Please Help!

Sugar Snap · Mar 14, 2008

I am really going for a certain look when I photograph children, and I usually browse around to other professional websites to check things out. I found a girl who does amazing portraits....

All of her clients have the same porcelain skin, same color and all.

I can tell her photos are ran through PS but does anyone know how to get that same look on the skin, even if it is through PS.

here is her website if you want a look at what I am talking about.
www.amywenzel.com

Thanks so much in advance.

Big Mike · Mar 14, 2008

Welcome to the forum.

It looks like a combination of things. Firstly, the lighting is very good, especially on the studio shots. It looks like maybe she favors a slight over exposure, which does help to make the skin look like that...but either way, the lighting and exposure is very important and she appears to do that well.

There certainly is a processing style. It seems to be high contrast and high saturation, especially the out & about shots.
I didn't look to closely at the skin. It's not uncommon to apply skin smoothing but children often have very good skin anyway.

I really don't think there is a shortcut to get those types of results. It's a culmination of photographic & post processing skill & talent.

Maybe you could post up some of your work and the members around here could offer up some suggestions to help you get the results you want. You could even post them in the Photoshop challenge section and ask people to see what they can do with them.

Sugar Snap · Mar 14, 2008

Thanks Mike!

I agree she does favor over exposure, but the only thing that looks overexposed is the subject...most of the time the background noes not look over exposed at all. When I try to do this my whole image gets over exposed.

I am new to this, where do I go to put up my own images? And how do I do that? Maybe there are directions somewhere, I just have not seen them yet!:mrgreen:

Big Mike · Mar 14, 2008

I agree she does favor over exposure, but the only thing that looks overexposed is the subject...most of the time the background noes not look over exposed at all. When I try to do this my whole image gets over exposed.

It's probably good lighting techniques. If you light the subject but not the background, you subject will be brighter on the photo.

THIS should show you how to post images etc.

Sugar Snap · Mar 14, 2008

here are a couple photos

<a href="http://s248.photobucket.com/albums/...hy/?action=view&current=20080223-DSC_0015.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg186/Sugarsnapphotography/20080223-DSC_0015.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

<a href="http://s248.photobucket.com/albums/gg186/Sugarsnapphotography/?action=view&current=DSC_0823-2.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i248.photobucket.com/albums/gg186/Sugarsnapphotography/DSC_0823-2.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

potato · Mar 14, 2008

This is more of a question to the experts here than a suggestion. I'm new to photography and I just finished reading Understanding Exposure, so I want to see if I got this right. In the OP's first picture, if s/he wanted to overexpose the kid but not the background, would it work if s/he sets the exposure while aiming the camera at the background without the baby in the frame, and recompose, and shoot?

JerryPH · Mar 14, 2008

potato said:
This is more of a question to the experts here than a suggestion. I'm new to photography and I just finished reading Understanding Exposure, so I want to see if I got this right. In the OP's first picture, if s/he wanted to overexpose the kid but not the background, would it work if s/he sets the exposure while aiming the camera at the background without the baby in the frame, and recompose, and shoot?

Yes exposure would be different. Only works if in fully manual mode.

Emerana · Mar 14, 2008

It is a popular style now...I sort of like it but think its going to be dated at some point. Over exposure and high saturation, alot of eye work. Its just trial and error, practice practice practice.

I was looking through her photos and cant help but wonder where on earth she works that everyone is white?

Mesoam · Mar 14, 2008

i like the website a lot more than the photography...there is A LOT of P&P in those pictures, most of them feel too blown out in my opinion

Diabolus · Mar 14, 2008

Emerana said:
It is a popular style now...I sort of like it but think its going to be dated at some point. Over exposure and high saturation, alot of eye work. Its just trial and error, practice practice practice.

I was looking through her photos and cant help but wonder where on earth she works that everyone is white?

I guess one would say the same thing if they were shooting in Africa?

Emerana · Mar 14, 2008

your right, only black people are in africa and there are only white people in the US. I am so stupid.

Sarah23 · Mar 14, 2008

I guess maybe then, mostly white clients are attracted her her?

I know I did see one shoot in her blog of a VERY cute Asian boy and his family!

And she lives in Michigan I believe...which seems to be VERY diverse.

But either way....WHY DOES IT MATTER??????

Sarah23 · Mar 14, 2008

Oh, and I really like her photos too, but I agree its probably just a trend right now. BUT she seems to have plenty of business, and is doing well, so GO TRENDS!!

Emerana · Mar 14, 2008

It doesnt matter I guess. It just struck me.

It is a trend that I dont love but sometimes like, but I think she does it very well.

schuylercat · Mar 14, 2008

Two things,

First - I like Amy's stuff a lot, even if you have to wear sunglasses to view it. This stuff is vivid and sharp, poses are not overdone, and the style is modern and lovely. I imagine her customers like her a lot.

Second - Sugar Snap: your stuff is very, very well done! You have nothing to be ashamed of here - the boy against the wall is a great piece, and shows you have a good eye and mean what you do. The baby was a great idea with a minor quibble related to cropping at the top of the head.

You couldn't be more different from her, from what I see here. She's shooting thermonuclear and bright, and you seem darker, intimate, cozy.

That said, I have to say I saw a lot of Amy's work that was great, despite the oversaturated look - it works, and I rather like it. Conversely, I saw some work (not much, mind you) from you that was really, really damn good. People would hire you, based on what I saw here.

My take? You can start flooding your scenes with light and change your style (uh, no.) or retain your style (uh, yes!) and just keep going, regardless the brightness of the competition. That what makes you different makes it YOU, and you ain't bad. You have the gift...just go with it!