Lindsay Lohan and B&W conversion

02/20/2008 02:03:42 PM · #1

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Ya, Lohan's expression is part of the problem. Marilyn knew exactly what to do I suppose. I notice her skin tones are pink, likely from the processing which is much more pleasing. Her image is also much softer. Lindsay is much more starkly sharp.

It's really very interesting to compare things like this.

So those are roses. Funny. I thought on Marilyn they were towels and on Lindsay they were lettuce leaves... :)

The Lohan pose/ expression/ attitude certainly doesn't do her any favours. The main distinction is quite possibly that Marilyn was loaded and Lindsay is just out of rehab... The photographer reported that no alcohol was on the set this time, quite different from the previous shots (also maybe why his images are sharper!)

Message edited by author 2008-02-20 14:04:09.

02/20/2008 01:54:30 PM · #2

Quasimojo

Canon EOS-30D

02/20/2008 01:50:18 PM · #3

Originally posted by Zippy:

Bert Stern's Marilyn:
//www.bertstern.com/marilyn1.html

And here's the two side by side:

[thumb]649218[/thumb]

The processing might be similar but there's no joy in Lohan, and so imo the processing seems harsher in the context of Lohan's expression.

N

Message edited by author 2008-02-20 13:51:37.

Zippy

Canon EOS-40D

02/20/2008 01:25:25 PM · #4

Bert Stern's Marilyn:
//www.bertstern.com/marilyn1.html

02/20/2008 01:12:00 PM · #5

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Originally posted by Gordon:

Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Just quoting you because you were last with this sentiment, but can you find another example of this gritty nostalgic look?

the original Marylin Monroe shot wouldn't be a bad place to look. It's probably shot on similar film.

Dang, I can't find a bigger version of the actual Marilyn shot this was duplicating. marilyn is using, I think, pink towels to cover herself up. There's a smaller version on page 2 of the Lindsay link above, but I want a larger one to notice the tones better.

I think it gets called 'Marilyn with yellow roses' or something similar. Best place to look is to google Bert Stern or use google image search (not at work)

02/20/2008 12:47:45 PM · #6

Originally posted by Gordon:

Originally posted by DrAchoo:
Just quoting you because you were last with this sentiment, but can you find another example of this gritty nostalgic look?

the original Marylin Monroe shot wouldn't be a bad place to look. It's probably shot on similar film.

Dang, I can't find a bigger version of the actual Marilyn shot this was duplicating. marilyn is using, I think, pink towels to cover herself up. There's a smaller version on page 2 of the Lindsay link above, but I want a larger one to notice the tones better.

02/20/2008 12:26:22 PM · #7

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

Just quoting you because you were last with this sentiment, but can you find another example of this gritty nostalgic look?

the original Marylin Monroe shot wouldn't be a bad place to look. It's probably shot on similar film.

Nikon AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED

02/20/2008 12:23:12 PM · #8

Originally posted by Jmnuggy:

I think the BW looks great. They were obviously going for a gritty nostalgic look and it was well executed.

Just quoting you because you were last with this sentiment, but can you find another example of this gritty nostalgic look?

Dirt_Diver

Nikon D3s

02/20/2008 11:50:08 AM · #9

I was looking at that photo shoot and OMG I saw a boobie. Going back to make sure it's real.
OMG I saw a boobie. Going back to make sure it's real.
OMG I saw a boobie. Going back to make sure it's real.
OMG I saw a boobie. Going back to make sure it's real.
OMG I saw a boobie. Going back to make sure it's real.
OMG I saw a boobie. Going back to make sure it's real.
OMG I saw a boobie. Going back to make sure it's real.
OMG I saw a boobie. Going back to make sure it's real.
OMG I saw a boobie. Going back to make sure it's real.

NVPhoto

Canon EOS-40D

Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II

02/20/2008 11:42:56 AM · #10

I think the BW looks great. They were obviously going for a gritty nostalgic look and it was well executed.

Quasimojo

Canon EOS-30D

02/20/2008 09:25:00 AM · #11

Madonna nude mistaken for rare Monroe photo

N

EDIT: Work safe - it's the BBC :)

Message edited by author 2008-02-20 09:25:41.

02/19/2008 10:52:20 PM · #12

I still agree it's the grays that make her look bad and I think the other picture are much better of her.

Another possibility is that Marilyn's image is so iconic in our head that Lindsay, while looking somewhat like her with the wig, doesn't look enough like her and our brain rejects the photo because it isn't what it expects. If she did the same photos without the wig and we weren't trying to look like Marilyn, they might be much more acceptable to the palette.

02/19/2008 10:03:50 PM · #13

Originally posted by Quasimojo:

Plus, who was smoking what when they thought Lohan had any kind of resemblance to one of the greatest icons of the 20th century??!

Perhaps all the other similarities, other than looks ? She also seems to have a bit of a thing for that other icon.

"Though Lohan�s willingness to reprise the photos might seem a sly nod to her scandalous past, the actress offered a straightforward explanation. �I didn�t have to put much thought into it. I mean, Bert Stern? Doing a Marilyn shoot? When is that ever going to come up? It�s really an honor.� During a break in the daylong shoot, Lohan sat cross-legged on a bed in the four-room suite and spoke to me, in that familiar throaty voice with its staccato rhythms, about her abiding obsession with Monroe. Her interest took root a decade ago with multiple viewings of Niagara during the London filming of The Parent Trap. She has even purchased an apartment where Marilyn once lived. �If you saw my house � I have a lot of Marilyn stuff,� she told me, including a huge painting of Monroe," reports NYMag.com.

Message edited by author 2008-02-19 22:11:51.

Nikon AF-S DX Zoom-Nikkor 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 ED

02/19/2008 10:03:09 PM · #14

Originally posted by Joey Lawrence:

and also it was shot by the same photographer

After a bit of reading I understand this comment better. They were shot by the same photographer, Bert Stern, that shot the original images of Marilyn Monroe, 6 weeks before she died from an overdose. Shot in the same hotel as well as those original shots. Here's the accompanying article.

It's also interesting to note they were all shot on film, though they've obviously been altered - recoloured, or colour removed is maybe the interesting aside.

Message edited by author 2008-02-19 22:09:22.

BeeCee

Nikon D40

02/19/2008 08:41:13 PM · #15

Her body looks fine to me, right up to the jawline, but her face and hands look dead-grey. She doesn't have the Monroe lips, so the expression just isn't possible, but it's mostly the grey...?
The rest are better, if you ignore the cheap-looking lashes and wig but, again, not LL's fault. Hey, I guess there's hope for us to become famous and rich after all, eh?

Message edited by author 2008-02-19 20:44:11.

Quasimojo

Canon EOS-30D

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 28-300mm f3.5-5.6G ED VR

02/19/2008 08:04:06 PM · #16

That's what we call on my planet a Sh!tPhoto� :)

Not only is it a dodgy conversion but everything about her looks more like that famous leaked Monroe post mortem/dead headshot than anything she did with the blood pumping. Seriously grim.

Plus, who was smoking what when they thought Lohan had any kind of resemblance to one of the greatest icons of the 20th century??!

N

Arcanist

Nikon D810

02/19/2008 07:55:52 PM · #17

My God, she looks diseased. Whomever was in charge of the final OK should be dismissed.

epescala

Nikon D7500

Sigma 70-300mm f/4-5.6 DL Macro Super for Nikon

02/19/2008 07:55:40 PM · #18

Wow, those are really bad... all of them!

chris48083

Pentax K10D

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

02/19/2008 07:55:32 PM · #19

i wonder if they almost ment to bring her look down and went for the 'beauty in imperfection' idea. if that was their stategy then id say they took it wwaayy past the extreme. these images are horrid.

Pentax DA 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 AF

02/19/2008 07:53:08 PM · #20

Originally posted by Spazmo99:

Originally posted by DrAchoo:
I actually wondered if there were standard tips for dealing with freckles in B&W (and I'm talking lots of freckles, not just a few)...

What do you mean, "deal with them"? I say just leave them be.

You can enhance them, or diminish them. Depends a lot on which channel you use for the conversion.
That's about it really, in essence. In this case they've gone for the enhancement sort of mix of channels.

Spork99

Canon EOS M6 Mk II

Canon EF-M 22mm STM Lens

02/19/2008 07:51:32 PM · #21

Originally posted by DrAchoo:

I actually wondered if there were standard tips for dealing with freckles in B&W (and I'm talking lots of freckles, not just a few)...

What do you mean, "deal with them"? I say just leave them be.

Message edited by author 2008-02-19 19:51:53.

saracat

Pentax K10D

02/19/2008 07:12:14 PM · #22

I think the lips not being defined is a result of the frosted &/or white lipstick she's wearing. Kind of the 1960's mod look.

DjFenzl

02/19/2008 07:11:35 PM · #23

It's not the freckles so much as her face - it seems very pasty. It almost seems as though her face is on the wrong body.