Hi! In fashion shots, in some portraits, the pic is shot against backlight but still face and other important details are perfectly exposed. Outside quite strong flare and pale colour tonality. I guess this is done in post-processing, too risky business to get everything perfect when shooting. Any techniques getting that effect, the flare and "washed-out" colours but keeping vital details clear? Perhaps there are two separate post-processing techniques involved, the flare effect and the pale colour tonality meaning that there are not vibrant striking colors but instead washed-out colours.

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From swanda/John (1,023) on July 14, 2011 10:57:42 PM CDT I suspect nobody has tried to answer this because it is too general. Maybe a link to an example might be better to ask about. But it sounds like it could be done with lighting rather than post processing. It isn't neccesarily "too risky" for a good pro photographer to achieve the lighting effect he desires when shooting. Reply

From openmind2004/Veikko (4,736) on July 15, 2011 12:04:09 AM CDT thanks, John, for explaining the problem from your side. I add an example and try to explain the problem from my side. There is the strong backlight and the colours look a little washed-out compared with their original colours. The photo is here in the fasfion-section, if that is a necessary thing to mention. http://www.photosig.com/go/photos/view?id=2478283&forward=browse I would like to create the flare in post-processing so that I can control its light on her eyes and other important things but the rest can be what it looks naturally. Perhaps taking a couple of hundred shots I might get precisely the result that I want. I would like that flare to be circular, or a couple of flares in line. Is the PS enough for the job, or are there other controllable solutions availabe? Reply

From swanda/John (1,023) on July 15, 2011 9:34:12 AM CDT I don't know if you read the photographer's comments on the photo, but the effect was not planned, but a lucky accident. If I were trying to get something like this, I would try to do it by shooting and not post processing. You say you might get the result you want by taking a couple of hundred shots, and what's wrong with that? I think that's what the digital age is all about. You can shoot all you want at no cost, and you can see the result on the monitor so you can see how close you are getting to what you want. And you will probably end up getting a few good shots that were unexpected and couldn't have been planned. I love doing digital post processing, but usually to enhance what I got shooting. Reply

From iostream/Dean (4,398) on July 15, 2011 9:14:47 AM CDT Most of it is probably not done in post-processing, actually. Stand your model in front of a light coloured wall that faces the sun near sunrise/sunset. Get into his/her shadow (the model is between you and the sun and the light wall is at your back) and spot-meter on his/her face. That's the base exposure, it won't change for a few minutes unless a cloud moves over the sun or you change the model's distance from the wall. Shoot away. The model's face will be lit by the reflection from the wall, it'll be properly exposed, and if you move so that you have sunlight falling on your lens, you'll get flare which will be dependent on the type and quality of lens you have. Good glass makes for beautiful flare. There are proggies to add flare in post-processing, but they never look like the real thing to me. Reply

From openmind2004/Veikko (4,736) on July 15, 2011 3:33:35 PM CDT thank you, Dean. With good luck one can capture the natural flare beautifully. The best way. Then comes the wonderful word, but. If there is not bright sunlight available but clouds and not even expected to arrive during the whole week, what to do then? There are different flares, the one from the sun is different from that of a small flash, in practice that is,I do not know scientifically the difference. The latter can be done in PS even with a brush convincingly. But how to make a stylish natural looking outdoor flare perfectly over a person leaving the model´s face or whatever needed almost intact? Without sunlight. Reply

From loriblankenship/Lori (0) on February 24, 2012 7:54:59 PM CST In fashion photography as a photographer for clothing one could tell that it is difficult to achieve the desired output after the shoot .. There are still too many post processing to be done .. Dress is difficult to photograph because they tend to wrinkle and really need correction after the shoot.. Reply

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