alissa_knight Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 Hello Everyone, First time posting, always pulled this place up in Google searches :) First, a little about me, I shoot with aCanon 1Ds Mark III and love it :) I am a couture photographer and have been doing most if not all of mypost-processing manually in Photoshop or Lightroom. I use Photoshop CS3 and Lightroom v1.4.1. However, I am tired of manually fixing skin, softening it, etc. all ofyou I'm sure have read the same skin softening tutorials I have (median v/s gaussian, etc). I've begun looking at the commercial Photoshop plugins and made the mistake of buying HumanSoftware's Autosmooth.Unfortunately a bit too overzealous and too quick to buy something, I was VERY unhappy with the product's results. I thought to slow down and ask everyone here what they recommend and use as /Fashion Photographers/ Price is not a concern. Can someone give me a list of the "Professional" level plugins/software that is used outthere? I am currently looking at OnOneSoftware's Phototools. But all they really market on their web site to isWedding photographers. As a fashion photographer, do I care when making a buying decision whether they market toWedding Photographers or Fashion? Any recommendations, experience, or suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated before I throw money at anything else. Please advise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richsimmons Posted July 31, 2008 Share Posted July 31, 2008 I'm not a pro, but Nik software has some really good products. www.niksoftware.com. Viveza for lighting, Dfine for noise reduction, and Color Efx Pro which is really good I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebell Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 You could try Kevin Kubota's actions (Google it). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elmroc Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 I really like Nik Software's Dfine. GIves great results for all kinds of noise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlesheckel Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Roll your own. It's just not that difficult to select skin and run an action on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christopher hartt dallas Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 You're a professional baker (photographer) and you're looking for an easy-bake cake mix (PS Plug-In)? I'm surprised! But, if you would like your images to look just like the hundreds of thousands of weekend photographer images, check out Kevin Kubota's actions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alissa_knight Posted August 1, 2008 Author Share Posted August 1, 2008 Hey Christopher, ever heard the term work smart, not hard? BTW, your comment offered no substance especially since someone already mentioned Kubota before you. A comment like this makes you look far more unprofessional looking for a flame war than me asking the community for reviews and feedback on the Photoshop plugins they use. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christopher hartt dallas Posted August 1, 2008 Share Posted August 1, 2008 Pretty harsh words for someone who signed up for this forum 2 days ago. I'm sure you'll define your niche working "smart", not hard. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trunfio Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 be nice! check out: http://www.atncentral.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greglynch Posted August 2, 2008 Share Posted August 2, 2008 I agree, let's play nicely with others - please? Alissa, you might take a look at this: http://www.imagenomic.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
davebell Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 Alissa, IMO don't overdo the actions. It looks a bit silly very quickly. I prefer a more natural look. As a customer I would take offence if a photographer "went to town" on my skin in Photoshop. I generally only use Noiseware for reducing noise of high ISO shots from my 5D when really necessary, use Kubota's digital fill-flash action and maybe a couple of his B&W actions but usually I make my own actions for regular/tedious tasks, such as various B&W conversions, sharpening, curves, borders etc. I never smooth skin on any photos any more, although I did a couple in the past but mainly to figure out how to do it correctly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sickboy666 Posted August 3, 2008 Share Posted August 3, 2008 As an everyday user of PS plugins, that helped me create my style, i recommend the Kodak Digital pack, exceptionnal for enhancing the coulours/tones and softening the skin/tissues, Cybia Colour Pack is also useful for two or three of its possibilities (especially the grey scale, the tint correction, but the contrast leveling is a bit harsh), but according to me, the Nik Color Efex Pro Pack (Stylizing & Traditionnal) is the most amazing. It covers all fx from the most classic ones (B&W, contrast, softness), to the most extravagant, which sometimes can be useful. But as David says, sometimes personnal skills are far more efficient... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joseph_verdesca Posted August 5, 2008 Share Posted August 5, 2008 Nik Software (recommended several times above) allows you to demo their products through online downloads. Though not a pro, I am a fan of their Color Efex Pro and Dfine products. I agree with David Bell's suggestion to avoid overdoing actions, but find that application of any of these effects on a new layer, combined with a layer mask to selectively add / blend the effects into the main work, is a very versatile and time- efficient method of working (particularly with subtle skin smoothing). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbfocus Posted August 20, 2008 Share Posted August 20, 2008 actions4photographers.com has something different and appealing about them. Not as expensive but I like them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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