Tone Experiment

[Thayli]

I was playing around with in photoshop with old discarded shots (these two due to framing), and while experimenting with skin tones ended up with this. I just love it! However, because I like it, of course no-one else does. I'm planning to do my next set all like this, and I guess i'm asking if that just seems a bit... silly. I do often seem to be quite 'out there' (read: wrong) with what I tend to think looks good, so opinions are welcome.

 

[jamborras]

I think it looks awesome, i really like it, but I'm out there as well!

 

[Derrel]

The model-side looks too dark, and the background side looks about right. TO me, these seem a bit too dark on the side facing the camera...I brought both into LR, added fill, added a smidge of contrast to make up for the added fill light, then exported the shots. To "me" these look better this way, with a bit more visible, and a bit more contrast.

 

[rexbobcat]

I don't mind the brightness of the background, but I do think that the skin tones are a bit too gritty and "masculine" for this particular model.

 

[Thayli]

The model-side looks too dark, and the background side looks about right. TO me, these seem a bit too dark on the side facing the camera...I brought both into LR, added fill, added a smidge of contrast to make up for the added fill light, then exported the shots. To "me" these look better this way, with a bit more visible, and a bit more contrast.

Right, now I'm confused. When I first saw your edit I thought it looked way too bright, but when I went back to mine, they now of course look too dark. Too much choice! The first one in particular seems much more 'sculpted' in the brighter edit as well... I think maybe the brighter version but less skin process. (With the background the same as the originals though, as I liked the slightly dull white).

I don't mind the brightness of the background, but I do think that the skin tones are a bit too gritty and "masculine" for this particular model.

I get the grittyness, maybe not the masculine bit, but definitly the gritty. But does that not make it go nicely with the 'pure' background? I dunno, I might be talking out of my background.

 

[Derrel]

Yes, the first shot was more-contrasty to begin with, and remained so in my edit; I didn't even attempt to equalize them, but simply added enough fill light so that I could "see into" the darker areas, then added some contrast to keep the images from looking overly-lightened-up. (If I had beed working on RAW files, I am sure I would have had enough 'malleability' in the data to equalize both files, but the JPEGs had already been pushed fairly far.) One thing I have noptiuced is that I can sit down and process a batch of images, then leave them sit for a week, come back to them and think to myself, "WHAT was I thinking? Those look weird!" These two files might fall into that same realm for you...it's like talking to yourself--ALL your ideas sound amazing!!!!!

 

[Thayli]

"WHAT was I thinking? Those look weird!" These two files might fall into that same realm for you...it's like talking to yourself--ALL your ideas sound amazing!!!!!

Yeah i totally agree, and my ego can be very persuasive lol. I noticed however despite your efforts to help (which is greatly appreciated of course, thank you), you stopped short of saying if you actually liked the filter or not... Is this you being supportive at the scene of a car crash?

But yes I do go off on tangents a lot, and there has been some occasions where I've created the most weird and wonderful examples of what not to do. My worst cases however are when a month later I still love it, but still noone else does. And I really show that i'm am a noob when i refuse to back down and admit its crap.



Case in point.

 

[jowensphoto]

^I don't dislike that in terms of "what's right and what's wrong" but it's a little too tightly framed for my comfort. Just needs more context, imo.

Sometimes wrong can be right, you know?

 

[ronlane]

I like that last one. It is different. The arms are blown out enough that they almost don't look like hers. They seem list someone else is reaching in the scene, it's cool.