Using Sepia - DPChallenge Forums

01/31/2006 09:59:03 AM · #1

I recently tried my hand at the use of sepia on a number of candid portrait pics. In addition to sepia, I have added a bit of 'noise' to most of the pics to give them a 50's or 60's kind of look. What I am not sure of is the saturation. Are my saturation levels too high? Are the pics a bit too much on the 'brown' side. Any feedback/suggestions/criticisms would be welcomed. Thanks

Sepia Photos

01/31/2006 10:24:43 AM · #2

no takers?...:(

Brenb

Canon EOS-60D

01/31/2006 10:30:58 AM · #3

I find it's a lot of time personal taste. I like them better when they don't have so much rust/red tint to them and less saturation but I think other like more. I like the tones on this one.

This one is too rust/red for my taste

WaysOfSeeing

Canon EOS-400D Rebel XTi

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

01/31/2006 10:31:11 AM · #4

Personally I think most of the pictures do look over saturated, but thats obviously down to my personal taste. Others will like the effect. You have some very nice images though in that collection. My faves being 6731, 6156 and 6356. Just out of curiousity what method are you using to get the sephia effect?

alexgarcia

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro

01/31/2006 10:31:20 AM · #5

What a wonderful set of images. I like them a lot. Left you a pair of comments. What objective did you use? The DOF is wonderful. And like the grainy noise you introduced. I like a lot the collection.
About the sepia, IMO is a little bit too saturated, but it's a question of tastes, so... And, as you can see I'm not a very good photog, so listen to more wises ones, LOL.

kosmikkreeper

Nikon D300s

Nikon AF-S DX NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II

01/31/2006 10:35:33 AM · #6

You have some great shots here!

The rest is a question of personal taste. I prefer my sepia less saturated and with less red in it as well (for most of them).

Nikon AF Zoom-Nikkor 70-200mm f/2.8 VR DG IF-ED

01/31/2006 10:37:59 AM · #7

I have been using Picasa to get the sepia effect...not sure how to do it in Photoshop

Pedro

Nikon D200

01/31/2006 10:38:26 AM · #8

Patience, my friend...lots of us are still just waking up over here on the other side of earth. :)

Compositionally some very nice photos in there. I dig shallow DOF candids and you've got some terribly interesting looking people in there.

I wouldn't say too brown...they actually look too orange to be sepia, assuming you're trying to replicate the dye they use in sepia film processing. In the 'good old days' they used a dark brown ink that comes from cuttlefish to tint photos to enrich the shadows in black and white photographs. the effect on your photos is still kinda cool, but not so much sepia.

digital noise doesn't replicate film noise very well in my opinion, so i think it needs to be used fairly judiciously or just ends up looking muddy, particularly on the tight crops. on some of the photos that are a little more loosely cropped around the subject, the noise works quite nicely.

all in all a very nice collection.

P

01/31/2006 10:41:42 AM · #9

Really appreciating the feedback and the background info on the origins of sepia...interesting! Thanks for taking time to comment!

Brenb

Canon EOS-60D

01/31/2006 10:43:40 AM · #10

Had to come back and say what an interesting group of photos you have here. Some captivating and intersting shots. I posted on a few of them.

Message edited by author 2006-01-31 10:44:10.

01/31/2006 10:45:42 AM · #11

Thanks Bren!

fotomann_forever

01/31/2006 11:12:38 AM · #12

I've found the most natural appearing way to produce sepia is Tritones with Black, Pantone 1215C and Pantone 202C.

The Sepia layer on this image is a Tritone.

Message edited by author 2006-01-31 11:14:46.