The Art of Churchwell wrote:
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.

I don't believe he's saying he doesn't like your "vargas style"; he's saying--and I have to agree--that it doesn't resemble Vargas' style.

It doesn't matter if he likes it, hates it, or whether you like it or hate it; it's simply not an answer to that particular question. (It's similar to providing instruction for making a great black and white image when someone asked about getting a good color image; it doesn't matter whether it's a good or bad black and white image: it's simply not what was asked about.)

The Art of Churchwell wrote:
It's simple and looks just like a Vargus

It's simple, but it simply does not give results close to anything like a Vargas painting. Like it or not, that's not what it resembled.

Kevin_Connery wrote:

I don't believe he's saying he doesn't like your "vargas style"; he's saying--and I have to agree--that it doesn't resemble Vargas' style.

It doesn't matter if he likes it, hates it, or whether you like it or hate it; it's simply not an answer to that particular question. (It's similar to providing instruction for making a great black and white image when someone asked about getting a good color image; it doesn't matter whether it's a good or bad black and white image: it's simply not what was asked about.)

Seems to me she asked for a "Pin up/Vargas style Art" and not "vargas style pin ups" I posted what i felt was a "pin up" and "Vargas style" and I posted 3 different images showing how you can use Lightroom and then posted a "Pin up" and a "vargas style" of course none of them are painted on canvas like Vargas. Chill guys just cause I did something simply doesn't mean you have to get on my ass about it but you both made me giggle a bit so thanks for that. Enjoy you day also

The Art of Churchwell wrote:

Seems to me she asked for a "Pin up/Vargas style Art" and not "vargas style pin ups" I posted what i felt was a "pin up" and "Vargas style" and I posted 3 different images showing how you can use Lightroom and then posted a "Pin up" and a "vargas style" of course none of them are painted on canvas like Vargas. Chill guys just cause I did something simply doesn't mean you have to get on my ass about it but you both made me giggle a bit so thanks for that. Enjoy you day also

You are very defensive and obtuse. In a forum like this one, you should pause and realize nobody is "on your ass". This is not OT.

People who come to this area of MM, myself included, come here to learn, improve, interact with what is a very civil sub forum filled with very smart and creative people. You'd be wise to try and learn how to improve your abilities with so much great information and talented people around.

cinema photography wrote:
You are very defensive and obtuse. In a forum like this one, you should pause and realize nobody is "on your ass". This is not OT.

People who come to this area of MM, myself included, come here to learn, improve, interact with what is a very civil sub forum filled with very smart and creative people. You'd be wise to try and learn how to improve your abilities with so much great information and talented people around.

Thank you. Im glad you come here to learn and improve. I hope to see more of your work improvements through the year. I offered the Op my knowledge. You dont have to learn from it if you dont wanna. Everyone else in the world beyong MM and this forum rnjoy what I do and not try to claim it aint what it is. But MM is so famous for that that even Scott Kelby mentioned that "no one learns on that forum. They just nit pic." but I come in with hope and there always seems to be one who will oppose. You make me giggle. I thank you for that. Enjoy my art. Everyone else does.

I have n0 more to say about this subject. I put up the simple help and have gotten nice email responses about it. So see me no more on this thread. thanks again for the giggle

The Art of Churchwell wrote:

Thank you. Im glad you come here to learn and improve. I hope to see more of your work improvements through the year. I offered the Op my knowledge. You dont have to learn from it if you dont wanna. Everyone else in the world beyong MM and this forum rnjoy what I do and not try to claim it aint what it is. But MM is so famous for that that even Scott Kelby mentioned that "no one learns on that forum. They just nit pic." but I come in with hope and there always seems to be one who will oppose. You make me giggle. I thank you for that. Enjoy my art. Everyone else does.

I have n0 more to say about this subject. I put up the simple help and have gotten nice email responses about it. So see me no more on this thread. thanks again for the giggle

You don't play the misunderstood artist role well at all.  You come off as defensive.  I think people understand it just fine, it's just not what some people were looking for in this thread.  No one attacked you in this thread,  people just didn't agree with you, and apparently that is a crime in your mind.

Paramour Productions wrote:
Well, this thread took a very bizarre turn...

I will simply repeat what I said earlier and say that most shots of this type first fail because of art direction (or a lack thereof)...

AHHhhh....right.The OP will have to consider if they want to produce a 'classic' retro pinup or a more modern concept.From fashion to MUA to HS to props to BG to editing, lots of decisions to plan and implement to produce what is desired. The OP can check all the references and decide for themselves what direction to take. Sometimes I wish the MM forum did not even allow argumentative interaction, its just distracting.Everyone post their thoughts and links, and readers can take it from there.Personally, I'm going to look at all the links and consider all the techniques proposed. I have several large Vargas, Betty Page, and Olivia hardback art books. I wish their art was filters and automated programs.

Lewis and Clarke wrote:
...So do I need to make sure not to cast no shadows on my subjects?

There is still shading there (note the edges), but the lighting is usually frontal.

Lewis and Clarke wrote:
...So do I need to make sure not to cast no shadows on my subjects?

Guss W wrote:
There is still shading there (note the edges), but the lighting is usually frontal.

Hence the popularity of a ringflash for this sort of work.

Paramour Productions wrote:

Guss W wrote:
There is still shading there (note the edges), but the lighting is usually frontal.

Hence the popularity of a ringflash for this sort of work.

Or a very large light bank (6x6 or larger panel, 7-9' octa, etc.) right behind the camera.

Kevin Connery wrote:

Paramour Productions wrote:

Guss W wrote:
There is still shading there (note the edges), but the lighting is usually frontal.

Hence the popularity of a ringflash for this sort of work.

Or a very large light bank (6x6 or larger panel, 7-9' octa, etc.) right behind the camera.

That would work too, but it does give you a different look in the highlights and with the edge falloff.

Paramour Productions wrote:

Kevin Connery wrote:

Paramour Productions wrote:
Hence the popularity of a ringflash for this sort of work.

Or a very large light bank (6x6 or larger panel, 7-9' octa, etc.) right behind the camera.

That would work too, but it does give you a different look in the highlights and with the edge falloff.

Absolutely: the falloff will be slower, and the highlights broader.

I mostly noted it because the large octa approach is one that Robert Alvarado frequently uses.

NothingIsRealButTheGirl wrote:


First you should shoot in what William Mortensen described in his book Pictorial Lighting something called Basic Light


Which is essentially front lighting such that the bright area of the figure has a similar value to that of the background, and the edges fall away to a darker value all around.



Then it doesn't hurt to warm up the shadows around the contour - make them redder.

After that you could try something like Topaz Simplify once you have a firm pinup-y foundation to the photo. Or maybe Alien Skin Snap Art 3

from the previous page, for comparison purposes

DG at studio47 wrote:

AHHhhh....right.The OP will have to consider if they want to produce a 'classic' retro pinup or a more modern concept.From fashion to MUA to HS to props to BG to editing, lots of decisions to plan and implement to produce what is desired. The OP can check all the references and decide for themselves what direction to take. Sometimes I wish the MM forum did not even allow argumentative interaction, its just distracting.Everyone post their thoughts and links, and readers can take it from there.Personally, I'm going to look at all the links and consider all the techniques proposed. I have several large Vargas, Betty Page, and Olivia hardback art books. I wish their art was filters and automated programs.

+ 1 billion

Kevin Connery wrote:

Paramour Productions wrote:

Guss W wrote:
There is still shading there (note the edges), but the lighting is usually frontal.

Hence the popularity of a ringflash for this sort of work.

Or a very large light bank (6x6 or larger panel, 7-9' octa, etc.) right behind the camera.

I will try this out over the weekend. Thanks for the comments.

cinema photography wrote:
I shoot with continuous lights myself. Also OP, a very clean, evenly lit set, with a solid color background on a seamless will really make post a lot better.

Plus, you know, an awesome pin up model properly styled.

I find the styling to be more important than the post work. If she does not look like an Elvgrin or a Vargas when she walks out of the dressing room, no amount of post work is going to make it feel authentic.

That being said, I shoot with a setup much like what has been diagrammed out already here.

-Titania- wrote:

I find the styling to be more important than the post work. If she does not look like an Elvgrin or a Vargas when she walks out of the dressing room, no amount of post work is going to make it feel authentic.

That being said, I shoot with a setup much like what has been diagrammed out already here.

Oh, yeah style is EVERYTHING..no doubt.  Post however can make or break an images authentic look and feel, you can have a great model and pose and still get a shitty image

Juliet Bates wrote:
I love this guys work! He is probably the best person to ask about tutorials!

Mayhem #309494
Photographer

Funny you mention a Dutch photographer Us Dutch are not known for our pin-ups. Juul is very good indeed although I wouldn't think of him for a Vargas style. He is much more modern.
It is hard to find usefull tutorials I think. Hands-on exprerience and lots of trials and error seems to work just as good.
Good prepartions before taking the photographs is essential. Styling, pose, facial expression etc. Good even lighting with little shadows. I use a large octo as main and a fairly large umbrella as fill. Two flashlights for a white background.
Keep the picture simple! Vargas and Elvgren did so too. Less is more!
I found the Nik plug-in quite usefull.

Bret McMichael wrote:
OSX uses this shortcut for something else, which is why it won't work.  2 options:  either turn it off in OSX by:
Go into System Prefs > Keyboard and click the last tab called Keyboard Shortcuts. Click on 'Keyboard and Text Input' (might be Keyboard Navigation) and uncheck 'Move Focus to the window drawer'.

Or simply go to the Channel palette window in Photoshop and command+click on the RGB thumbnail to load luminosity as a selection.

That worked for me. Thanks for your quick reply.

TOODARKPARK PHOTOGRAPHY wrote:
http://vimeo.com/26084114

There's a 'Bettie Page' store on Hollywood Blvd? When did this happen?

Lewis and Clarke wrote:
Does anyone know of a good guide/website/YouTube on how to take a photo and convert it to a pinup / Vargas style art?

GREAT thread...I'm learning a lot from ALL the posts here.

Love this...


And this...

Outstanding stuff! And lots of GREAT information here.

ArtisticGlamour wrote:
Love this...


Outstanding stuff! And lots of GREAT information here.

Thank you. I try many different pin up styles

Paramour Productions wrote:
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.

-Titania- wrote:
I find the styling to be more important than the post work. If she does not look like an Elvgrin or a Vargas when she walks out of the dressing room, no amount of post work is going to make it feel authentic.

+1

I REALLY want to try some of this!