Porcelain??? - DPChallenge Forums

12/14/2006 02:11:31 PM · #1

Here is my question of the day:

What is the processing method used to acheive the porcelain look for portraits? Do I have it on photoshop CS? Or is it something else I have to download or buy?

Here is a beautiful example of what I'm talking about:

by

Thank you everyone!!!

Happy Thursday!

Message edited by author 2006-12-14 14:11:53.

Canon EF 28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM

12/14/2006 02:21:10 PM · #2

WHOA. I just had a revelation. I think someone may have told me that it's "NEAT IMAGE"?? Am I right?

Still, I don't know quite where to get it?

justine

Canon EOS-50D

12/14/2006 02:29:10 PM · #3

Neat image here-

Originally posted by magenmarie:

WHOA. I just had a revelation. I think someone may have told me that it's "NEAT IMAGE"?? Am I right?

Still, I don't know quite where to get it?

12/14/2006 03:52:21 PM · #4

Originally posted by justine:

Neat image here-

Originally posted by magenmarie:
WHOA. I just had a revelation. I think someone may have told me that it's "NEAT IMAGE"?? Am I right?

Still, I don't know quite where to get it?

THANK YOU JUSTINE!!
That's exactly what I was looking for. :)

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

12/14/2006 04:14:35 PM · #5

I think i'll chime in as it is my lovely niece in the OP. I thought i might add to the discussion ;)

This portrait doesn't have any NI applied to it although i have used it several times on other pics. I was never 100% pleased with the results, especially on things like hair. Probably needed more practice to use it correctly.

What has worked better for me, and was used as part of the workflow on this portrait is a gaus blur layer, 8-12 radius depending on subject distance from camera, then set opacity of that layer to about 20%. Erase or mask out the areas which need to be sharp, (her eyes, and the top of the ornament) and wala! I also like to selectively enhance contrast on the gaus blur alone, after reducing its opacity.

I like the gentle softness without the 'over the top-look at me, my skin is perfect'. Of course her skin IS perfect so I wasn't covering up here, just softening!

That said, I think NI has its place, i just havn't figured out how to optimize its results.

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

12/14/2006 04:20:43 PM · #6

Originally posted by mpeters:

That said, I think NI has its place, i just haven't figured out how to optimize its results.

Do the NI on a separate layer, fade the layer as needed to best represent the key areas, and erase from the layer just as you do in the gaussian workflow to keep eyes and such sharp. Pay special attention to how much sharpening NI is doing; to my tastes, default neat image combines too much sharpening with the smoothing, and this is where it gets really unnatural.

R.

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

12/14/2006 04:25:07 PM · #7

Thanks Robert, I guess i just shelved NI with portraits in favor of the Gaus blur but similar procedure would work for both. Would turning off all NI sharpening and then sharpening the under layer work equally well? I never realized that there was sharpening applied during NI processing.

12/14/2006 04:26:42 PM · #8

Originally posted by mpeters:

I'm so sorry for assuming that you used NI in your pic. Her skin definitely IS just so beautiful, and I assumed (since I'm so new) that the only way to acheive that look was through NI. I do have the gaussian blur on CS, so I may have to give that a try. :) Thank you for the info. :)

~Magen~

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

12/14/2006 04:49:37 PM · #9

NO offense taken and no need to be sorry! I think they are both methods to get to the same place. I just dont have a good handle on the NI process. Try the Gaus blur, i think you will be pleased.

FWIW, its a technique i picked up from someone on DPC, lots to learn here and welcome to the barnyard.

Thanks for the kind words.

mark

Fujifilm XF 18mm f/2 Lens X-Pro1

12/14/2006 04:58:55 PM · #10

Originally posted by mpeters:

well now you can say that a new dpc'er picked it up from YOU. :)

Thank you Mark. ;)

nixter

Fujifilm X-Pro 1

12/14/2006 05:06:05 PM · #11

Another one to try is Surface Blur, like anything else, used sparingly it works really well.

Fujifilm XF 18mm f/2 Lens X-Pro1

12/15/2006 03:48:47 PM · #12

Originally posted by nixter:

Another one to try is Surface Blur, like anything else, used sparingly it works really well.

Surface Blur? Is that something that I have in CS2? I don't know that I've ever seen it?

nixter

Fujifilm X-Pro 1

12/18/2006 03:47:01 AM · #13

Originally posted by magenmarie:

Originally posted by nixter:
Another one to try is Surface Blur, like anything else, used sparingly it works really well.

Surface Blur? Is that something that I have in CS2? I don't know that I've ever seen it?

Yep, go Filter>Blur>Surface Blur

Bear_Music

Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra

Sony 24-70mm F4 Vario-Tessar T* FE OSS

12/18/2006 05:51:53 AM · #14

Originally posted by mpeters:

I usually do it the opposite way: use NI as I described, then make a merged composite layer that includes the modified NI merged into the straight BG, then dupe THAT and apply the sharpening over the top. If you want to sharpen the areas NOT NI'd (or the NI areas for that matter) selectively, be sure you masked before compositing and saved the mask as a selection.

R.

kiwiness

Canon Canon 1d x Mark II

Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L USM

12/18/2006 06:10:18 AM · #15

Here is the gallery of Dou, who creates some amazing porcelain type portraits.

Jaded_Housewife

Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM

12/18/2006 08:04:46 AM · #16

Originally posted by kiwiness:

Here is the gallery of Dou, who creates some amazing porcelain type portraits.

wow. that's some powerful stuff. especially some of those titles. yikes. thanks for posting.

12/18/2006 08:57:09 AM · #17

Originally posted by nixter:

Originally posted by magenmarie:

Originally posted by nixter:
Another one to try is Surface Blur, like anything else, used sparingly it works really well.

Surface Blur? Is that something that I have in CS2? I don't know that I've ever seen it?

Yep, go Filter>Blur>Surface Blur

Thank you! I can't wait to experiment with this! I haven't taken a picture since the one for the pet portrait...I've been so busy with holiday stuff. I'm having camera withdrawal symptoms.