Channeling the style Victor Skrebneski used in the '70s for celebrity portraits, where he dressed everyone from Bette Davis to Orson Welles in the same black turtleneck, this picture was made with my collaborators, makeup artist Sarah Lynn, model Trisha Bradshaw and stylist Susan Page. Pulling off this seemingly simple portrait sitting was actually fairly involved. The picture above is exactly the look we aimed for. Nik Silver Efex Pro made the conversion based on the color picture below, and the lower left detail was removed in Photoshop CS5.
The shot above is the starting point for all the variations. Processing involved basic Lightroom 3 workflow adjustments, like color balance, cropping and some burning in, followed by levels adjustments in Photoshop CS5. Next came contrast and brightness fixes in Nik Vivenza and adding a touch of crispness with Nik Sharpener Pro 3. Note Trisha's wrist and chair highlight in the lower left corner. I kind of like the balance it brings, but can see where it would be distracting. Any opinions?
The Fresson print look is courtesy Nik Color Efex Pro. This might be my favorite version.
It is pretty easy to hit the button for "CSI Miami" preset I made for Nik Color Efex Pro, so I usually do just to see what it looks like. Trisha picked up a bit of tan this trip South.
Finally, back to Silver Efex Pro to apply my "Grainy Nude" preset. The idea is to look like a gum print, and I think it comes pretty close.
| Technical | |
| Camera: | Nikon D700 |
| Lens: | AF Micro-Nikkor 105mm f/2.8 D |
| Exposure: | ISO 200, f/4 @ 1/13s, Auto WB, RAW |
| Lighting: | Single Calumet Quattro beauty with 5500K fluorescent bulbs |
| Support: | Gitzo Basalt Tripod, Acratech GP head, RRS L-bracket |
| Location: | Grand Center Artists' Studios |
| Dates: | Capture - February 19, 2011, Processed - February 21, 2011 |
| Processing: | Lightroom 3.3, Photoshop CS5, Nik Silver Efex Pro, Nik Color Efex Pro |
3 comments:
Go 70's! I think that I'm just as interested in your photos as I am in your post production process. Thanks fro sharing the exploration and inspiration.
Good work, Preston. A very nice series of images. I know you did these Saturday - how long did you have to shoot?
Thank you Ben and Ray. We did five setups between 3:00 and 6:00.
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