Light foreground with dark around the edges

[The_Traveler]

My fingers make the same mistake quite often.
.

I didn't realize that you had a website for photos.

 

[Derrel]

I did a Google search for "cheesy vignette presets", which will give you some good background articles of how vignettes have been used over the decades, as well as what to look out for as far as creating heavy-handed looks that will draw comments and scorn in the future, or from visually sophisticated viewers.

cheesy vignette presets - Google Search

What Ms. Packer does in a lot of her images is heavy-handed edge burns, not really "vignettes" in the traditional sense. For example, in Lightroom, it is super-easy to just create an adjustment brush, and then do what has for decades been called an edge burn. Many of her edge burns or corner burns are very obvious. If done more subtly, an all-around, four-edge edge burn can help to sort of contain the image, to subtly keep the viewer's eyes in the central areas. Hers are a lot more theatrical. She also does a lot of fake flare effects, which only draws even more attention to her heavy edge burns and vignettes.

It's not necessary to have a lot of dark vignettes in order to accomplish this effect. A basic kit of about six different basic vignettes is enough to get by with, plus there is an easy path to just using the adjustment brush tool in Lightroom to "paint on" edge darkening, or corner darkening. The goal that most trained professional photographers strive for is to make the effect appear subtle; Ms. Packer is going the opposite direction, and going full-bore on this technique; by combining artificial flare effects and then adding huge amounts of burning in, her images "really stand out". Keep in mind, not all customers are identical, and not all market segments have the same customer demographics.

 

[Esperanza86]

I did a Google search for "cheesy vignette presets", which will give you some good background articles of how vignettes have been used over the decades, as well as what to look out for as far as creating heavy-handed looks that will draw comments and scorn in the future, or from visually sophisticated viewers.

cheesy vignette presets - Google Search

What Ms. Packer does in a lot of her images is heavy-handed edge burns, not really "vignettes" in the traditional sense. For example, in Lightroom, it is super-easy to just create an adjustment brush, and then do what has for decades been called an edge burn. Many of her edge burns or corner burns are very obvious. If done more subtly, an all-around, four-edge edge burn can help to sort of contain the image, to subtly keep the viewer's eyes in the central areas. Hers are a lot more theatrical. She also does a lot of fake flare effects, which only draws even more attention to her heavy edge burns and vignettes.

It's not necessary to have a lot of dark vignettes in order to accomplish this effect. A basic kit of about six different basic vignettes is enough to get by with, plus there is an easy path to just using the adjustment brush tool in Lightroom to "paint on" edge darkening, or corner darkening. The goal that most trained professional photographers strive for is to make the effect appear subtle; Ms. Packer is going the opposite direction, and going full-bore on this technique; by combining artificial flare effects and then adding huge amounts of burning in, her images "really stand out". Keep in mind, not all customers are identical, and not all market segments have the same customer demographics.

What a wonderful response and information!

 

[Scatterbrained]

Things your wife needs for this to work:
Subject in open shade backlit by the sun. Possibly using reflectors for fill.
No bright sky in the frame (preferably no sky in the frame).
Golden Hour light.
Subject in an open area but surrounded by relatively homogeneous forest/bushes/etc.
Slight overexposure of the skin (about 1 stop)
Telephoto lens wide open.
Good focus.
As Derrel pointed out, an edge burn helps, as well as some warming, color adjustments, etc. Doing this well involves just as much post works as it involves location scouting and shooting. Check out Lisa Holloway. She is very well known for this style and sells tutorial videos and workshops.

 

[jatakacs]

Hahaha. Derrel wins the thread. ☺

Great advice from you and Scatterbrained.

Keep it coming!

 

[soufiej]

"Check out Lisa Holloway. She is very well known for this style and sells tutorial videos and workshops."



The Thomas Kinkade of photography.

 

[jatakacs]

Lisa Holloway has some amazing pictures!

On a separate note, are there any photographers that you all could recommend that can balance a large landscape such as a mountain view in Colorado with the subject as a small component? Whenever I hike and travel, I find amazing scenery that I would love to put my children in a simple yet artistic way.
(Sorry if my photography lingo is not up-to-par.)

 

[Derrel]

The Thomas Kinkade of photography.

Some people might not know who Kinkade was... Thomas Kinkade: the secret life and strange death of art's king of twee

Thomas Kinkade's Christmas Cottage (2008) - IMDb[/QUOTE]

 

[Vtec44]

Why don't we email her and ask her?

If you shoot wide open like me 99.38% of the time, you'll get that effect due to the light fall off on the edges of the lens

 

[astroNikon]

Lisa Holloway has some amazing pictures!

Was just listening to a Fro Knows Photo (yeah, I was bored) and apparently Lisa Holloway has a really weird contract terms if you sign up for any of her stuff - workshops, mentor stuff, etc. Whereas you are not allowed for 2 years to create any content (to put bluntly) about photography when signing up for her workshops.

==> Terms & Conditions

 

[The_Traveler]

"You may not produce any videos in the form of a photography and/or post-processing workshop/tutorial either for sale and/or free for two(2) years from the time that you signed up for a workshop. Even if you cancel your workshop you are still held to this two year condition."

"You may not produce any Photoshop actions or Lightroom presets either for sale or free away for two(2) years from the time that you download your first one."

I think she would have a hard time making either of these two stick.

 

[Derrel]

She will not sell her actions or presets to people who live within a 75 mile radius of her city.

"My products are NOT for available for purchase to anyone living within a 75 mile radius of Kingman, Arizona. This includes, but is not limited to Bullhead City, Laughlin, Lake Havasu City, Golden Valley, and Fort Mohave."

 

[Scatterbrained]

It's a non compete clause. It's not as if she's the only person or business to every use one. They are actually quite common in certain industries.

 

[The_Traveler]

It's a non compete clause. It's not as if she's the only person or business to every use one. They are actually quite common in certain industries.

Right but the restriction is so broad that it could reasonably be seen as restraint of trade and, considering the market is so large, it would be difficult for her to show damage.

Buying her stuff could easily be seen as investigating the competition.

 

[vintagesnaps]

I'd suggest your wife think about how she's using space in her photos when she's framing a shot - as you can see in Lew's edit, the picture becomes more about the boys than the scenery.