Textures and Portaits

Following my portrait session in the studio I have selected images that I want to work on further.  I have spent some time applying different finishes and have decided to go with the overall theme of textured images.  I prefer a more painterly finish than the usual glossy or matt studio portrait and find using pre-maid textures, collected from the internet, gives me the look of a painting without having to invest in paints, brushes etc.

I have taken several screen grabs to illustrate the process,  this first, is the original raw files opened in 'Bridge'

After deciding which file to use, I then open up into Adobe Raw..............

where I can use the histogram to check for any clipping warnings, ie under or overexposure,  these can be corrected by using 'fill light' or 'recovery', I can also play with 'white balance' to see what effect cloudy, shade, or tungsten have on the look of the shot, or increase contrast, clarity, vibrance etc., without damaging the raw file, clicking twice on a slider brings you back to the original setting.

It is all personal preference really, and how your eye sees the picture, there are no pre set instructions as to how it should turn out, only that I would like to produce something original and pleasing to the sitter and anyone else who views the final image.

Since these shots were taken in the studio, using aperture priority, and evaluative metering, no clipping warning were present, I did not want to increase brightness or clarity because of the nature of the shots and so opened into 'photoshop' without making any adjustments.

I intend using pre-made textures on my images and have taken a sceen shot of some of them opened in a file, they are j.peg images collected from the internet.

However, before I apply a texture I make any initial adjustments needed on the file.

Since his eyes looked a little dark, after copying my background layer I used dodge and burn to lighten around the outside of his pupil and burn to darken around the edge.  This just gives a little more emphasis to his eyes without making the colour look false.

I converted the file to black and white to see how this looked then applied a red filter to brighten his skin changing the blending mode to soft light.

I chose a number of layers from my pre-made file, changing the blending mode to see what gave a nice effect and using the preview button to turn on and off different layers and the slider to adjust opacity.  I can also use the brush tool to clean away some texture from his skin.

This shot shows a texture being slid into place over the original file.

Here it is sitting on top of the image file, before  using free transform to stretch and fit the layer over my image and changing the blending mode and opacity as needed.

This shows a large brush being used to clean texture away from his skin.

In the final image I have picked a pink colour and soft brush to add pink tones back into his skin.

Here is the final image fully textured and ready to print, I decided to leave a small amount of texture on his skin since it gives the image a slightly grainy finish which I like, however,  again this is personal preference.

Portrait Session - equipment

For my planned session in the studio I will be using Canon 5D MK2 but I have not yet decided on a lens.

I have available 24-70mm and a 50mm macro and have used both to take portraits in the field.  I also have available, through the college, a 50mm prime lens which I am assured will do the job.  However, after reading various magazine articles and books most seem to recommend 85mm.

HERE IS WHAT CANON SAY ABOUT THEIR 85MM F1.8 USM LENS

A short telephoto focal length, combined with a large maximum aperture and fast autofocus speed, make the EF 85mm f/1.8 USM an ideal optic for any photographer shooting portraiture.

Features

Fast f/1.8 aperture Short/medium telephoto lens USM focus motor with full-time manual focus 85cm closest focusing distance 58mm filter size Super Spectra coatings reduce ghosting and flare

A very popular short telephoto lens with portrait photographers.

A practical and portability telephoto lens The EF 85mm f/1.8 USM produces images that are sharp and clear at all apertures. A virtually circular aperture diaphragm gives out-of-focus regions a softer, more even feel, and lets in-focus subjects stand out against a blurred background. The lens features a non-rotating front element during focusing, enabling specialist filters (such as polarisers and graduates) to be used. Large f/1.8 aperture A large maximum aperture of f/1.8 lets photographers shoot hand-held in difficult, low-light conditions, as well as restrict depth-of-field for creative effects. Compressed perspective in portraiture The short telephoto focal length of the lens slightly compresses perspective, reducing the size of prominent facial features for a flattering result. Ultrasonic focusing A ring-type ultrasonic motor drives autofocus extremely quickly, and in near silence. Excellent holding torque ensures the point of focus is reached accurately, without overshooting. Furthermore, full-time manual override is available, making it possible to adjust focus without leaving AF mode. Super Spectra coating Super Spectra coatings ensure accurate colour balance and enhance contrast. They also reduce flare and ghosting – a common problem caused by light bouncing off a camera's sensor. Integration with E-TTL II flash metering The lens passes distance information back to a compatible EOS camera's E-TTL II flash system to ensure optimal flash metering."

AND ITS SIMILARLY PRICED 50MM F1.4 USM With its fast maximum aperture and rapid focusing system, the compact, high performance EF 50mm f/1.4 USM standard lens can be relied on for superb performance in any field of photography. Features Fast f/1.4 aperture Standard 46° angle of view USM focus motor with full-time manual focus override 45cm closest focusing distance Aspherical lens element 58mm filter size The ultimate mixture of versatility and image quality. Versatile, compact standard-lens design Gaussian optics, combined with two high-refraction lens elements allow photographers working in all fields to capture crisp, clean images, even wide open at f/1.4. The lens is ideal for photographing landscapes and travel scenes as well as portraits and reportage. Ultrasonic focusing A ultrasonic motor drives autofocus extremely quickly, and in near silence. Excellent holding torque ensures the point of focus is reached accurately, without overshooting. Furthermore, full-time manual override is available, making it possible to adjust focus without leaving AF mode. Smooth background blur A virtually circular aperture diaphragm gives out of focus regions a softer, more uniform feel. Sharp foreground objects stand out against a smooth blurred background. Super Spectra coating Super Spectra coatings ensure accurate colour balance and enhance contrast. They also reduce flare and ghosting – a common problem caused by light bouncing off a camera's sensor. They would seem to recommend the 50mm more as a general purpose lens whereas the 85mm is specifically recommended for portraiture.

Lighting for Portraits

1. Broad Lighting

   • In portrait photography, broad lighting refers to a technique that corrects facial flaws by deemphasizing features. In broad lighting, the main light showcases the facial features that are turned toward the camera. This technique is most commonly used to make a narrow face appear wider. Typically, the nose faces away from the light source, casting a shadow on the short side of the face (the side that is less visible to the camera) rather than the broad side.

   Short Lighting

   • When the person photographed has a round face, use short or narrow lighting to make it appear more slender. Often used in low-key portraiture, the main light enhances the side of the face that is farther from the camera. Short lighting also suits photographers who wish to emphasize the curves of the subject's face.

   Rembrandt Lighting

   • Named after the painter, Rembrandt lighting is a type of short lighting that mimics the painter's way of creating light and shadow when painting portraits. In this case, the subject's nose casts a shadow on the broader side of the subject's face. The shadow cast by the nose joins the shadow on the cheek to create a triangle-shaped spot of illumination.

   Butterfly Lighting

   • Use butterfly lighting to create a glamorous effect when photographing women. The main light illuminates the subject's entire face, casting a shadow below the chin that is parallel to the subject's nose. Often used when photographing subjects with oval-shaped faces, butterfly lighting emphasizes the ears.

   Split Lighting

   • Use split lighting to highlight half of the subject's face. Typically used in broad, short and Rembrandt lighting, split lighting requires that the main light sit to the far right or left of the person being photographed.