Portrait with tutorial. Bronzed.

Yuri Pautov · December 6, 2005

Dear friends!
I was asked a lot of times to show some of my secrets.
Actually, I have no secrets…
But maybe this workflow of mine will be interesting (I’ll consider your replies so…) to some of you…
Not sure this is a right place for posting, but hope Andy will fix it...

Model choosing… This young lady works in a photo shop where I print my photos.
Must say that a lot of those whom I photographed doesn’t really look attractive ‘in life’… and they say that they are not photogenic at all… and they are sure they are not… Some of them has some problems with skin, face skin (Who of us does not?).
But… I think I can’t explain this to you, but I ‘see’ the future photo. You may call it ‘Freezing look’ of mine…
Still image is just another thing…
So, ‘model’ say ‘yes’, but she has only 15 min :- )
…
Yes, of course the background is more then a half here. Usually I’m searching for proper backgrounds beforehand and then only ‘take’ my model there…
Legs are moved apart (steady pose with stable ‘foundation’ so to say… Figure forms triangle). Face turned to light side.
Indifferent emotions on the face…(I mean I ask her to ‘say nothing’…. Usually they begin to think – that’s what I need…)
This horizontal line at ‘golden section’ is very important…
Just as placing model in a ‘golden section’ too…
I focus on a model and then turn camera a bit to right…
Leaving much more ‘space’ in the direction of her look is important too…

Original (Edited)

In PS
Now (after some time of experience) I edit my Original photos and save them at maximum quality with letter ‘e’ at the end… They can be used for web and prints later…
1 Edited photo taken.
2 Additional cleaning of face skin with healing brush at 300 % enlargement.
3 Resized to 800x600
4 Copy layer
5 Filter-> Sharpen-> Unsharped mask 67/ 0.4/0
6 Copy layer
7 Image-> Adjustment-> Shadow/Highlight [50/40/30 0/50/30 +20/0 0.01 /0.01]
8 Virtual photographer (www.optikvervelabs.com free download plugins for PS)
Load -> bronzed.vph with correction of variable parameters… (as you like)
9 ‘Harry Behret’s method’: copy layer/ ‘Multiply’ blending mode / Blur-> Gaussian blur (3.0)
10 Set opacity of this layer to 29%
11 New layer
12 Rectangular Marquee / Invert (Ctrl+I)
13 Select -> Feather (10-15)
14 Fill with black 2-3 times
15 Put you ©
16 Ctrl+E
17 Save for web: JPEG/High/ Quality 65 /Blur 0 / Progressive

Result

Sorry for my English,
Questions?
Spasibo,
Yuri

Stacey L · December 6, 2005

Wow! This is an amazing picture. You inspire lots of people to get out there and shoot.

I do have a question. After reading your workflow directions, why do you resize the picture and then do all the retouching on it? It doesn't degrade the image? I use PSP 9, but I think the process would still be the same.

Great work! I love your portraits

Yuri Pautov · December 7, 2005

Stacey L wrote:

Wow! This is an amazing picture. You inspire lots of people to get out there and shoot.

I do have a question. After reading your workflow directions, why do you resize the picture and then do all the retouching on it? It doesn't degrade the image? I use PSP 9, but I think the process would still be the same.

Great work! I love your portraits

Spasibo (Thank you in Russian) Stacey!
I make it this way:
1. I make FIRST edition to original file (cleaning skin as usual) and this file becomes my original.
2. I use different 'approaches' to web photos and prints...

For example, I like both versions of one photo:
clear

and
with some noise

it has an 'old photos' style...
I used it for print version...
Any other questions?
Yuri

snapapple · December 7, 2005

Yuri Pautov wrote:

Dear friends!

11 New layer
12 Rectangular Marquee / Invert (Ctrl+I)
13 Select -> Feather (10-15)
14 Fill with black 2-3 times
15 Put you ©
16 Ctrl+E
17 Save for web: JPEG/High/ Quality 65 /Blur 0 / Progressive

Result

Sorry for my English,
Questions?
Spasibo,
Yuri

Thank you, Yuri.
This is very informative. But, I don't understand the marquee part. I don't see a vignette effect. How far out does the marquee go? Did the black fill create the sepia tone?

I also wonder about the gausian blur layer. Did you blur the whole photo after sharpening it with unsharp mask. I often blur then use a mask to unblur certain parts. You always have such nice sharp eyes in your photos that I wonder about the blur. Of course this is not a close-up shot, so maybe it is different. I like the "old photo" look you have created here. Very nice.

Edit:
I went back and looked again. I see the vignette effect in the second photo. Now I understand that is the only one you are referring to. Sorry to be so slow. I like the way the color is intensified in your final version. I like the drawing on the wall also. The background certainly adds interest to the photo in this one. Very good choice. I try to learn from your wonderful portraits.

Andy · December 7, 2005

Spasibo, Yuri - excellent description of the technique, and lovely result

cletus · December 7, 2005

Great work yuri!

thanks for posting

unsavory · December 22, 2005

Yuri, you are the best.

Thanks so much for sharing this.

johno · December 22, 2005

:jawdrop Very nice. I love it. Thanks so much Yuri for the gift. This one will be added to my bookmarks.

Merry Christmas
johno~

spider-t · December 22, 2005

Maybe I overdid it a bit...
I gave it a try on this one. I thought it came out pretty cool. But maybe a bit over-stylized.

He liked it enough to order one to frame for his mom for Christmas.

That has to count for something, no? :-)

cheers,
-Trish

johno · December 22, 2005

Well, now I'm sad... Virtual photographer (www.optikvervelabs.com) is not available for mac. Does anyone know of an alt. plugin for mac?

Merry Christmas
johno~

System · January 2, 2006

thanks, Yuri--

neat stuff-

george

System · January 2, 2006

tired grandson-

edited-

jayng · February 15, 2006

Ever find out if they're going to make a Mac version? I just emailed them, maybe if enough people do, they'll put one one out.

johno wrote:

Well, now I'm sad... Virtual photographer (www.optikvervelabs.com) is not available for mac. Does anyone know of an alt. plugin for mac?

Merry Christmas
johno~

Justinas · February 16, 2006

Lovely photo and tutorial, thnx fot sharing with us

. Here is my attemp (if you don't mind, i used your photo).

http://img452.imageshack.us/img452/1948/scopy7le.jpg

manda · December 27, 2007

Love the BW above.

Thanks so much for the tutorial.

My first attempt:

RBrogen · February 29, 2008

Love this picture Manda!!

And thank you to Yuri for sharing!!!

manda wrote:

Love the BW above.

Thanks so much for the tutorial.

My first attempt:

imax · March 5, 2008

Great Tutorial Yuri, Thanks for sharing it. I tried it out on the following photograph which I took this weekend. Thought it would suit it nicely, which I think it did.

Original

Bronzed Version

Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and expertise..............

Joe

Portrait with tutorial. Bronzed.

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