photography lighting/pp questions?

Question

how do i get my photos to look like this?

http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc31/lorielle99/222857216_b199fc57d9_m.jpg
like the shadows and highlights and how his eyes are like that.


http://i212.photobucket.com/albums/cc31/lorielle99/courtneydollcreendec07-1.jpg

and how do i get them green like that?

i have photoshop 2. what do i do in photoshop to make it look like that, is what im asking. idk why you got the thumbs down, brah

Answer 1

The first photo could easily have been shot without post enhancements It was shot in low foreground light with a focussed light pointed down on the subject's face at a sharp angle, so that the brows cast a shadow over the eyes and so forth, and then some background light.

The second photo is definitely enhanced. It looks like the artist adjusted the levels and/or color balance on the mid to dark range. This affected the dark portions of the image and left the rest of it alone. There's likely a lot of tweaks done to this image. I doubt my description covers all of it.

Edit:
I tried to approximate the Girl and Doll picture in Photoshop CS3 this evening. I'm pretty good with Photoshop, but I could only come close, and it looked obvious that it was modified. If that is done in Photoshop, it's a very experienced artist. I'm going to have to go neutral on whether that's purely a skilled shot or enhanced in some way since I know very little about film photography.

Answer 2

Photoshop i dont think so.

So the girl and doll image first. This might be ALOT of photoshopping. It might be a made shot. It is less likely an accident.

The green effect is from using daylight film or a digital on around 5000-5600k. The image looks like film to me. The green (7000k or so) is from an Arc lamp or a fluro maybe, the screen in the background is difussing the light and the "drop off" is quite fast so its proberly a low wattage lamp. There is tungsten (3200k) light evident (the yellow lighting) on her hair in the reflection and on her right side causing a small ratio effect.

The yellow light is from a spot light above her head on the right of the frame - note the strong shadow under her shouder. The ratio of the key to fill light is most evident on the left of the dolls head.

Anyway proberly far to much info - its just an example of a mixed lighting shot at/on daylight setting/film.


The first image is just good lighting and some photoshop to enhance some of the mid tones and some other tweaks.

Both images are good examples of great lighting and creativity, they need to be well lit and executed before enhancing. The girl shot isnt complicated but is a fine example of great lighting - not photoshopping - photograohy skill is required.

The girl image is so pleasing, kodakrome qualities, wonderful use of mixed lighting to communicate warmth and tempurature, I would be happy to make shoots like that one.

a

Answer 3

I am in my seventies and time is going by so quickly I haven't time to do all the photography I want to do. I can't bend down as I used to and when I do get down there to photograph that bug I can't get up again. I need a powerful diopter to see thru the viewfinder and a caddy to carry my heavy dslr plus this big tripod. (That's my wife). If I sit at my computer too long my back hurts and if I stand up I can't see the screen. Hey this is not the poor me's. I love photography in spite of the challenges and aches & pains. I am living in the most wonderful era of creativity in history and if Beethoven could compose his last symphony while blind I can still create good photos and I'm going to do it till I die Barry

Answer 4

Judging from the eyelashes, the lighting was not PS but the light was snooted to a small spot and very high. Possibly the same with the girl. I find #1 interesting but I don't care for the lighting on the girl.

Answer 5

photoshop