Check out this photographer, what do you think?

[sarahkate]

Hi all. I wanted to share this photographers work and I also have some questions about her editing or such.

I've fallen in love with her work since the first time I stumbled across it! I don't want to categorize her photography as 'dreamy' because the 'dreamy' look isn't something I'm a fan of. Plus when I think of 'the dreamy look' I think, very out of focus and unreal in my opinion. When I look at her work her subjects are very clear and natural to me, I guess what appeals to me is the softness, colors and the DOF.

I know this look can also be achieved by using film and 400h, and I've considered switching to a 35mm or medium format for that very reason.

Some other info I know about this photographer is that she shoots with a Canon 5d mark ii with 85mm 1.2, 50mm 1.2 and 70-200mm lenses. Also a contax 645 with 80mm lens. I feel like her photos are very consistent even though she uses both film and digital.

So with all this said how does she do it? I've tried to replicate this look a number of times, by either going down 1-2 stops or editing in LR3. But it doesn't turn out. I know there are probably some LR3 presets out on the web but I'm not really interested in using a bunch of presets, I want my editing to have my own style to it. Do you think she achieves this with the help of the glass she's shooting with?

Anyways, here's the link to her website...tell me what you think!

KT Merry Photography.

Thanks

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[mozzie71]

wow.. some really beautiful images!!

[mozzie71]

definitely using a wide aperture, but also definitely using some selective blur in post too.. but still extremely well done

[davisphotos]

Like any good photographer, there is no set 'secret' to her style, but fast glass and great light are a good starting point.

[mozzie71]

great light is definitely the key!

[JenR]

Great light, clean processing, and some awesome lenses. I don't think there is any real super-duper secret to her processing.

[tirediron]

Some nice work, do doubt, but wayyyy too many over-bright/blown highlights for my taste. To each their own...

[cgipson1]

Some nice work, do doubt, but wayyyy too many over-bright/blown highlights for my taste. To each their own...

I agree.. I didn't know the sky was white until I saw her pics... I always thought it was blue!

[tirediron]

I didn't know the sky was white until I saw her pics... I always thought it was blue!

[MTVision]

Some nice work, do doubt, but wayyyy too many over-bright/blown highlights for my taste. To each their own...

I see this a lot on another forum where people will hit ctrl-alt-shift-2 to select the highlights then create a fill layer and put the numbers 255, 255, 245 (basically white) in the RGB spots. It's suppose to give that "light, airy" feel to an image but it seems to just make everything really bright and blown out - even if you lower the opacity of that layer.

[cgipson1]

Some nice work, do doubt, but wayyyy too many over-bright/blown highlights for my taste. To each their own...

I see this a lot on another forum where people will hit ctrl-alt-shift-2 to select the highlights then create a fill layer and put the numbers 255, 255, 245 (basically white) in the RGB spots. It's suppose to give that "light, airy" feel to an image but it seems to just make everything really bright and blown out - even if you lower the opacity of that layer.

hahahah.. the whole world is a nicely lit white backdrop!

[KmH]

It's a trendy style that lots of retail photographers use. Pays the bills though. Moo!

[zcar21]

It's too overexposed for my taste. It works and it's consistent because she's using light to blow off the parts she don't care about and exposing about right the subject. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

[jaicatalano]

Absolutely beautiful.

[MLeeK]

Low black point. Dramatic curve. A little negative clarity... It's pretty and popular!