Softening the D800 (nudity)

Lighting workshop last week with Jean Turco. Finally I got it all right on the D800, focussing perfect, optimum sharpness and with such a teacher and such a model (Gwen), difficult to not do a good picture.

And yet when I was working on the images in Lightroom at 100% to correct the occasional defect - I realised I had too much detail. Especially on the one where she was cold and got goose bumps. Wow.

I made a few large prints (13x19 inches). The excess detail is not even visible. But the Master's book says if the lens is too sharp then Gaussian Blur so that's what I did. Now her body looks almost flawless.

And I'm ready to make a compromise on lens quality. The D800 produces more detail than I actually need.

Nice work and the model is beautiful!
I'd probably lean toward too much detail over too little. You can always remove some but you can't add back in what isn't there!

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Originally Posted by mattb

Nice work and the model is beautiful!
I'd probably lean toward too much detail over too little. You can always remove some but you can't add back in what isn't there!

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Thanks for the comment. Thinking about it - it's another example of the increased control with today's cameras. You can have more detail - or less - depending on the subject.

Gwen is my sort of model. I wrote to her to ask her approval of the images (these weren't the only ones) and she came back with loads of comments, stuff I hadn't seen. She really knows what she's doing.

Wonderful light !
really great shots,
it is a pleasure to work with models that are willing to give feedback and offer suggestions

I suppose the gaussian blur you applied it with a brush, only where needed ?

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Originally Posted by armando_m

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I suppose the gaussian blur you applied it with a brush, only where needed ?

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Of course, of course..

Well actually - no I just applied it all over, and quite a lot. Turco's book did say to be selective. Going to have to do it all over again.

I still have to redo another set with another great model (who is also a photographer in her own right). She rejected my submission saying they needed more retouching. That's what got me thinking..

I suppose this problem is not new, medium format cameras should be able to get this detail as well

Looking at Turco's web page, I found many interesting lightning schemes, and quite simple

I have a Hasselbad film camera. Film grain hides the detail plus when you make a print you can see if the result is right. With a digital camera at base ISO you're just getting a clean image plus if you give a full resolution image you don't know how big people are going to display it - maybe large enough for that unwanted detail to show

I've done Turco's workshop several times. It's very calm, quite unlike the usual workshops with several people snapping away. The image is good from one precise spot with the model in a particular position. Basically we take it in turns to shoot, giving the model directions if necessary while the others keep an eye on whether effect of the light is still right.

Mr Turco thinks it's easy. I think it needs a lot of practice.

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Originally Posted by Franglais

Mr Turco thinks it's easy. I think it needs a lot of practice.

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I saw that, I tried yesterday and could not get a decent result

Jean Turco does his workshops at ITIS (he's also the President of the association). It's near Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, if you're passing through.

The website is here.

iTiSPhoto, photographe et photographie

Just noticed that they made one of my pictures from another Turco workshop the Photo of the Day, which is a first.