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EdinburghGary

EdinburghGary

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Gary
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An update of sorts, a major retweak of the light setup here in the studio to try and get better out of camera shots, Same caveat as before, really aiming here for a GOOD VIEWING experience, this is not the finished product....

I have shown a shot with all THREE lights firing (have taken my fill light away - had 4 before), and then I have shown a shot with the key light on its lowest setting, had to still have it on to trigger the BG.

On a side note, how awesome is my mop?

All lights ZERO processing:
crazyhairm.jpg



BG only:
shadoww.jpg


I am still to try and solve any possible yellow cast problem...

Gary.
 
I only noticed a bad hair day, but you managed to get a mop out of it. Well done! (y)

Now I see what you meant about ironing out creces in ripstop.

Was it only the camera top right BG firing? I thought you had two strobes, one in each corner.

Great shot!
 
Hi Xavier,

Two BG lights firing, just the tight in camera crop has only shown the left one. The almost silhouette photo BTW is just to illustrate light control (or lack of), and is not even remotely intended as a keeper or anything of artistic merit :D

The hair, well - it's simply sexual.

G.
 
The creases in the ripstop you cope with admirably but the ones on your shirt :bat:you need a new woman.

As for the yellow cast, a little theory is that it may be coming from the reflective surface, it is hardly noticeable but it is definitely in the lower half.



Open your image and select the hue saturation and yellows, push the slider and you will see more yellow from the floor.
 
Hi Tiler,

The Yellow cast I presume is coming from my hardwood floor (it is stained a dark colour, but is yellowing in lots of places - the pine is starting to appear again). Some of the light will be reflecting from it, into the studio. I know to simply run an action once I get a fix for it....

G.
 
Well with Myself and Dave Stones new Studio due to open anyday now I can only wish for hair like that Gary you lucky so n so :LOL:
 
Ajophotog said:
Well with Myself and Dave Stones new Studio due to open anyday now I can only wish for hair like that Gary you lucky so n so :LOL:
Click to expand...

Wicked dude, how's it all going?? Anything planned for the grand opening?

G.
 
Not really apart from the usual offers and that unless Dave knows something I don't, although there was talk of a bit of a do with a Bowie tribute act and some wine :D
 
Ajophotog said:
Not really apart from the usual offers and that unless Dave knows something I don't, although there was talk of a bit of a do with a Bowie tribute act and some wine :D
Click to expand...

Keep us update dude, and if you have any questions just shoot. I haven't cracked it by any means, but been open more or less half a year and have lots of experience of starting up as a result....

Are you ready for an onslaught of non stop marketing? :D

G.
 
Yes I have a few ideas and one big one that involves talking to the local council but it is all a bit hush hush at the moment and I have to see if I can get them to work with it.
Marketing is a nightmare subject, flyers or adverts, adverts or flyers just for starters, probably both btw. :D
The studio sign should be up this week so I might post a shot or two when it is done.
 
Ajophotog said:
Yes I have a few ideas and one big one that involves talking to the local council but it is all a bit hush hush at the moment and I have to see if I can get them to work with it.
Marketing is a nightmare subject, flyers or adverts, adverts or flyers just for starters, probably both btw. :D
The studio sign should be up this week so I might post a shot or two when it is done.
Click to expand...

Are you in a busy ish street with walk past trade? If so, I tried a few wee tests the last few weeks and managed to secure maybe 10 bookings as a result. Total cost of tests, £10 or so :)

It requires a semi high street location I think to work....
 
Yes we are on a main road with a crossing right outside so cars stop and look when the lights go red :D which is good, we also have a gym in the same block and the bodybuilders have shown so interest also I believe. I think we have some events coverage sorted too which could be useful as we can card and tout whilst shooting :LOL:
I don't for one minute expect this to be easy but hey ho you never know.
 
Ajophotog said:
Yes we are on a main road with a crossing right outside so cars stop and look when the lights go red :D which is good, we also have a gym in the same block and the bodybuilders have shown so interest also I believe. I think we have some events coverage sorted too which could be useful as we can card and tout whilst shooting :LOL:
I don't for one minute expect this to be easy but hey ho you never know.
Click to expand...

OK, then this is simple. Lots of flyers, stuck to the window, AMAZING offer, and watch as your passing trade goes crazy :D

Remember to re-enforce the flyers with a "Please help yourself for friends and family" poster, A3 size...

G.
 
tiler65 said:
The creases in the ripstop you cope with admirably but the ones on your shirt :bat:you need a new woman.
Click to expand...

Ahem! The ability to use domestic appliances is not genetic you know! :razz:

Although I would be tempted to iron his hair! :eek:

if I'd known that was lurking under your hat when I was up a few weeks ago I'd have brought the clippers! :D
 
Yeah Gary, it's something to do with how Nikons handle the skintone transitions to skin highlights on Caucasians and pink/red things. Not sure if it's the red channel blowing out early, or something to do with the RAW profile used, but it's very common on Nikon output, though not all the time, indicating that it can be mitigated / avoided somehow.

Alas I shoot with a Fuji, so am unable to offer advice on how to get around it.

Caveat: Viewing at work, not on proper screen. Will double check at home.
 
Cheers guys,

I think the yellow cast is much less obvious in this, but if it is present - I can remove it with an action I guess, automated as part of the viewing prep...

G.
 
Hi Gary. Thanks for the scare, I needed something like your hair to wake me up this afternoon!

I've been a bit on and off the forum lately as my bill paying job has been a bit busy so not sure if this had a build up at all. I know your are a perfectionist and it shows just following your work to get your setup just right and to minimise any PP work, but is this yellow cast (that I cannot see at all?) causing you problems with your production of your work?

If it isnt is it possibly just acceptance of the problem so that you can worry about other things... (such as sacking your hairdresser? :LOL:)
 
Marcus Geezer said:
Hi Gary. Thanks for the scare, I needed something like your hair to wake me up this afternoon!

I've been a bit on and off the forum lately as my bill paying job has been a bit busy so not sure if this had a build up at all. I know your are a perfectionist and it shows just following your work to get your setup just right and to minimise any PP work, but is this yellow cast (that I cannot see at all?) causing you problems with your production of your work?

If it isnt is it possibly just acceptance of the problem so that you can worry about other things... (such as sacking your hairdresser? :LOL:)
Click to expand...

I'm not sure if its there or not mate, I could see it in my other thread, not in this one though.....

I'm really trying to get feedback on THIS exposure - although to be fair, it's almost pointless, as I know with those shadows in the NO KEY LIGHT shot that I have more than enough control now to get it close to perfect in camera....

Have had a very productive day today, 6 shoots processed and I haven't done any of them :D Cheers Jaco!

Gary.
 
There's a yellow cast in the floor in the first shot, and the background on the second.

Couldn't say what's causing it but both seem to be showing spikes in cyan and yellow of between 1-3%. This isn't even over the background either (as you're gettting your desired 0% CMYK in large blocks elsewhere) so any action would need to be targeted.
 
On my work's uncalibrated monitor, the image looked great but on my home calibrated monitor the skin tones again are bright and a little washed out (reddy yellowy)

Use the colour picker in Ps - tells no lies. Run it over your skin. Red chanel is overcooked again - totally blown in parts and way too bright overall.

I'm not sure about there being a colour cast anywhere - other than the over exposed skin tones. Put the colour picker on the neutral areas and there's very little difference.

Gary what f stop are you using there? Can you tone all the lights down by the same amount to maintain the ratio? May not pick up the floor colour so much - just in cade it's that causing you r skin tone issue? The skin looks pale.

I still have a feeling it's colour management. My offer still stands if you want me to nip over and try it on one of your monitors to see if it helps? THen you can decide what to go for,

Cheers
JD
 
I'm going to get the colour munki I think... Once done I can have a looksy and make a call on what next to tweak!! I feel very close to getting them to a level out of camera which is going to be difficult to tweak without added pp. I can do the PP for sold prints though, as I currently do...

G.
 
JD - I ended up getting a Spyder 3 Elite kit....
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=2543143#post2543143

I also ran over the photo AFTER CALIBRATION with the colour picker, and there are three distinct areas of blown reds, and a few blue too....to be honest though, I am not going to loose much sleep as I feel happy with the overall look and feel of the out of camera shots (other than the Yellow cast which I can try and solve in camera)....

I might tone the key down a touch more and try and get the reds just under 255, at least I will capture more data that way.

I need to get my head round calibration first - ie, I need to know what I now see is accurate :)

G.
 
EdinburghGary said:
JD - I ended up getting a Spyder 3 Elite kit....
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=2543143#post2543143

I also ran over the photo AFTER CALIBRATION with the colour picker, and there are three distinct areas of blown reds, and a few blue too....to be honest though, I am not going to loose much sleep as I feel happy with the overall look and feel of the out of camera shots (other than the Yellow cast which I can try and solve in camera)....

I might tone the key down a touch more and try and get the reds just under 255, at least I will capture more data that way.

I need to get my head round calibration first - ie, I need to know what I now see is accurate :)

G.
Click to expand...

Gary firstly having calibrated do any of your images look any different?
The brightness may be what is being recorded by the camera anyway but that would then say to me that the exposure you are setting isn't quite right. What does your meter read when you use it? I take it you checked the meter readings?

If so, is your meter calibrated? Thankfully that is relatively easy to do.

Re your RGB skin colours, I aim for reds of about 240 (max 245 in the highlights) but usually it's less than 240 so as to see detail.

Maybe some edits deliberately over expose and that's ok but your images seem to be brighter.

Last thing - you're not colour blind are you? I ask because believe it it is pretty common in men.....I am slightly :)! That said. I've learned how to use the colour picker and the photo filter adjustment layers for simple colour correction and a couple of other tweaks that help.

Takes me more time but I get there!
 
EdinburghGary said:
Hi JD,

Big difference after calibration....results here:
http://www.talkphotography.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?p=2543143#post2543143

I'm now seeking an in camera solution to the Yellow Cast...

G.
Click to expand...

Gary
A couple of choices there.

I have an Expodisc - take a shot before the shoot towards your main light at the required exposure (the one you'll use in the shoot) and set the camera to custom WB. Very easy with your Nikon. Job done and if the lighting remains consistent through the shoot you have it all done in-camera.

You could use a grey card or colour chart. Set it up with your subject holding the card, shoot then batch process all your images in PP using RAW and the colour balance dropper. - In camera is easy using the expodisc - just make sure you get one the right size for your lenses - I have the 77mm one.

Would that not help? that should also ensure correct skin tones at the time of shooting.

Jim
 
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