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Thread: This one is for Vladimir

  1. #1
    speedneeder's Avatar
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    This one is for Vladimir

    Vladimir,
    Per your inquiry the other day in my pro photo look thread, I made this BillGekasesque photo.
    Made with one 28" soft box with one YN-560 with YN trigger, one YN-560 as optical slave with home made cheezit box/cocktail straw snoot, one promaster reflector I got for Christmas, one curtain from my living room window, and one free copy of the GIMP.
    I think from this, you can see that the answer to your question 'can I make photos like this', the answer is yes!

    Then again, you may disagree with my results. What do you think?

    This one is for Vladimir

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Quote Originally Posted by speedneeder View Post
    Vladimir,
    Per your inquiry the other day in my pro photo look thread, I made this BillGekasesque photo.
    Brian Brian Brian - you just can't take one look at someone elses quality work, and expect to emulate it overnight!

    Oh - you already have - OK forget what I just said


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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Colin, I am very flattered by your comment! I realize I still have much room for improvement, but I am improving

    P.S. keep an eye out for my next emulation of my favorite portrait artist, which I plan to call Colinesque II.

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Looks like pro work to me Brian. Excellent lighting and tone control from side to side. Very well done.

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Thanks Andrew!
    I once spent an entire day driving up Fraser Valley - I will never forget that awesome drive
    I didn't have time to detour to the island though

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Quote Originally Posted by speedneeder View Post
    Colin, I am very flattered by your comment! I realize I still have much room for improvement, but I am improving
    Hi Brian,

    You're doing just fine - and it gets easier and easier with practice and experience - and the results get more consistent. I did a staff shoot the other day - get the lighting up as per usual - set the reflectors up. Used a light meter to tweak the levels (although close, again from memory) - took the first shot and - no need to adjust anything. In post-processing - again - no adjustments to levels. Next day I way shooting some dresses for a catalog - same deal - just too easy

    P.S. keep an eye out for my next emulation of my favorite portrait artist, which I plan to call Colinesque II.
    Very flattering, although why anyone would want to copy this boring old f**t I'll never know.

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Quote Originally Posted by Andrew1 View Post
    Looks like pro work to me Brian. Excellent lighting and tone control from side to side. Very well done.
    +1 to that.

    My personal test is "how would this look printed on canvas & hung on a wall" - and the answer to that in this case is "great". Definately pro quality.

    PS: Sorry - one small thing ... I think the blue shirt is slightly distracting - how do you think it might look desaturated to grey?

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    +2

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Quote Originally Posted by Colin Southern View Post
    PS: Sorry - one small thing ... I think the blue shirt is slightly distracting - how do you think it might look desaturated to grey?
    That is SO funny! After I did a couple of test photos, I told my son hey, let's go look at some different shirts in you closet!
    Well, I did find a grey shirt and was thinking hey that would look good, but apparently my 12 year old (this is his birthday photo) had outgrown it, so we stuck with the blue
    I will give your saturation idea a try.

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Quote Originally Posted by speedneeder View Post
    That is SO funny! After I did a couple of test photos, I told my son hey, let's go look at some different shirts in you closet!
    Well, I did find a grey shirt and was thinking hey that would look good, but apparently my 12 year old (this is his birthday photo) had outgrown it, so we stuck with the blue
    I will give your saturation idea a try.
    Selecting shirts and changing the hue can be used for all sorts of things - including punishments; had a chappie once who liked to give me a hard time -- by the time I'd finished retouching his photo, his "business blue" shirt was a VERY bright PINK

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Like the experts above are saying (or sort-of saying) - You're scoring bullseyes now. Excellent work.

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Colin,
    I tried to desaturate JUST his under shirt, but then I thought the blue in his flannel shirt looked off, so I desaturated it too, and thought, well that looks odd all grey like that, so I ended up desaturating the T and the flannel by 60%. I do like this version better and I thank you for the idea.
    Note, when I showed this photo to my wife, the first thing she said was "he looks like he has a black eye" lol, which actually now that she said that, he does! Don't you hate when people do that!? So I touched up his face around his left eye too

    This one is for Vladimir

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Quote Originally Posted by Donald View Post
    Like the experts above are saying (or sort-of saying) - You're scoring bullseyes now. Excellent work.
    Thanks Donald

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Quote Originally Posted by speedneeder View Post
    Vladimir,
    Per your inquiry the other day in my pro photo look thread, I made this BillGekasesque photo.
    Made with one 28" soft box with one YN-560 with YN trigger, one YN-560 as optical slave with home made cheezit box/cocktail straw snoot, one promaster reflector I got for Christmas, one curtain from my living room window, and one free copy of the GIMP.
    I think from this, you can see that the answer to your question 'can I make photos like this', the answer is yes!

    Then again, you may disagree with my results. What do you think?

    This one is for Vladimir
    I am totally flattered to have a thread addressed to me personally!
    I am totally happy to have inspired you to produce a wonderful birthday photo for your son! (Of course - the "inspiration" credit belongs to Mr. Bill G. more than it belongs to me, but still... )
    It's totally Pro looking!
    I am totally sorry to not have noticed this thread for a couple of days. Please, send me a PM next time you dedicate a thread to me , or I may miss it completely...
    When I can produce a photo like this - I'll feel much better about myself as a photographer.
    I think it's very very well done!

  15. #15
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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Thanks Vladimir.
    I am thankful to you for showing me a cool website and indeed you did inspire this photo, not Mr. Gekas. (I do appreciate his photography).
    I will be most thankful when YOU fulfill your ambition

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Quote Originally Posted by speedneeder View Post
    Colin,
    I tried to desaturate JUST his under shirt, but then I thought the blue in his flannel shirt looked off, so I desaturated it too, and thought, well that looks odd all grey like that, so I ended up desaturating the T and the flannel by 60%. I do like this version better and I thank you for the idea.
    Note, when I showed this photo to my wife, the first thing she said was "he looks like he has a black eye" lol, which actually now that she said that, he does! Don't you hate when people do that!? So I touched up his face around his left eye too

    This one is for Vladimir
    Hi Brian,

    I was thinking just the "under-shirt" (if that's what you call them!) (just put a selection around it) - but I think your idea probably works slightly better as it stops the colour of the shirts drawing the eye away from the face.

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    Re: This one is for Vladimir

    Quote Originally Posted by Colin Southern View Post
    Hi Brian,

    I was thinking just the "under-shirt" (if that's what you call them!) (just put a selection around it) - but I think your idea probably works slightly better as it stops the colour of the shirts drawing the eye away from the face.
    T-shirt more commonly, though I wasn't sure if you used that terminology on your side of the world
    Have a great day!

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