How does one go about getting this effect?

[Ballistics]

I was pointed to a combat sports photographer and some of his shots look very different and I am curious what was done in PP.
Anyone have any clue?

http://www.bjjpix.com/images/wildfc/wildfc-7.jpg
http://www.bjjpix.com/images/wildfc/wildfc-5.jpg

and more specifically:
http://www.bjjpix.com/images/mendesbros/mendesbros-41.jpg

 

[jake337]

Extra clarity?

 

[Ballistics]

I'm seeing that his shutter speed was at 1/4000 so he definitely used a flash, I'm guessing an umbrella.

 

[Ballistics]

Extra clarity?

What do you mean by extra clarity? Do you mean extra sharpness?

 

[Overread36]

Clarity is the name of a slider control in RAW processing from Adobe (and probably a few others). However the slider is only recreating the effect of highpass sharpening over the whole photo so you can easily reproduce it yourself using the highpass sharpening method with the unsharpen mask (google should give you some good guides)

 

[jake337]

I'm seeing that his shutter speed was at 1/4000 so he definitely used a flash, I'm guessing an umbrella.

Maybe a softbox on a boom? I'm wondering about those huge light stands and how much light they're giving off and how many of them they have(I'm guessing one at each corner). I'm wondering if the photog just attached his flash to those big stands.

 

[Ballistics]

I'm seeing that his shutter speed was at 1/4000 so he definitely used a flash, I'm guessing an umbrella.

Maybe a softbox on a boom? I'm wondering about those huge light stands and how much light they're giving off and how many of them they have(I'm guessing one at each corner). I'm wondering if the photog just attached his flash to those big stands.

Nevermind I miss read it. ISO is 4000 the shutter speed is 1/160.

 

[Ballistics]

Clarity is the name of a slider control in RAW processing from Adobe (and probably a few others). However the slider is only recreating the effect of highpass sharpening over the whole photo so you can easily reproduce it yourself using the highpass sharpening method with the unsharpen mask (google should give you some good guides)

Thanks overread, I'll check that out.

 

[Ballistics]

He's also using a Canon 5D Mark II which helps with low light.

 

[Ballistics]

Is it safe to assume that he decreased the saturation?

 

[MissCream]

Is it safe to assume that he decreased the saturation?

I don't think the saturation was decreased, look at the red on his shirt.

 

[Ballistics]

Is it safe to assume that he decreased the saturation?

I don't think the saturation was decreased, look at the red on his shirt.

He could have desaturated everything but the symbol, but even the symbol looks desaturated. Unless there's a different color technique being used, because I can't see that being natural.

 

[Noxire]

The roughness is most likely created by 2 high-pass filters at various pixel-size and opacity blended with hard light (one for the edges and one for the skin texture).
And the desaturated effect that don't seem too effect the strong colors is probably a black and white layer on-top blended with soft light, or maybe the vibrance adjustment in camera raw.

 

[joealcantar]

Does someone have a boxing image taken in low light that folks can try to emulate? then post the steps you took to get a certain look?
-
shoot well, Joe

 

[CCericola]

I think it is a combination of tonal mapping and emulating the traditional bleach bypass in photoshop.