What is the processing method used to acheive the porcelain look for portraits? Do I have it on photoshop CS? Or is it something else I have to download or buy?
Here is a beautiful example of what I'm talking about:
I think i'll chime in as it is my lovely niece in the OP. I thought i might add to the discussion ;)
This portrait doesn't have any NI applied to it although i have used it several times on other pics. I was never 100% pleased with the results, especially on things like hair. Probably needed more practice to use it correctly.
What has worked better for me, and was used as part of the workflow on this portrait is a gaus blur layer, 8-12 radius depending on subject distance from camera, then set opacity of that layer to about 20%. Erase or mask out the areas which need to be sharp, (her eyes, and the top of the ornament) and wala! I also like to selectively enhance contrast on the gaus blur alone, after reducing its opacity.
I like the gentle softness without the 'over the top-look at me, my skin is perfect'. Of course her skin IS perfect so I wasn't covering up here, just softening!
That said, I think NI has its place, i just havn't figured out how to optimize its results.
That said, I think NI has its place, i just haven't figured out how to optimize its results.
Do the NI on a separate layer, fade the layer as needed to best represent the key areas, and erase from the layer just as you do in the gaussian workflow to keep eyes and such sharp. Pay special attention to how much sharpening NI is doing; to my tastes, default neat image combines too much sharpening with the smoothing, and this is where it gets really unnatural.
Thanks Robert, I guess i just shelved NI with portraits in favor of the Gaus blur but similar procedure would work for both. Would turning off all NI sharpening and then sharpening the under layer work equally well? I never realized that there was sharpening applied during NI processing.
I think i'll chime in as it is my lovely niece in the OP. I thought i might add to the discussion ;)
This portrait doesn't have any NI applied to it although i have used it several times on other pics. I was never 100% pleased with the results, especially on things like hair. Probably needed more practice to use it correctly.
What has worked better for me, and was used as part of the workflow on this portrait is a gaus blur layer, 8-12 radius depending on subject distance from camera, then set opacity of that layer to about 20%. Erase or mask out the areas which need to be sharp, (her eyes, and the top of the ornament) and wala! I also like to selectively enhance contrast on the gaus blur alone, after reducing its opacity.
I like the gentle softness without the 'over the top-look at me, my skin is perfect'. Of course her skin IS perfect so I wasn't covering up here, just softening!
That said, I think NI has its place, i just havn't figured out how to optimize its results.
I'm so sorry for assuming that you used NI in your pic. Her skin definitely IS just so beautiful, and I assumed (since I'm so new) that the only way to acheive that look was through NI. I do have the gaussian blur on CS, so I may have to give that a try. :) Thank you for the info. :)
NO offense taken and no need to be sorry! I think they are both methods to get to the same place. I just dont have a good handle on the NI process. Try the Gaus blur, i think you will be pleased.
FWIW, its a technique i picked up from someone on DPC, lots to learn here and welcome to the barnyard.
NO offense taken and no need to be sorry! I think they are both methods to get to the same place. I just dont have a good handle on the NI process. Try the Gaus blur, i think you will be pleased.
FWIW, its a technique i picked up from someone on DPC, lots to learn here and welcome to the barnyard.
Thanks for the kind words.
mark
well now you can say that a new dpc'er picked it up from YOU. :)
Thanks Robert, I guess i just shelved NI with portraits in favor of the Gaus blur but similar procedure would work for both. Would turning off all NI sharpening and then sharpening the under layer work equally well? I never realized that there was sharpening applied during NI processing.
I usually do it the opposite way: use NI as I described, then make a merged composite layer that includes the modified NI merged into the straight BG, then dupe THAT and apply the sharpening over the top. If you want to sharpen the areas NOT NI'd (or the NI areas for that matter) selectively, be sure you masked before compositing and saved the mask as a selection.
Another one to try is Surface Blur, like anything else, used sparingly it works really well.
Surface Blur? Is that something that I have in CS2? I don't know that I've ever seen it?
Yep, go Filter>Blur>Surface Blur
Thank you! I can't wait to experiment with this! I haven't taken a picture since the one for the pet portrait...I've been so busy with holiday stuff. I'm having camera withdrawal symptoms.
