Vintage Feel - Additional Effects (The Multiply Layer)

Happy Thanksgiving all! I hope this season finds you well. In the spirit of sharing (isn't that the spirit of Thanksgiving? Hope so..) I thought I'd tack on some additional pointers regarding the vintage feel in my photos. If you're reading this first, I'd suggest stepping back and reading the Vintage Feel Basics post as this post is going to use that as the basis.

So let's say you've created a faded, cross-processed photo using those techinques I described but the photo looks a little too washed out and..well...blah. Here's how to make it pop a little more.

Add a Curve layer set to Multiply mode.: When you do this you'll see a marked increase in the contrast of the image. I usually place this layer either right in front of or right behind the layer I used to create the cross processed feel and I set the opacity of this layer to about 30 - 60%. Note that placing this curve layer in front of the cross-process layer (below it on the layer stack) you will retain the same adjusted "black point". I like this best since you've already adjusted the RGB line in the cross-process layer to give a faded feel. By doing it this way you'll keep that faded effect but still increase the contrast in the image from the new black point setting. If you place the Multiply Curve layer on top of the cross process layer (above it on the layer stack) you'll see a big boost in contrast but you'll also see a shift in the black point back towards it's original value (check out the histogram to see what I mean).

Give it a shot. And feel free to comment back if this post isn't making a lot of sense (it's early and I've only had half a cup of coffee..).

Vintage Feel Basics

I get a lot of requests to explain the vintage-feel effects in my photos so I thought I'd share my info in a couple posts. This one is all about the basics. In subsequent posts I'll describe additions to the basis that can create slightly different effects. But first, the basics. Here it is:

1. Create a Curve layer over the original photo. Set the Blend mode to Normal.
2. Grab the bottom of the RGB curve and move it up slightly. This will clip the darkest channels and give some haze to the photo.
3. Grab the bottom of the R curve and move it up as well. This will add some red to the darkest channels
4. Grab the bottom of the B curve and move it up as well (as predicted, this will add some blue to those dark channels)
5. Grab the center of the B curve and drag it down. This adds some yellow to the photo.

You now what looks like a cross-processed, faded photo.

Then:

1. Add a Saturation layer above the curves layer (Blend mode set to Normal).
2. Desaturate a bit by dragging the slider to the negative numbers.

Finally:
1. Add a yellow fill layer if you wish. I usually set this to around 20% opacity.

That's the basis for the work you see in my port. In future posts I'll discuss options to create different feels.

Hope it helps!

Breakfast

Being comfortable in front of the camera comes natural to Nicole, who's a fantastic model. But I work with a lot of people who aren't, especially when it comes to shooting kinda nekkid. For instance, how do you make the suburban mom who's hired you to do some cool sexy shots comfy during the shoot? A few tips I've learned:

1. Relax and let the client dictate the direction of the shoot. Don't give her a ton of direction. Instead, give her just enough so she can take charge and move in the direction she wants to go. Then just sit back and go with it.
2. Take a lot of breaks. Modeling is hard work, especially for a novice model or non-model (someone who just wants some cool sexy shots for their S.O.). So breaking, relaxing, drinking plenty of water and snacking are good things.
3. Be conversational. No one likes to sit in front of a silent photographer. Instead, strike up a conversation just prior to the shoot and provide plenty of praise during the shoot.
4. And finally - relax. If the photographer is tense, the model or client will be as well. In other words, enjoy this job - it's a good one.

Sweet Prop

Nicole brought this book to our shoot ("A Romance of Two Worlds" by Marie Corelli). I love it when I'm confronted with something I didn't plan for and that fits so well with my style. And what better than an old, dusty, faded out romance novel. Perfect! Thanks Nicole.

Scenic Drive

Nicole is a SF based model who wanted to work with me (I know...I don't know what got into her! ; )). We opted for something light and fun and a bit campy with this outdoor "lifestyle" series. Here are some of the results from our running shoot.

Lifestyle Beach Shoot with Jojo

Jojo is a model from LA who made the trip up to shoot with me (I hope she had other reasons for making the trip..). She wanted something lifestyle-y and smile-y so we went to a beach on a fucking crazy windy day (see bottom right photo). It was so windy, in fact, that we could only stand to be out there for about 15 minutes. But we did good and ended up with something that she was happy with.

Shoot with Lauren Fletcher

Recent shoot with Lauren Fletcher for her agency and for an editorial submission. We went out to Bolinas, CA (a funky beach town that wants to stay hidden from the public). This beach was small, but perfect for a little editorial action as it had a lot of variety in a very small space. And the fact that it was crowded provided a slightly more editorial feel. I'm especially happy with the bottom right photo. I think the spontaneity of shooting this way, and the hope that creativity will follow, is what makes this style of photography so addicting to me.