Challenge: Optimize This

[Don Lashier]

"Optimize This: Bar Portrait"

Per Scott's request, here is the image from the "Field Portraits" thread. Here's the raw file. Note that it's a .tif so if clicking on the link just opens the thumbnail, try right-clicking then "save target as". Please notate the copyright.

Here's the quick C1 b/w version I did for the other thread, but don't feel restricted to b/w - I have printed a quite nice color version also. Aside from the high ISO, the shot is underexposed. Original background description below image.

After a long six hour studio shoot we all retreated to the lounge at a local hotel and partied til after midnight when this shot was taken. This is one of the models and the owner of the studio - I was sitting at another stool down the L shaped bar (drinking about my 10th beer). Lighting was actually very low - I took this with my 1D, ISO 1600 (and the noise shows), 1/60, f2.8, 70mm. Even so I had to pull another stop or more in CaptureOne. Processed b/w in C1 using the b/w-yellow filter profile.

- DL

 

[Ivan Garcia]

Hi Don
The link to the tif file doesn't work for me

 

[Don Lashier]

The link to the tif file doesn't work for me

Odd, I could swear I tested it. Here's the link again, maybe Asher can fix the original link.
http://www.lashier.com/images/temp/031024katz-021839.TIF
- DL

 

[Asher Kelman]

Hi Don,

I repaired the first link, you didn't put in the url!!!! It downloads so slooow. 2.5 minutes on a cable modem!

Still, I get a 3.5 MB file. I don't see the option on the mac for "try right-clicking then "save target as" !

The file has two layers in preview. A top layer which has 288x192 pixels and a bottom black layer of unknown size.

In CS2 and in iViewmedia Pro the file opens up as 288x192 pixels, 162k the rest of the so called 3.7MB is missing. I've never seen this before. New file type of corrupt!

So what sort of demonic 3.7MB TIFF is this?

Asher

 

[StuartRae]

Asher,

It's not a TIF, it's a RAW from a 1D. So rename it "whatever.cr2" and open it with the raw converter of your choice.

Regards,

Stuart

 

[Don Lashier]

Asher,

It's not a TIF, it's a RAW from a 1D. So rename it "whatever.cr2" and open it with the raw converter of your choice.

Yes, it's a raw file, but I don't think it'll work to rename it .cr2. Any raw converter should open it fine although if your system isn't configured properly ACR may mis-detect it as a thumbnail only. At one time this was a known Adobe problem (they own the TIF format but didn't implement it to their own spec ) although they fixed it years ago - opens fine in ACR here with PS 7 or CS1.

Asher, afa download speed, the problem is probably on your end (or your provider's connection to Qwest). We normally have reasonable bandwidth available - should take only a minute or two.

Asher, could you also amend the title to "Optimize This: Bar Portrait"? Was up very late last night

- DL

 

[Frank Piechorowski]

Ok... Here are my takes.

Color

B&W

Base processing in Lightroom

Noise reduction, edge sharpening, B&W conversion, Ilford 100 film grain and Tone in PS

 

[Asher Kelman]

Don,

Stuart is correct. When renamed .CR2 the file opens perfectly in CS2 and can be processed in AR.

The download was 2mins which I thought was slow compared to my normal downloads usually!

Anyway, the problem is solved.

I added an instruction to change the extention to .CR2 so others will have no trouble.

Thanks Stuart for solving the problem. It's akin to getting passwords screwed up because of CAP LOCK, which we all have done.

Asher

 

[StuartRae]

The download was 2mins which I thought was slow compared to my normal downloads usually!

Mine was much longer, and VERY much slower than usual.

FWITW, before I disappear to the Lake district for two weeks, is my version. I struggled with the noise, and probably over-did NN as details in the hair have disappeared, but I was willing to sacrifice that in return for a smoother skin.

Converted with RSP, ETC lo-sat profile, increased EC and a bit of fill light, WB'd on the cigarette filter.
PP was Shadow illuminator, NN, and Focalblade.

 

[Ivan Garcia]

Ok here is my take, mix BW via cut out with vertus Fluid mask, I took care of the noise with minimal ninja applied to mask, and converted to BW via channel mixer. You can tell is a cut out, but I just got this very powerful program so give me some time to learn it.
For the BW. Picture I used the same cut out, applying minimal ninja and sharpening only the cut out, the background was given a more aggressive ninja treatment, and converted to BW via channels.
I hope you like them
IGD
Images by Don Lashier

 

[Don Lashier]

Ok here is my take, mix BW via cut out with vertus Fluid mask

Interesting Ivan, did you consider doing it the other way around (b/w background)?

- DL

 

[Ivan Garcia]

I did, but, I am struggling with the noise on the main subjects, is much easier to deal with noise in BW, you can keep some detail, and the noise ads to that romantic grain we all love in old BW film. Also, the cut out becomes even more evident when the subjects are in colour and the background in BW.
However, I shall persevere, and give it ago later on...
The main thing is; did you like it?
Kind regards
IGD

 

[Asher Kelman]

Ivan,

People worry too much about noise! I'm interested more in the cutout you have made.

Some ideas. Go back to your selection for the couple, if you saved it, and reselect and expand by say 6 pixels and then reselect from the original image and then use a mask to feather this edge, painting white or black, until you get the edge soft but complete.The other thing, before you even do that, blend back some of the original B&W image into your top B&W image to make changes less severe. Usually luminence will give you the best results.

I make changes optimal, then blend back to the unchanged trying to use the minimal possible, sometimes merely 3% of what I thought was "perfect" and sometimes up to 97%. However, the more you do, the better the final image.

A simple thing you can do is to just copy the final layer, select the edge (from both inside and outside say 15 pixels wide or even less) of the couple and blur then blend back say 10% to the final layer.

All curves need to be less than you might imagine you need! All then blended in one of the options in layers.

Asher

 

[Ivan Garcia]

In order to make the cut out less obvious, I created a mask by pressing crtl+shift+alt+ tilde, then applied some Gaussian blur, but the colour of the shirt changed to pink,(before the Gaussian blur) I don’t know why this has happened, so I am a bit puzzled. Any help will be appreciated.

 

[Asher Kelman]

Check you blend!

Asher

 

[Brian Lowe]

Here is my version I hope you like it.

I used a nik color Efex solarization filter in photoshop to tweak the photo to get this result .

Brian

 

[Don Lashier]

but the colour of the shirt changed to pink

Wow - I like this version! Call it the "Miami Vice" interpretation

- DL

 

[Don Lashier]

Here is my version I hope you like it.

I used a nik color Efex solarization filter in photoshop to tweak the photo to get this result .

Interesting Brian, but it doesn't work for me with this particular image. fwiw I had a college bud who was a somewhat modern pioneer with solarization back in the 60's, sold a few solarized images to American Airlines for national ads and quit his job as an aerospace engineer to go into photography. Wonder what ever happened to him?

- DL

 

[Luiz Vasconcellos]

My take...

 

[Brian Lowe]

Interesting Brian, but it doesn't work for me with this particular image. fwiw I had a college bud who was a somewhat modern pioneer with solarization back in the 60's, sold a few solarized images to American Airlines for national ads and quit his job as an aerospace engineer to go into photography. Wonder what ever happened to him?

- DL

Dan, I did another version that I did not post, that had a Pop Art look. I am glad I didn't post that version you would have not liked that one FOR SURE...... LOL



Best,
Brian

 

[Don Lashier]

Dan, I did another version that I did not post, that had a Pop Art look. I am glad I didn't post that version you would have not liked that one FOR SURE...... LOL

Hard to say - a posterized/cartoon look might be interesting.

- DL

 

[scott kirkpatrick]

This one's in the "Bure-boke" style of Japan '60s

I thought the first b/w looked too much like a color slide with just the luminance channel, and the use of a yellow filter makes the grain unbelievably smooth since it suppresses the blue channel, the noisiest. I also thought her face came out extra red in the original, so using the JFI profile's orange 1 "filter" balanced the two faces, and brought some of the grain back. I sharpened a bit to nasty it up some more. Anyway, this looks more like a bar picture to me.

scott