Here are two guys from a recent session.
Top image is a Marine helicopter pilot - flew the CH-46 and bottom image is an Air Cavalry Scout Pilot. The story of him losing his leg is a thriller! He is the only individual to be licensed to fly helicopters with an above-the-knee amputation.
These are, obviously, phenomenal photographs of extraordinary individuals who performed the missions they were assigned. The extraordinary part is that character trait that lies within, and near impossible to capture in a portrait.
-Bob
CaptainC wrote:
Here are two guys from a recent session.
Top image is a Marine helicopter pilot - flew the CH-46 and bottom image is an Air Cavalry Scout Pilot. The story of him losing his leg is a thriller! He is the only individual to be licensed to fly helicopters with an above-the-knee amputation.
Incredible photos of two obviously incredible men. Thanks to you for sharing the photos and to them from an old air cav trooper for their service.
Great shots. Number is phenomenal
bkyser
Loc: Fly over country in Indiana
I'm telling you, your processing is second to none. I'd love to see your workflow some time.
I know you start with perfect light placement, but the tones are just awesome.
bkyser wrote:
I'm telling you, your processing is second to none. I'd love to see your workflow some time.
I know you start with perfect light placement, but the tones are just awesome.
I am asked a lot how I get that look and it is very difficult to describe. There is no "formula" for it and even if I told you step-by-step for one image, it would be a little different for the next image.
As you mentioned, the light is the base and nothing is going to save lousy light!
The tools are (in no particular order) Topaz Clarity, Topaz Remask (to extract from the background so I can use my custom digital backgrounds and floors) Topaz Adjust, standard skin cleanup, Dodging and Burning the face, eye enhancement, localized sharpening ( I use Photokit Creative Sharpener by Pixel Genius), Denoise in PS to soften skin a bit, A High Pass sharpening layer, several NIK filters MIGHT be Used ( Low Key, Darken/Lighten Center, Detail Extractor, Bleach Bypass, Silver Efex), color grading is done with multiple layers from the Photoshop Color Lookup Adjustment Layers (those require lots of playing with which colors you want to use an then manipulating the blend modes and opacity to get the "look"). Essentially, every image is a "one off."
Even though I have done this many times, I would say each image takes about 30-40 minutes.
I suspect what Cliff has done is translate, what we used to call fine custom printing, into digital methodologies. That kind of skill maximizes all the information (what used to be on the negative) that is nowadays in the file. Underneath it all, however, is masterful lighting, posing composition and communication with the subjects. If those basic elements are not there, all the savvy workflow in the word ain't gonna do it. Some say "you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" and likewise you can't make a salon quality image out of a poorly crafted (negative) or digital file.
Without the properly feathered lighting and precise ratio control, the textures, character and the drama won't just pop out of the computer. There no plug-in that substitutes for solid camera work.
Again- great- stuff! Awesome project!
Amen!! Could not have said it better. Cliff is a top quality photographer who knows how to utilize digital tools to create images from a base that is excellent.
E.L.. Shapiro wrote:
I suspect what Cliff has done is translate, what we used to call fine custom printing, into digital methodologies. That kind of skill maximizes all the information (what used to be on the negative) that is nowadays in the file. Underneath it all, however, is masterful lighting, posing composition and communication with the subjects. If those basic elements are not there, all the savvy workflow in the word ain't gonna do it. Some say "you can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear" and likewise you can't make a salon quality image out of a poorly crafted (negative) or digital file.
Without the properly feathered lighting and precise ratio control, the textures, character and the drama won't just pop out of the computer. There no plug-in that substitutes for solid camera work.
Again- great- stuff! Awesome project!
I suspect what Cliff has done is translate, what w... (
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