Need serious help with vibrant colors...

[seb660]

I ran into this photographer's work that is just amazing. I asked what he was doing to get the colors the way he got them. It's obvious that there was some photoshop done but he refused to share anything with me. After picking up books and trying over the last 24 hours to recreate it with my studio work...still no luck. If anyone has a clue please share with me what he is doing and how he's doing it!!
Thanks!!

[Lionheart]

Try Fred Miranda's site. He's got a photoshop plug-in called Velvia vision. It's nice. It isn't anything you couldn't do in photoshop once you've learned how, but it automates it so you don't have to learn if you don't want to. Definitely great if time is short and you want a quick way to pop those colors. It's not free though, $30 as I recall when I bought it about 18 months ago or so.

[seb660]

First of all thank you!! Do you think with this plug in I'll be able to get these effects? The bright colors and skin tones as they are?

[another view]

Velvia (the film) has never been known to be kind on Caucasian skin, but a plug-in might be different. Looks like you can pretty much get the effect with it judging by his examples, but I've never tried it. Another one is one of the Nik Multimedia packages - Color Effects I think it's called. Something like that. Pricey, but very much what you're looking for.

We'd prefer if you'd post a link to the other photographer's site rather than posting someone else's copyrighted images - thanks...

[seb660]

Sorry bout that. Just tyring to show examples. I'll make sure next time to watch that.

[another view]

Thanks - just think of it as a courtesy to your fellow photographers. It is copyright law, and I know it's broken many times a day but as photographers we try to be sensitive to that.

Good luck with the search - I asked a question on how to do it in Photoshop awhile back (without a plug-in) and asked for book recommendations. Here's the thread.

[seb660]

So I bought the Velvia plug-in tonight and it sadly didn't do anything. So still calling on your help. It seems a lot fo these plug-ins, so far, just turn everything red when you bump the contrast or saturation. If you look at the photos I posted, this guy is definitely doing something else that I want to figure out!!

[Lionheart]

Everything in moderation Seb. The Velvia plug-in will pop the colors way over the top very easily. Make sure the preview box is checked so you can see the effects as you change the different settings. I don't punch up the intensity beyond 7 or 8 where skin tones are involved. On the other hand, landscapes and colorful abstracts, I punch up to about 15 to 20. The changes can be subtle, or they can be intense, its how you use it. As I've said before, it's nothing you couldn't learn in photoshop, it just automates a workflow for time's sake, and the action sequence velvia vision uses may not be the way you or I would do it, just the way Fred Miranda does his. Most of the time, I do things the slow poke way, and manually adjust by using image->adjustments->selective color. Don't get too discouraged with the software plug-in, it has its use, but the key word here is moderation. Play with photoshop, play A LOT. It's probably easier than you think to get the results you're looking for. Judging from the photos posted, it could be as simple as adjusting the black intensity levels using selective color and adjusting the neutral tones and blacks.

[seb660]

Thanks guys first of all!! I've tried filters, demo plug-ins and books. Nothing is getting me colors like that without throwing the picture off. Again, any more suggestions let me know.

[Lionheart]

Thanks guys first of all!! I've tried filters, demo plug-ins and books. Nothing is getting me colors like that without throwing the picture off. Again, any more suggestions let me know.

Seb, you just need to play a bit in PS. There's a gazillion ways to get to the same end product. A lot of guys like to use layers, which helps give you a lot of control, I just use the basic tools. The pics you posted look awfully contrasty to me, which can make the colors seem vibrant when they really aren't. Here's some examples of different ways to do things.
The first is original, and the next using just levels, and the third just contrast. In both cases the image sharpens and the color seemingly gets more saturated.

[Lionheart]

now a couple more. The first is again the original, and the next uses the selective color adjustment increasing saturation across the board in the neutrals, and increasing black levels in the blacks. The last uses velvia vision at +31, with +3 contrast and +1 warm.

[Beltaine]

If you haven't tried it yet, Alien Skin just released a new plugin called "Exposure" that could possibly do what you're looking for. I'll try playing around with PS some tonight too and see if I can figure out some of it as well. I think Lionheart's on the right track.

[zrfraser]

It is obvious that there is some PS involved, but to me it looks like he lit the environment that way, and in the end it helped him achieve the vibrant colors. They are obviously studio shots, so I think it has more to do with proper lighting than actual PS work. I agree with Lionheart about the contrast it does look like it bumped a bit, and it appears that it is also heavily saturated. My PS skills are limited as well, but I think he was thinking of this look before he snapped the shutter.

[Trevor Ash]

It is obvious that there is some PS involved, but to me it looks like he lit the environment that way, and in the end it helped him achieve the vibrant colors. They are obviously studio shots, so I think it has more to do with proper lighting than actual PS work. I agree with Lionheart about the contrast it does look like it bumped a bit, and it appears that it is also heavily saturated. My PS skills are limited as well, but I think he was thinking of this look before he snapped the shutter.

Agreed. Big contrast boost too. Not everything is done in PS.

[Ronnoco]

sRGB which has been compared to Velvia in terms of the effect + Vivid setting in colour space + manually setting the white balance for the effect wanted + judicious use of the colour filters in one of the menus + use of Colour FX : a photoshop plug-in will generally provide enough alternatives to give anyone the colour they want.

Ronnoco

[jbaldocchi]

You might check out a PS process called LAB. It's a way to adjust colors in your images.

There is a book:
Photoshop LAB Color: The Canyon Conundrum and Other Adventures in the Most Powerful Colorspace (Paperback)
by Dan Margulis

You can get fantastic results with this tool.

Cheers,

Jim B.

[RoxyRNAB]

I Find Photoshop Quite....Hard.

You Should Grab A Copy Of Paintshop...It's Much Easier To Use...

Saturation Brush.

[seb660]

Thank you everyone for all the help and suggestions. Tried some stuff out and some has really helped. Still not there yet but I've got time.

[paulnj]

better yet..... get a freeware to try out ;)

I got mine elsewhere, but this very well may be the same one? In my version you can adjust the effect and it uses a COPY of the original , so it's pretty fool proof to play with.

http://share.studio.adobe.com/axAsse...7%26pgsel1%3D2


The complete list of free actions is at..

http://share.studio.adobe.com/axBrowseProduct.asp?p=2

[seb660]

none of those links works but I would love to see what you're talking about.

[paulnj]

Are you saying my links don't work?

go here

http://share.studio.adobe.com/default.asp

then downloads forPHOTOSHOP

from there you will see a list with ACTIONS at the top. search away ;)

[PhotoRon286]

That Alien Skin Exposure is a free trial DL. I just got it, lots of fun.

[cyberlord]

THe links worked for me, you need to register and get an Adobe ID.