Forums > Digital Art and Retouching > DAR Critiques > Vintage glamour lighting and a contortionist

Photographer

Ruben Vasquez

Posts: 3117

Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Here's a couple shots from a series I did a while ago and have redone recently. Just kind of looking for any feedback you could give. Any thoughts on improvement would be especially helpful.

Thanks in advance!

BEFORE
https://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu356/Ruben9V/LiliaS_107-before.jpg?t=1272507221
AFTER
https://modelmayhm-9.vo.llnwd.net/d1/photos/100331/22/4bb42fd08a51e.jpg

BEFORE
https://i663.photobucket.com/albums/uu356/Ruben9V/LiliaS_068-before.jpg?t=1272507432
AFTER
https://modelmayhm-9.vo.llnwd.net/d1/photos/100325/20/4bac23a332bb0.jpg

Apr 28 10 07:20 pm Link

Model

Stephanie Bea

Posts: 319

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Love the second one, so cool. Not crazy about the crop on the first though.

Apr 28 10 07:22 pm Link

Photographer

Dreamscape Creative

Posts: 479

Charleston, South Carolina, US

I like them both, very cool.

Only critique I have (particularly on the first one) is that your cloning is a little messy and detectable, particularly around where you worked on the arrow tip and parts of the former shadow of her body.  Go back and blur these areas and texture them for a seamless result.

Apr 29 10 02:29 pm Link

Photographer

Ruben Vasquez

Posts: 3117

Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Stephanie Bea wrote:
Love the second one, so cool. Not crazy about the crop on the first though.

How come?

Apr 29 10 07:11 pm Link

Photographer

Ruben Vasquez

Posts: 3117

Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Wow. Does anybody ever come into this forum?

May 15 10 10:34 am Link

Digital Artist

Eithne Ni Anluain

Posts: 1424

Dundalk, Louth, Ireland

Ruben Vasquez wrote:
Wow. Does anybody ever come into this forum?

well I've been off galavanting! neh!

I'm so jealous ye have pic's like these! they rock!

I think they are cool. Not pushed personally on the first one's crop, and careful of the cloning, but apart from that excellent!

If I were you I'd find a old carnival pic and plant her in front of it. Make it more surreal like with a backdrop but thats just me and I like unusual shots like these ;-P

May 17 10 02:56 am Link

Photographer

Ruben Vasquez

Posts: 3117

Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Ni Anluain wrote:

well I've been off galavanting! neh!

I'm so jealous ye have pic's like these! they rock!

I think they are cool. Not pushed personally on the first one's crop, and careful of the cloning, but apart from that excellent!

If I were you I'd find a old carnival pic and plant her in front of it. Make it more surreal like with a backdrop but thats just me and I like unusual shots like these ;-P

Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback especially from you. The background suggestion is a thought though. You would probably get better results then me I would imagine. But I'll have to give it a try.

Regarding the crop, on the first shot, I really didn't like all the dead space. Should I have just left it as is?

May 17 10 10:57 am Link

Digital Artist

Eithne Ni Anluain

Posts: 1424

Dundalk, Louth, Ireland

Ruben Vasquez wrote:
Thanks! I really appreciate the feedback especially from you.

aw stop - ye'll make me blush!

Ruben Vasquez wrote:
The background suggestion is a thought though. You would probably get better results then me I would imagine. But I'll have to give it a try.

I'm about all week so PM me if ye need a hand. Like I said I'm partial to funky shots :-P Circus tent stuff :-P

Ruben Vasquez wrote:
Regarding the crop, on the first shot, I really didn't like all the dead space. Should I have just left it as is?

Do ye know what it is when I look at it again? Its the shadow cast! The crop is grand. The shadow is actually FAB so I wouldn't remove it, its actually really neat they way it sits. The angle is almost like a second contortionist coming out behind her......

I couldn't help myself!

https://i337.photobucket.com/albums/n379/eithne69/Graphics%20and%20Stuff/circus.jpg

ok there's something wrong with my photobucket :-(  PM me yer e-mail if ye cant see this and i'll send it onto ya

I flipped her coz my *ah hem* golden section told me to do it!

May 17 10 01:20 pm Link

Photographer

Ruben Vasquez

Posts: 3117

Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Ni Anluain wrote:
aw stop - ye'll make me blush!

Good! Serves ya right typing in that irish accent. smile

Ni Anluain wrote:
I'm about all week so PM me if ye need a hand. Like I said I'm partial to funky shots :-P Circus tent stuff :-P

Hey if you think you can do something cool with it, I'm all for it. I just need an email address.

Ni Anluain wrote:
Do ye know what it is when I look at it again? Its the shadow cast! The crop is grand. The shadow is actually FAB so I wouldn't remove it, its actually really neat they way it sits. The angle is almost like a second contortionist coming out behind her......

I couldn't help myself!


ok there's something wrong with my photobucket :-(  PM me yer e-mail if ye cant see this and i'll send it onto ya

I flipped her coz my *ah hem* golden section told me to do it!

You're funny. No I can see it just fine. I actually flipped my version for my printed portfolio.

May 17 10 04:29 pm Link

Photographer

Star

Posts: 17966

Los Angeles, California, US

the body suit has way to much detail. Here is an example to show you how i did a 1930's image, this is no retouching just raw and lightroom. So if you take the detail work down a bit in the bodysuit i think you are very close to what you want.

https://modelmayhm-6.vo.llnwd.net/d1/photos/100512/00/4bea528b4633d.jpg
https://modelmayhm-6.vo.llnwd.net/d1/photos/100513/14/4bec73ec3607b.jpg

May 17 10 04:32 pm Link

Photographer

Ruben Vasquez

Posts: 3117

Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Star wrote:
the body suit has way to much detail. Here is an example to show you how i did a 1930's image, this is no retouching just raw and lightroom. So if you take the detail work down a bit in the bodysuit i think you are very close to what you want.

The suit was kind of loud and it was something that I talked to the model about but it was a new suit that she just had to have photographed. Are you suggesting removing the details in post?

May 17 10 04:38 pm Link

Photographer

Star

Posts: 17966

Los Angeles, California, US

I want to remind you I did this off a jpg, which is not ideal


https://img535.imageshack.us/img535/7674/lilias107before.jpg

May 17 10 04:42 pm Link

Photographer

Star

Posts: 17966

Los Angeles, California, US

you need to go to lightroom and play with the colors density

May 17 10 04:46 pm Link

Photographer

Star

Posts: 17966

Los Angeles, California, US

you want to really look at images from the time period, lenses were different back then. And they were shooting 8x10 or 4x5 cameras, which have different lens ratios

And lighting was mostly from above, never from below like in your images. It changes the shape of the shadows from the lashes.

https://tnaron.files.wordpress.com/2007/09/estherwilliams2.jpg
https://www.galarecords.ca/divas/diaporam/durbin.jpg

May 17 10 04:51 pm Link

Photographer

Ruben Vasquez

Posts: 3117

Las Vegas, Nevada, US

Star wrote:
you need to go to lightroom and play with the colors density

I don't have lightroom but ACR should work the same right? Now when you say play with the colors density, are you talking about adjusting their luminance, saturation? I'm still a little lost on what you're suggesting.

May 17 10 09:10 pm Link

Photographer

Pixel Fist

Posts: 3404

Knoxville, Tennessee, US

That field tip looks pretty wimpy.  Why not a broad head?

May 18 10 10:02 pm Link

Photographer

Ruben Vasquez

Posts: 3117

Las Vegas, Nevada, US

KMA2SQ wrote:
That field tip looks pretty wimpy.  Why not a broad head?

smile I wouldn't write her off too quickly. She's pretty accurate with that thing you know...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faYtGm6KonQ

May 18 10 10:17 pm Link