supermodel photos

SepiaTL · Jan 6, 2006

While watching those highly addictive reruns of America's Next Top Model on VH1, I coudn't help but admire a certain quality in their photos. This photo seems almost like a painting. Everything has a certain luster that just isn't seen in real life and certainly isn't being captured in my photos! Anyone know how these amazing photographers might be achieving this look? Is it in camera settings or post-processing?

Both photos (they're technically one photo, just cropped) are from the America's Next Top Model website. I couldn't find the name of the photographer.

Thanks a bunch!

http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model4/models/models_gall.php?d=kahlen&id=5

http://www.upn.com/shows/top_model4/models/models_gall.php?d=kahlen&id=4

Alexandra · Jan 6, 2006

in the yule time similar effects were achieved with the carbro procedure, but now i guess it's post-processing.

ajmall · Jan 6, 2006

the photographer was probably using something like this:

22 megapixels and yours if you want to re-mortgage your house

don't forget the amount of airbrushing that goes on fashion photos these days. im not putting the picture down, i think it's great.

SepiaTL · Jan 6, 2006

yep, the photographer did have a little contraption like that. :er:

all i can say is that's some talented airbrushing. it looked nothing like that on TV!

i need photoshop skills...

Boltthrower · Jan 6, 2006

Lots of fotochopping

http://glennferon.com.nyud.net:8090/portfolio1/index.html

here ya go take a look through that

Ghoste · Jan 6, 2006

My sister watches that show alot and I actually really enjoy the photography they show. Most of the photographers are using the Hasselblad H2D. Alot has to do with lighting, and extremely saturating stuff without making it harsh. Anyways. I agree. The photos those photographers take are absolutely amazing photos. If I wasn't going into Law Enforcement and was gunna do photography as a career that is what I would want to do.

danalec99 · Jan 6, 2006

Hi SepiaTL,

Kindly post just the links to the images, unless you have the permission from the photographer to post them here.

Thanks!

SepiaTL · Jan 6, 2006

Boltthrower, excellent website! I've been searching for a before and after like this. Amazing what a difference shadows can make. Thanks!

Ghoste, I'd love to do photography as a career, too but I'll admit I want to make a little more money. :er: What can I say?

Also, photos were changed to links. Sorry for the faux pas and thanks for being kind when pointing it out.

danalec99 · Jan 6, 2006

There is absolutely no need to say sorry! :razz:
Thanks for the edit, SepiaTL! :thumbsup:

Big Mike · Jan 6, 2006

As with all photography...it's all about light. (and probably a lot of post production in this case).

There was an article in Pop. Photo last year about a Playboy photographer and the set up he was using. There must have been 15 different lights plus reflectors, soft boxes, umbrellas etc. All set up for a specific pose.

DocFrankenstein · Jan 6, 2006

Yeah, it's that 22 megapixel back. :roll:

With 6 mp you can't possibly make a good picture.

Such a bummer, isn't it?

photogoddess · Jan 6, 2006

Lighting, lighting, lighting and a good stylist and make-up artist are big contributors to photos like that. And yes, you can do nice work with a 6mp camera. Below shots taken with a Canon 10D. Besides resizing for web - no post processing of any kind. :mrgreen:

Dave_D · Jan 6, 2006

Have you ever seen how food is staged for ad photos? There is a reason the whopper you get doesn't look like the one in the picture on the menu board behind the counter or in the ads out front to lure you in. These models are staged the same way, as previously mentioned, with make up artists, lights, reflectors and gels. Post processing is just another step in the process. Check out this thread: http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36953
That link is an example of what post processing can do. Ofcourse that thread brought out all of the "I like the natural look better" critics and some of them missed the point. There was nothing puritanical about how I thought the subject should look, it was just an example of what could be done. Post processing gives you the ability to change everything about an image.
Careers in advertising and marketing on the level of your example run a wide gamut. The person taking the picture is usually not the person doing the post processing. There is a speacialty of Retouch Artists in a catagory all on their own. In most cases they are under the direction of an art director or a marketing director that will instruct them as to how the final product needs to look. It is there job to be able to perform the retouch of whatever the subject is according to an agenda that is not there own.
Small business photographers are the people more likely to set everything up in the studio and post process themselves to what they feel will sell. A friend of mine operates his own studio and has a $10,000 Canon digital set up. When you go inside the studio he has sample portraits that look great. The images straight off of the camera before processing look like crap. I was surprised when I realised that digital wasn't as great as the hype around it. It was a shocker for me. Aside from all of the lights, it's all about the post process.