Please help! Color rendition.

[nikkw0ng]

Hi everyone!
I have been shooting nightclubs for a while, yet have been unable to master my color settings. it has been quite perturbing for me because there are other nightclub photographers in seattle who have really spectacular colors in their photos.
Here is an example of mine:
I feel that it is way over saturated, the skin tones are not as nice, and it distracts from having a good picture.

Here is an example of what I wish it was:

The skin tones are much nicer, not distracting, and yet the background is still very colorful. It looks more 'lifelike'.

We both shoot raw and with nikon (I with a d700 and he with a d90) what could I do to make the colors more attractive like his? I've messed with vivid, neutral, etc, but after about a year of practicing still have less attractive color in my photos. Is it something post processed? or in the camera? Do you guys have any ideas or suggestions? I am open to any comments! I appreciate you for taking the time to read my post. Thanks in advance!

 

[480sparky]

If you're shooting raw, the vivid settings may not be applied to the image unless you specify it in post. It just depends on the software you're using.

What steps are you actually performing in post? Adjusting curves Saturation? White balance?

 

[The_Traveler]

Does this look like what you're aiming for?
A bit of vibrance and a bit of sharpening using radius of 40 and amoynt to taste.
(I know that vibrance should be the same as that sharpening but it does seem to give the same kind of pop.)

 

[Ysarex]

In the second of your photos the people are blue and the tone response is compressed (flat). I assummed the woman on your right was wearing a black dress and adjusted the color so it would be black. Then I raised the contrast; not as much as I would normally since the object is to flatter the ladies.

Joe

 

[nikkw0ng]

If you're shooting raw, the vivid settings may not be applied to the image unless you specify it in post. It just depends on the software you're using.

What steps are you actually performing in post? Adjusting curves Saturation? White balance?

I use Lightroom. I try to get as close to the color as he does, (mainly try to match with a more pale skin tone and vivid background, as I don't think very orange skins look nice, even when the white balance is spot on). Basically I achieve this by decreasing the orange saturation in a picture and increasing the general vibrance more. This has worked okay, but doesn't get the optimal color I'd like. Maybe a different program would be better for this goal?

Does this look like what you're aiming for?
A bit of vibrance and a bit of sharpening using radius of 40 and amoynt to taste.
(I know that vibrance should be the same as that sharpening but it does seem to give the same kind of pop.)

View attachment 6121

I agree that sharpening does enhance the pop! But would you not agree that the colors look unnatural?

In the second of your photos the people are blue and the tone response is compressed (flat). I assummed the woman on your right was wearing a black dress and adjusted the color so it would be black. Then I raised the contrast; not as much as I would normally since the object is to flatter the ladies.

Joe

IMAGE

So you think the way to achieve the optimal color appearance is just by messing with contrast and other sliders? I just have not been able to get the skin tone rendition that I want, it looks quite odd imo.

I don't know if its because of the program I'm using in general or what not. I think optimal color for these situations is hard to achieve. I appreciate the feedback so far.

 

[DiskoJoe]

If you are getting orange skin when you are shooting and the white balance is correct then you might try putting a gel on the flash. The gel will change the flash temperature to match other lighting in the club and then when you do white balance all of the white points on the people and the club will balance the same. Here you are hitting them with bright white flash and there is yellow coming from the club lighting so one of the two has to suffer.

 

[MReid]

Shoot in a neutral mode not vivid when you are shooting people.
Adjust saturation, don't over do it.
Do a levels adjustment, then click on something white with the eyedropper. Proper exposure (levels adjustment) should clean up most of that orange skin tone (if you did not use vivid). The eyedropper double checks and adjust your overall color.
Make subtle contrast adjustment if necessary.
Magic...correct colors that pop.