pellepiano wrote:
I like Simplify from Topaz and have used it on my take on older painted pinups, as it can give a good starting point, also adding textures, smudging some, and also do some manual painting on top.

Havent yet tried to emulate the clean Vargas style though.

Having the right clothes and stuff on the model helps a lot to.

Thats excellent work. Really nice!

I recently did this for another photographer

cinema photography wrote:
whatever you do, just dont used those hideous circles in the background.

Doing pinup style editing is one of those things thats often misunderstood. Definitely look at reference images and if you keep at it, its a very good idea to develop your own post production workflow, as a lot of pinup shooters do. I think a lot of the basic plugin tools fail at constant and genuine results, but thats just me.

Good luck!

What do you mean by the hideous circles in the background? I taking in all the good advice.

pellepiano wrote:
I like Simplify from Topaz and have used it on my take on older painted pinups, as it can give a good starting point, also adding textures, smudging some, and also do some manual painting on top.

Havent yet tried to emulate the clean Vargas style though.

Having the right clothes and stuff on the model helps a lot to.

@ Pellepiano I really like what I am see with Topaz. This product looks pretty hot, and the price is not bad.

Lewis and Clarke wrote:
What do you mean by the hideous circles in the background? I taking in all the good advice.

A number of years back, Robert Alvarado started doing pinup work, and a stylistic signature of his work from that period had a colored circle behind the model, on an otherwise white set.

Because his work was quite popular, many other photographers tried to emulate his work. A surprising number of them seemed to think the circle was the reason for the popularity, and spawning an ongoing series of--usually very poor--copycat pinup pictures on a colored circle.

Even he doesn't use them much anymore, but it's not the circle which is the problem; it's weak photography trying to use it as a gimmick instead of enhancing an otherwise solid photo.

Kevin_Connery wrote:

A number of years back, Robert Alvarado started doing pinup work, and a stylistic signature of his work from that period had a colored circle behind the model, on an otherwise white set.

Because his work was quite popular, many other photographers tried to emulate his work. A surprising number of them seemed to think the circle was the reason for the popularity, and spawning an ongoing series of--usually very poor--copycat pinup pictures on a colored circle.

Even he doesn't use them much anymore, but it's not the circle which is the problem; it's weak photography trying to use it as a gimmick instead of enhancing an otherwise solid photo.

This is exactly what I meant.

Also, with pin up, research is everything. Pour over vintage images of the genre, use those as your inspiration

A lot of great pin ups, like the classic Betty Paige stuff, was shot in a era where the subject alone was provocative, and the simple black and white was just that, a shot with a model posing in what was a pure cheesecake style.

Peano wrote:
http://www.planetphotoshop.com/pin-up-effect.html

As soon as he said surface blur I was done, hell no

The Art of Churchwell wrote:
Tsk. Im surprise non of everyone said "In lightroom turn up the "fill light" and then the "Saturation" or in PS Camera Raw- "Turn up the "fill light" and then the saturation"

It's simple and looks just like a Vargus

http://churchwellcreations.com/2012/01/ … lightroom/

Thats simply not true. Feel free to post a pic and i'm certain we can tell you why

MMP HH wrote:

As soon as he said surface blur I was done, hell no

@ MMP HH I am lost buy your statement. Is this not a good link for this?

Ruben Sanchez wrote:
Learn to use blur and smudge tool.  The rest is easy.

@ Ruben Sanchez Yes I am going to practice with these too tools after my shoot this Saturday.

Paramour Productions wrote:
I like to use pinup as inspiration, but don't go for the retro camp look.

That's what my entire port here is.

For example, this was a catalog cover (for Valentines Day) that was very Vargas, which was what the lingerie company wanted, but they didn't want a cartoon, they wanted a modern version:

@ Paramour Productions This is a hot shot, but do you have any tips for me. My look is not to be all vintage just the subject.

Lewis and Clarke wrote:
@ Paramour Productions This is a hot shot, but do you have any tips for me. My look is not to be all vintage just the subject.

Sure, focus on art direction.  Color pallet of the frame, wardrobe, styling, hair/mu, posing.  Next worry about lighting.  The post work should be the last of your concerns, like polish.  Most shots like this that fail, in my opinion at least, fail in the art direction.

Paul Morgan Photography wrote:
Try asking this guy, he is active here on MM and does some great pin-up:

Robert Alvarado, #15033

Robert is one of the very best, he used to do a class on it.  The process is not simple by any means if you expect professional levels of results.  Also as pointed out it starts with proper lighting and style first.

MMP HH wrote:
As soon as he said surface blur I was done, hell no

That's what makes the skin smooth ... like this:

Peano wrote:
That's what makes the skin smooth ... like this:

I like pores

And I dont think he surface blurs it I think he uses just dodge and burn

MMP HH wrote:
I like pores

That's fine, but the OP asked for help getting Vargas-style art, which doesn't have pores. The only texture is from the canvas.

The Art of Churchwell wrote:
This was done using the method i described above. Simple
http://www.flickr.com/photos/tarquinchu … 797942392/


How i did that

http://churchwellcreations.com/2012/01/ … lightroom/

I can't critic you, but I can say thats not a Vargas style nor a vintage style pin up. You need to do more work on the genre to understand it better.

cinema photography wrote:
I can't critic you, but I can say thats not a Vargas style nor a vintage style pin up. You need to do more work on the genre to understand it better.

Im just fine brother. I have enough people with more interest in Pin up that enjoy my images as Vargusesk and pin up then one persons posting on Model Mayhem who posts seem to say "everyones else here is wrong but my work." Cheer up my friend and yes I did not ask for your critic which you posted.
Enjoy brother.

The Art of Churchwell wrote:

Im just fine brother. I have enough people with more interest in Pin up that enjoy my images as Vargusesk and pin up then one persons posting on Model Mayhem who posts seem to say "everyones else here is wrong but my work." Cheer up my friend and yes I did not ask for your critic which you posted.
Enjoy brother.

You posted bad advice that was wrong, I simply responded. The point is the OP asked a specific question. Bad advice is just bad advice. What works for YOU is not at issue, but you cant declare your work to be anything near Vargas. Its just your own style. Thus, misleading to the OP. Plenty of good information being posted

The Art of Churchwell wrote:
"everyones else here is wrong but my work."

Can you quote anyone saying this in this thread?

cinema photography wrote:

The Art of Churchwell wrote:
Im just fine brother. I have enough people with more interest in Pin up that enjoy my images as Vargusesk and pin up then one persons posting on Model Mayhem who posts seem to say "everyones else here is wrong but my work." Cheer up my friend and yes I did not ask for your critic which you posted.
Enjoy brother.

You posted bad advice that was wrong, I simply responded. The point is the OP asked a specific question. Bad advice is just bad advice. What works for YOU is not at issue, but you cant declare your work to be anything near Vargas. Its just your own style. Thus, misleading to the OP. Plenty of good information being posted


Can you quote anyone saying this in this thread?

Im not here to argue with you brother. She asked for a way for Varges Style art. I provided how i do it. If you do not like my Vargas style thats ok. If you want everyone to praise yours then ok "Your is so good that Vargas should have learned from you." There yu can get off my ass about my art now. Have a great year my frien. God be with you.

MMP HH wrote:

I like pores

And I dont think he surface blurs it I think he uses just dodge and burn

Alvarado doesn't surface blur he uses portraiture on medium