How to get pictures like this (Free Soul please read)

CrazyNuts · 12-26-2011, 01:40 AM

I am completely blown away by the photography skills of the user "Free Soul" on this forum.

I am particuarly interested HOW to get the same results as the pictures that were posted by the user:

golden sunsets | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

summer in november | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

I hope she doesn't mind me linking them but how in the hell can you shoot against the sun and achieve those results?

Free Soul, if you are reading this I'd appreciate some input. I can't see any evidence of fill-in flash here but your exposures are spot on.

Raffwal · 12-26-2011, 02:27 AM

I suspect subtle fill flash is one part of the equation.

Frogfish · 12-26-2011, 02:31 AM

Originally posted by Raffwal

I suspect subtle fill flash is one part of the equation.

Absolutely agree. If you go through the Flikr shots you can see how in some shots the face and chest are much lighter than the arms. Either that or lightening in PP.

Love this shot from her stream : dreams-never-told | Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Free Soul · 12-26-2011, 02:37 AM - **3 Likes**

Hi, and thank you for your comments.

Yes, you are right - there is no fill-flash or reflector used. Although a reflector would make things much easier - I always forget to take my when I go out shooting.

About the technique in shooting back-lighted objects (it's nothing special) -

I have set my metering mode on SPOT
I use ISO 100 or 200
My shutter speed is high enough to get a little bit underexposed the shot - because I don't want over-exposed the things around and the bokeh.
I shoot in sunset time - the light is soft and beautiful.
Always shoot in RAW to can get later the results I want in Lightroom/PS.

Before post processing I have this - it's a jpeg directly from RAW, just for example:

The above quoted examples by you is easier to be explain in some words about post-process -

From the RAW image in Lightroom get one file with well exposed skin of the human,
then get another file with well exposed bokeh and surrounding nature...

In PS work with layers and masks and you'll achieve the similar results. Some contrast, Soft Light Mode in layres, some sharp and Voila!

Hope being useful.

Free Soul · 12-26-2011, 02:41 AM - **1 Like**

Originally posted by Frogfish

Absolutely agree. If you go through the Flikr shots you can see how in some shots the face and chest are much lighter than the arms. Either that or lightening in PP.

It's from the post-process. I love to have some vignette, that's why in the corners - and if the arms are near corners - are darker than the rest.

jolepp · 12-26-2011, 06:52 AM

Ooo ... gorgeous pics

.

D4rknezz · 12-26-2011, 08:15 AM

Wow....err did you know freesoul is a member here? Or was that just pure luck

Gorgeous shots, freesoul.

Ps: Johny depp, if you are reading this, i need to talk to you about some things for the next pirates.

edit: Aww, i cant read. I see you already knew freesoul was a member.

D4rknezz · 12-26-2011, 09:00 AM

Some of the best implementation of vignetting, freesoul

AKum8 · 12-26-2011, 10:17 AM

Thank you for sharing that tips, your pictures are amazing. I've added you as a contact on Flickr.

CrazyNuts · 12-26-2011, 03:46 PM

Originally posted by D4rknezz

Wow....err did you know freesoul is a member here? Or was that just pure luck

Gorgeous shots, freesoul.

Ps: Johny depp, if you are reading this, i need to talk to you about some things for the next pirates.

edit: Aww, i cant read. I see you already knew freesoul was a member.

Yes I knew she was a member here hence why I asked.

Thanks Free Soul for sharing your Post Processing technique.

Photoshop, layers and masking is one thing I have no skill in, no matter how many times I attempt it

Mayb I should give it another go...

D4rknezz · 12-26-2011, 10:34 PM

There is too much to know about photoshop...its very...general. There'd be learning on how to create brushes, how to create shapes, etc, etc...its easy to get overwhelmed then lost, especially when the things you learnt can't be applied to your pictures.

My advice about learning photoshop is to come in there knowing the specialization you'd like to learn, and ignore all others. Even when you specialize on just pictures there are a lot of things you will never need. My suspicion is that you'd probably be very happy knowing several concepts and use them on all your pictures :

- Layers window.
- Dodge/Burn tool
- Curves.
- Adjustment Layers --> Vibrance.

Just these 4 things (but you have to know them very well) - and ignore all others, and you should be able to get a picture like the one you wanted, provided that the raw shot you create looks like one freesoul creates (which is really, very well done). Photoshop still works with the old garbage in, garbage out

. Do you have photoshop?

CrazyNuts · 12-26-2011, 10:58 PM

Thanks D4rknezz.

I'm not too bad with the curves and adjustments. Dodge/Burn I rarely use and Layers just blow my mind. This is the part I'm having major issues with.

Yes, I have Photoshop CS3.

D4rknezz · 12-26-2011, 11:09 PM

Ah okay. If you have a specific question feel free to PM me. Cheers

CrazyNuts · 12-26-2011, 11:12 PM

Yes, how do I use Photoshop to get the results Free Soul achieved

I really need a tutorial on how to use layers to achieve that result. I'd imagine it has something to do with combining multiple exposures, but how do you isolate the areas for correct exposure within the layers themselves?

I hope I'm making sense.

kaiserz · 12-27-2011, 12:09 AM

So pretty much this is like "exposure bracketing" shoot one picture in raw then get 2 to 3 or 4 pictures with different exposures(adjusted in lightroom). then combine them together to achieve the desired outcome.

12-26-2011, 01:40 AM	#1
CrazyNuts Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 180	How to get pictures like this (Free Soul please read) I am completely blown away by the photography skills of the user "Free Soul" on this forum. I am particuarly interested HOW to get the same results as the pictures that were posted by the user: golden sunsets \| Flickr - Photo Sharing! summer in november \| Flickr - Photo Sharing! I hope she doesn't mind me linking them but how in the hell can you shoot against the sun and achieve those results? Free Soul, if you are reading this I'd appreciate some input. I can't see any evidence of fill-in flash here but your exposures are spot on.

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12-26-2011, 02:27 AM	#2
Raffwal Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: The North Posts: 879	I suspect subtle fill flash is one part of the equation.

12-26-2011, 02:31 AM	#3
Frogfish Veteran Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Shanghai Posts: 4,490	Originally posted by Raffwal I suspect subtle fill flash is one part of the equation. Absolutely agree. If you go through the Flikr shots you can see how in some shots the face and chest are much lighter than the arms. Either that or lightening in PP. Love this shot from her stream : dreams-never-told \| Flickr - Photo Sharing!

12-26-2011, 02:37 AM - 3 Likes	#4
Free Soul Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bulgaria Photos: Gallery Posts: 94	Hi, and thank you for your comments. Yes, you are right - there is no fill-flash or reflector used. Although a reflector would make things much easier - I always forget to take my when I go out shooting. About the technique in shooting back-lighted objects (it's nothing special) - I have set my metering mode on SPOT I use ISO 100 or 200 My shutter speed is high enough to get a little bit underexposed the shot - because I don't want over-exposed the things around and the bokeh. I shoot in sunset time - the light is soft and beautiful. Always shoot in RAW to can get later the results I want in Lightroom/PS. Before post processing I have this - it's a jpeg directly from RAW, just for example: The above quoted examples by you is easier to be explain in some words about post-process - From the RAW image in Lightroom get one file with well exposed skin of the human, then get another file with well exposed bokeh and surrounding nature... In PS work with layers and masks and you'll achieve the similar results. Some contrast, Soft Light Mode in layres, some sharp and Voila! Hope being useful.

12-26-2011, 02:41 AM - 1 Like	#5
Free Soul Forum Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Bulgaria Photos: Gallery Posts: 94	Originally posted by Frogfish Absolutely agree. If you go through the Flikr shots you can see how in some shots the face and chest are much lighter than the arms. Either that or lightening in PP. It's from the post-process. I love to have some vignette, that's why in the corners - and if the arms are near corners - are darker than the rest.

12-26-2011, 06:52 AM	#6
jolepp Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2010 Location: Finland Photos: Albums Posts: 3,196	Ooo ... gorgeous pics .

12-26-2011, 08:15 AM	#7
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	Wow....err did you know freesoul is a member here? Or was that just pure luck Gorgeous shots, freesoul. Ps: Johny depp, if you are reading this, i need to talk to you about some things for the next pirates. edit: Aww, i cant read. I see you already knew freesoul was a member.

12-26-2011, 09:00 AM	#8
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	Some of the best implementation of vignetting, freesoul

12-26-2011, 10:17 AM	#9
AKum8 Forum Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Milan Posts: 89	Thank you for sharing that tips, your pictures are amazing. I've added you as a contact on Flickr.

12-26-2011, 03:46 PM	#10
CrazyNuts Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 180 Original Poster	Originally posted by D4rknezz Wow....err did you know freesoul is a member here? Or was that just pure luck Gorgeous shots, freesoul. Ps: Johny depp, if you are reading this, i need to talk to you about some things for the next pirates. edit: Aww, i cant read. I see you already knew freesoul was a member. Yes I knew she was a member here hence why I asked. Thanks Free Soul for sharing your Post Processing technique. Photoshop, layers and masking is one thing I have no skill in, no matter how many times I attempt it Mayb I should give it another go...

12-26-2011, 10:34 PM	#11
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	There is too much to know about photoshop...its very...general. There'd be learning on how to create brushes, how to create shapes, etc, etc...its easy to get overwhelmed then lost, especially when the things you learnt can't be applied to your pictures. My advice about learning photoshop is to come in there knowing the specialization you'd like to learn, and ignore all others. Even when you specialize on just pictures there are a lot of things you will never need. My suspicion is that you'd probably be very happy knowing several concepts and use them on all your pictures : - Layers window. - Dodge/Burn tool - Curves. - Adjustment Layers --> Vibrance. Just these 4 things (but you have to know them very well) - and ignore all others, and you should be able to get a picture like the one you wanted, provided that the raw shot you create looks like one freesoul creates (which is really, very well done). Photoshop still works with the old garbage in, garbage out . Do you have photoshop?

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12-26-2011, 10:58 PM	#12
CrazyNuts Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 180 Original Poster	Thanks D4rknezz. I'm not too bad with the curves and adjustments. Dodge/Burn I rarely use and Layers just blow my mind. This is the part I'm having major issues with. Yes, I have Photoshop CS3.

12-26-2011, 11:09 PM	#13
D4rknezz Veteran Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 1,196	Ah okay. If you have a specific question feel free to PM me. Cheers

12-26-2011, 11:12 PM	#14
CrazyNuts Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Perth, Australia Posts: 180 Original Poster	Yes, how do I use Photoshop to get the results Free Soul achieved I really need a tutorial on how to use layers to achieve that result. I'd imagine it has something to do with combining multiple exposures, but how do you isolate the areas for correct exposure within the layers themselves? I hope I'm making sense.

12-27-2011, 12:09 AM	#15
kaiserz Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: NoVa The "burg" Photos: Gallery Posts: 899	So pretty much this is like "exposure bracketing" shoot one picture in raw then get 2 to 3 or 4 pictures with different exposures(adjusted in lightroom). then combine them together to achieve the desired outcome.