Dissecting someone's style

[-markie-]

I'm trying to finalize my post processing and overall style. I'm narrowed it down to a couple of styles from different photographers.

What process would you take to dissecting someone style to create my own version?

I.e. how to you know the curves, slit toning, what colours are pushed into the shadows. highlights etc?

 

[Kodiak Qc]

how to you know the curves, slit toning, what colours are pushed into the shadows. highlights etc?

If you want to emulate someone else's style, most probably,
it is because of the mature and skillful renditions.

It is pretty easy to spot exaggerated tweaks but not so subtle
and tasteful ones. Here, only the comparison with the RAW
file could suggest you where the mastery lays.

 

[GreenNinja67]

Learning what each effect and filter and tool does in the processing package.

Basically know your software inside out.

But why would you want to copy a style.

Develop your own is the thing to do.

 

[jerry12953]

Create your own look by learning how to us the software at your disposal. You will find that your own preferences evolve with time and i don't really see the reason for copying anyone else's style.

 

[-markie-]

Sorry, didn't mean it to come across as copying, as that's not what i'm trying to do. More, what works well, what doesn't. But part of that being the colour grading, so wanted to see if there was a way of knowing why it works well

 

[ashtennisguru]

There are some good tutorials on YT by Maarten Schrader where he looks at different "styles" of processing and emulates them - it should give you a good handle on how to look at and dissect an image to build a sense of the colours you can and cannot see and where you can/can't see them etc. He then explains how to replicate those effects in LR - again, this will at least give you a good overview of how the various tools and sliders effect an image.

 

[GTG]

The problem is there are many paid photoshop plug-in software that might have been used. I doubt you can even dissect what programme or software they used let alone what they did.

All you can do it look at the image and attempt to get the same effect with the software you are using.

 

[juggler]

I've wrestled with this for ages. I've come to the conclusion that style emerges gradually - and is about a lot more than just processing.