Classic Photography Editing

dustnbones · Nov 27, 2014

Hi, guys,
I am an amateur photographer, interested in classic portrait photography. I shoot with a Nikon D5100 with 55-140mm lens. I am a big fan of Neave Bozorgi's style (Neave Bozorgi and I wonder how to edit my photos to make them look that way. I mean that retro look here for example - http://neavebozorgi.com/5lqlcfb9vhrzsm7dke475snd4s4cqg http://neavebozorgi.com/kthpwex6xocpocqu5iacash3tbo4cl . If you can help me with some advices or tutorials I will be very thankful.

The_Traveler · Nov 27, 2014

Little editing, lot's of good light control.
There is no trick, just skill and experience and being able to see the light.

Mike_E · Nov 27, 2014

Without light you have nothing.

Well, young good looking models are something but still..

Master light and you will have mastered photography.

KmH · Nov 27, 2014

Yep.
I agree his photos look to have little 'editing' and are mostly the result of his use of light when the shutter was released.

Derrel · Nov 27, 2014

Hire beautiful, $2,500 day rate 21 to 25 year-old models from an elite modeling agency. Plop down a medium format digital SLR camera on a high-quality tripod. Have a three-person to five-person crew of stylist, hair, makeup, and two assistants to hold diffusion panels, reflectors, etc. on an as-needed basis. What you are seeing is high-quality models, photographed with high-end equipment, in beautiful locations. If you watch the behind the scenes type videos from these types of shoots, you will almost ALWAYS see that the light is modified in some way; often by reflectors, by diffusion panels, black fabric "subtraction" panels, electronic flash, etc.. In addition to all the resources, good model, great makeup, great styling and wardrobe, great location, fantastic light...then one needs a photographer with composition skills, aesthetic sensibilities, and years of practical training.

A LOT of what you are seeing though is the beauty and skill of the models. If you go to any of the amateur/hobby model sites like One Model Place or Model Mayhem, you can see that a good to excellent model will have many,many wonderful images, made by photographers of varying skill levels; if you look at the credited photos made of a skilled model, and click-back to the photographers' pages, you will see that on MANY photos, what elevates the photos is in huge part--the model, not the photographer. When you look through a model's portfolio, and go and click-back on ten to 15 photographers, you'll see that even a moderately good photographer's work made of an excellent model, looks pretty good in many cases. Almost all the better models will be signed by agencies, big or small, and what you will see is that models good enough to be signed are usually at the very least, pretty, and have great figures, fine teeth, beautiful hair, and a definite suitability to be....real models.

Braineack · Nov 27, 2014

Move to LA. Bring a zoom lens to the Playboy Mansion wall.

Forkie · Nov 27, 2014

Actually, I suspect there is a lot more editing involved in these than every one else who has replied suggests. There will have been plenty of skin work: removing blemishes, softening, smoothing and shading - Even the highest paid models get spots, scars and red blotches from time to time! Almost all of them have had a hefty curves adjustment - some towards the cross-process end of the scale where the contrast has been taken out of the shadows to give them that flat, greyish tone.

Having said that, there is no substitute for good lighting in the first place and it's the lighting that sets the mood of the original shot. Photoshop has just been used to enhance that mood further.

Beautiful models are easily found. As Derrel said, Model Mayhem and website like that have plenty to choose from and plenty who will collaborate with you on a TFP basis. Yes, they won't be anywhere near as experienced as the models in the shots you linked to, but if you work together with the model, you can get just as good shots with a new model. They want to learn just as much as you do and it should be considered a learning exercise for you both, bouncing ideas off of each other.

Why not choose a couple of your favourites from that site, find a model you like on Model Mayhem and send them your favourite shot, tell them that you really like the style and then ask if they'd be interested in collaborating to try and emulate the style.

I'm sure you'll find a willing and enthusiastic model in no time!

greybeard · Nov 27, 2014

It's all about dat Light.

dennybeall · Nov 27, 2014

Nice photography but I feel like I'd like to buy those girls some food - they're all starving to death.....
Most glamour photography that I see is mostly post-process but this persons work looks mostly in the skills involved in setting up and shooting the pictures.
Most of the shots could be gotten in natural light but you'd have to be at the location at exactly the right time or use all the expensive tools mentioned by Derrel.