also seem to retain very natural skin tones when people are present in the

shots. <a href="http://www.susanstripling.com">Susan Stripling</a>, one of my

area's pros, has a couple that rotate randomly on her website's splash page. The

image with the three bridesmaids in front of the Spanish door with the red wall

is a good example.

<br><br>

How are people pulling this off?

[jude_mcconkey1]

I don't know how other people do this, and I've actually never done it for a wedding yet, but use it in my other photography so I'll tell you how I do it.

 

It's a simple thing without layers. I just saturate a bit to where I like the doors (or whatever I want popped). Next you grab your history brush to the left side and click on the little box next to the last place in your history BEFORE you saturated. If you were to take your brush and go over the whole photo it would turn it back to unsaturated, but if you use the brush just to go over the parts (faces, bodies, bridesmaids) that you don't want saturated, it will bring them back to the original color.

 

Obviously, you need to tweak by using the opacity percentage or even the "fade" option to make sure the look of it has flow.

 

I learned the beauty of the history brush after the first wedding I did without a flash. I was panic-stricken because the faces were too dark and read a PS book on how to faux "flash fill".. I realized that using the history brush in any kind of PS activity is very quick and easy.

 

I"m sure there are plenty of ways to do it with layers and a lot of technical actions, but this is an excellent way to achieve what you're asking about..

 

hope that helped.. :)

 

jude

[henry leusink]

Gday,

 

I don't now if you have Capture NX, but with the U point tool it is quit simply.

Or with Viveza from Nik software (plugin for Photoshop)

 

By

 

Henry

[david_schilling___chicago_]

Easiest technique is to have the heavily saturated layer on the top and then simply erase on your skin tones to taste.

[james_taylor11]

I believe that is exactly what the Vibrance Slider does in Lightroom - it saturates the primary colors but leaves skin tones untouched for the most part.

 

JT

[rob_pierce]

Thanks for all of the great info guys. As for the Vibrance option in Lightroom, I've worked with that a bit but haven't been able to get the results I'm looking for. I never really considered layers or the history brush. Going to do some experimenting today.

 

Thanks again!

[garrison_k.]

Are you using CS3? If you are, and shooting RAW (can do it with jpg too if you open in raw converter) you can manipulate colors individually with HSL/Greyscale tool. It's the fourth icon in from the left in the raw converter panel. I often use it punch out blue sky or green foliage without effecting my white balance or skin tone.

 

If not that way, then with a file open in PS you can use 'selective color' by going Image/Adjustments/Selective Color.

 

This is the easiest way without using masking layers.