Is this a certain known technique?

[Xo0]

I'm studying a few photo's of some of my favorite photographers. I often notice that some post processing can add so much more to a picture than just standard retouching.

This is a technique I come across often, and I've trying to replicate this in both lightroom and photoshop for some time now but I can't get it quite like this.

Is this a known technique or a combination of different techniques? Can anybody help me out here?

Here are some sample pictures of what I mean:

http://miech.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/img_7286.jpg?w=370&h=555
http://miech.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/img_7254.jpg?w=370&h=555
http://miech.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/img_6750.jpg?w=370&h=555

 

[gsgary]

It's called studio lighting

 

[chito beach]

It's called studio lighting

I would also say the lighting is 95% of the process.

for that last shot, my thought would be a full body soft box to the left 800w strobe and a 160w strobe hair light

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Not only do I not see any special PP here but I would call that pretty bad photography.

There's worse mind you but this is not something to emulate if you are learning. These shots are about selling a girl, not about photography

 

[Xo0]

Forget the content (I don't agree that you can't call this photography but I don't want to discuss this) and I'm not talking about the lightning.

There IS a lot of post processing going on. He is playing with warm tones and with cross processing but that's not all. He is doing something special to get this distinctive smooth feel I can't describe.

 

[chito beach]

Forget the content (I don't agree that you can't call this photography but I don't want to discuss this) and I'm not talking about the lightning.

There IS a lot of post processing going on. He is playing with warm tones and with cross processing but that's not all. He is doing something special to get this distinctive smooth feel I can't describe.

Other than a bit of skin smoothing there is nothing there that can not be accomplished with camera settings and lighting

 

[gsgary]

Forget the content (I don't agree that you can't call this photography but I don't want to discuss this) and I'm not talking about the lightning.

There IS a lot of post processing going on. He is playing with warm tones and with cross processing but that's not all. He is doing something special to get this distinctive smooth feel I can't describe.

There just not very well done

 

[JerrfyLube]

Not only do I not see any special PP here but I would call that pretty bad photography.(

Id say more like weird post processing...not bad photography. Its not great but its far from "pretty bad".

Ok, the light in the first one is crap so I guess you could call that one bad...could have been a MUCH better picture with more careful use of the lights.

The light in the second one is not bad at all...but he ruined it with the weird processing. Lots of muddy shadows and I just dont like the color effect he did with it. Needs a serious contrast boost.

The third, the light is harder but not necessarily bad. The contrast is nice as is the colors and sharpness. I just dont like the pose she is in...a different pose would have made a much better picture.

 

[c.cloudwalker]

Forget the content (I don't agree that you can't call this photography but I don't want to discuss this) and I'm not talking about the lightning.

There IS a lot of post processing going on. He is playing with warm tones and with cross processing but that's not all. He is doing something special to get this distinctive smooth feel I can't describe.

I did not say you can't call this photography.

I SAID: the images are not about photography. Another way of saying that would be that photography is not the primary concern.

And you should be talking about the lighting (I did not see any lightning) because that is about all there is here.

The PP is minimal.

 

[Art of Emotion]

Forget the content (I don't agree that you can't call this photography but I don't want to discuss this) and I'm not talking about the lightning.

There IS a lot of post processing going on. He is playing with warm tones and with cross processing but that's not all. He is doing something special to get this distinctive smooth feel I can't describe.

It looks like this could be a plug in or action of some sort. Google the term Cross Processing and see if the images that come up match what you're looking for. If I'm off the mark sorry.

Just noticed you said cross processing. Could he be doing a skin softener to the tones?

 

[KmH]

There IS a lot of post processing going on.

:scratch: I don't understand what the problem is then, since you're such an expert.

 

[JerrfyLube]

There IS a lot of post processing going on. He is playing with warm tones and with cross processing but that's not all. He is doing something special to get this distinctive smooth feel I can't describe.

I really dont think there is that much processing done to these.

I could easily duplicate the results with about 20 seconds in photoshop. Quick pass through Portraiture on low settings to smooth the skin, couple slight tweaks to the color....Viola.

 

[Xo0]

Thanks for your reply all! He actually had much better pictures of this series, but he didn't put it on his site, so I can't link them

KmH, I'm sorry I didn't want to sound cocky at all. But I know for certain (I semi know him from facebook and you can definitely tell this from his other work) he spends a decent amount of PP on every picture, I just don't know what he does..

 

[JerrfyLube]

Why dont you send him a message and ask?? :idea:

I looked at his site and while he does some good work, I dont like the washed out feel he uses in the majority of his stuff.

 

[Xo0]

Yeah I agree, he has lots of good stuff on there!

About asking him, I find it rude to just ask it straight out if you don't know the person very well. And I have had a bad experience in the past where I did ask another photographer about his PP.