how to achieve these looks. other peoples work

Lorielle99 · Dec 6, 2007

JIP · Dec 6, 2007

#4 just looks like a snapshot to me but for the rest.....

Step one

Learn your camera

Step two

Learn Photoshop

How's that....

Lorielle99 · Dec 6, 2007

smartass =D

LaFoto · Dec 6, 2007

But it's true. In the end, you really have to play enough to do all the learning for yourself. You can be given general hints, but at the end of the day, the learning is what YOU do. Others can't take it off you. So some could say "They probably did this" or "They mostly likely had those settings", but for YOUR motifs, and for the light situations YOU will find, YOU must know what might work best. Much may well be try and error, but hey, now that everything's digital ... it is so much EASIER to try and err ... doesn't cost anything extra.

JerryPH · Dec 6, 2007

Lorielle99 said:
how to achieve these looks. other peoples work

You've managed to basically ask the same question in 2 different ways in 2 different threads.

You want someone to give you a very extensive "how-to" that would take thousands of pages of photography info and spoon feed it to you into a couple of sentances.

Unfortunately, its not that simple. You have no basics from where to start and very likely even if someone did take 300 pages and wrote it down here, I feel you would be lost anyways becuase there is so much info you are asking for, it would take months to explain.

This is not a slam against your comprehension or intelligence, but it is a wake-up call to let you know that photography is not something that you can learn in 15 minutes with 2 posts to a photography site on the internet. It takes a LOT of work and dedication on your side to get good results.

It takes lots of reading, lots of learning, time, focused practice, dedication, patience and desire. If you feel that this has all of a sudden turned into school style home-work or just work that is too hard or too much for you, well, there is always knitting... lol

Based on the kinds of questions you are asking, you are trying to build your house without building a foundation. It won't work. Start with your basement... the basics (the book that I mentioned in your other thread). Get that down and from there you will see that photography suddenly opens up a new world to you. Yes, it is a world filled with challenges and even a few frustrations, but its a very fun-filled world too with lots of pleasure.

All it takes is one thing... a desired, concerted, consistant effort. That is not something that anyone can give you in one post... it has to come from you alone.

Good luck.

Sheriff · Dec 6, 2007

Hi, I wont explain in detail, but I can give you a hint about these looks.
No 1. This shot is done in a studio using two flash heads, one on subject one on background, the subject is lit from above using hard light (small light source), this gives these hard shadows.
No. 2 Very simple, long exposure, all you need is a tripod for a steady shot and some moving cars at night, during the long exposure the lights of moving cars record as streaks, experiment with different exposures. Don't forget the tripod.
No. 3 Studio again, this time the light source is big (a soft box is on the flash head) and it's placed close to subject and the angle is straight on, this gives nearly shadow less image. background is lit separately.
No.4 Normally this would be considered as a picture with a flaw in it, basically this is a lens flare, it is caused by sun getting in the lens and and reflecting inside a dirty or non-pro lens, this causes a loss of contrast, sometimes it gives some good effect.
No.5 This is a bit more complicated, you need photoshop for this. This is HDR (high dynamic range) image, you need at least two or more pics with different exposures, one for highlights and one for shadows. Then the images are blended together in photoshop exposing different parts of each, together you get a high dynamic range, otherwise impossible to shoot in one shot.
No.6 This is a complicated shot, made up of multiple shots, flash heads are used, most likely people are shot separate from the background, and some HDR is used to.
No7. Two possibilities, one: HDR, two: sky isn't shot together with the main subject (this is the most likely scenario), two different images are merged in one.
No.8 Easy peasy shot. All you need is a window (the bigger the better) and a some sort of a reflector to hit some light back on subject to lighten up the shadows. Oh, and you need a girl who would agree to shave her legs in front of your camera.
No.9. To small to see anything, but most likely again HDR plus multiple images photoshoped and blended togeather.
No. 10 Again two possible scenarios: one soft focus filter on the lens and exposed only for the forground. Two: photoshop, some blurring filter is used.
No.11 To low contrast, I don't like it. Here a HDR was attempted, or very good light, or both.
This is what I think, please don't take my opinion as an absolute truth, I'm just guessing.
Photography and Stuff

Lorielle99 · Dec 6, 2007

thanks sheriif!!! thats what i needed. i just wanted a general idea of how they did those photos. but what is a lightbox? and should invest in a flash?