Duotone and Neo-Noir

[humberklog]

[quote=Anouilh;62988390]It would be interesting to know why you think this, Fajitas.

quote]


It's because there's no more fighting!! Fight! Fight! Fight!

I never took much notice of experimenting in duotone until this thread. I haven't posted on here as I thought I'd be too amateurish. So by looking at what people were doing on this thread and how good usage of it can influence or inhance a previously bland image I've saved a few photos from the bin, where they would have ended up, as I either didn't like the content in colour nor in B+W or sepia. I'd never have thought about a duotone convertion before and to add...it has been a growing influence by this thread accasionally popping up.
Fajitas.

Here's one I put on the Random thread and it even got TOTD on Pix.ie (went down a bomb in Gunn's today too when getting it printed up, surprisingly good in the flesh btw)and this image would've hit the dustbin with a thud before this thread....

[Anouilh]

I assumed that Fajitas finds the thread boring and would love to have some suggestions on how to liven it up.

Beautiful work, BTW, Humberklog.

You might enjoy this

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...wOfTheWind.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow_of_the_Wind

[Fajitas!]

Valentia & 'Klogs posts are exactly what I wanted - If Danny ever posts, that is.

Other than that, the thread was getting stale.

Get some discussion going, not just random dropped in links!

[Anouilh]

Originally Posted by Fajitas!

...

Get some discussion going, not just random dropped in links!

I have to admit I have very little taste for discussion at the moment.

I shall continue to upload photos and links here, so if anybody has an interesting discussion topic please post.

Perhaps describing how you make your cross-processed duotones would be a good place to start.

[Fajitas!]

Originally Posted by Anouilh

I have to admit I have very little taste for discussion at the moment.

Aha... you know Boards.ie is a discussion forum?

My cross processed duotones? I'm not entirely sure which ones you're talking about, but my cross processed shots are generally E6 film in C41 chems. They can bit a bit awkward to get a decent scan off of, but that's all part of the risk.

[Anouilh]

Originally Posted by Fajitas!

Valentia & 'Klogs posts are exactly what I wanted - If Danny ever posts, that is.

Other than that, the thread was getting stale.

Get some discussion going, not just random dropped in links!

Everybody has favourite posters that they like to read.

There are many others on Boards who probably have interesting duotones but who just don't get to upload them.

The tips in this thread (on the subject of scanning negatives) might inspire some debate:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/crosspr...7607197885912/

Also, designers who are not active member of the Photography Forum might be interested in getting involved?

I just like looking at the photos...

[Anouilh]

Originally Posted by sineadw

I'd disagree- I love the reversal of roles. Up till WW2 I think women were portrayed as weak and in need of male guidance. With men disappearing from the home front, I guess women started to realise their power again after Victorian restraints? Even if it was usually just realised in sexual power. I see the femme fatale as empowering rather than misogynistic.

I also see the seeming bias towards the male protagonist (and usually a father figure in the films) as very homosexual. Indeed, some of the key moments in Noir films are of love between male characters..

Or maybe that's just me

And yep - been a fan of Hirsch for a while now ... he makes for a good, uncomplicated read!

This has kept me thinking for some time.
I grew up in the society that produced Noir classics and think that the ambivalence surrounding the "Femme Fatale" was an expression of a view of women that was far from flattering. It is interesting to see that the literary fallacy that women were portrayed as weak before the middle of the 20th century is taken at face value now. In fact, the heroines of many 19th century novels do not portray such a view and George Eliot's heroines, in particular, are vibrant and very (often terrifyingly) strong.

I thought you might find this link useful:

http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/top...r#encyclopedia

I had not time to comment on your excellent Noir portraits in a thread that is now gone down the page, but if you had a moment to post links to them here, it would liven this thread up considerably and continue the discussion...

[sineadw]

Still not finished - haven't had time to do anything with it for a few weeks:


I have to fix the tones on the left. They're too monochrome. A few sensor spots, some more blur (I don't know how much is too much!) and I have to fix the hair on her arm. Although it's interesting you mention the female thing again - I just had that discussion a few days ago. Everyone has remarked how masculine she looks. The lighting is masculine on her - there are so many harsh angles. But that's what the noir woman was like, so I'm almost tempted to leave the hair in... play up on the emasculation of woman in the genre..

I could go on for pages here about the portrayal of women in these films. We cover Crime Fiction in my cultural studies class - a lot of themes of women in noir. This whole realm is something I study, so I do have at least some idea of what I'm talking about (I'm procrastinating spell-checking a sociology essay on masculine coding in digital games as I type - has to be in at 2 today - bugger) so it's not a face value opinion. Here's not the place for that discussion though

[Anouilh]

I didn't mean to say that your ideas are not well thought through or facile. In fact, I would be very interested if you could share links on texts that you have found useful in relation to Noir genre.

Basically, all art is debateable and that is why I have not joined in much discussion on Boards.ie as there is not a shared language in such a forum.
The number of discussions that tail off due to misunderstandings have become tiresome, I find,
so I stick to uploading factual sites and practical assessment of how photos are actually made.

Thank you for uploading this excellent image.
I think that enhancing the silver tones would be of value.

[Anouilh]

[QUOTE=smelltheglove;62592649]

Originally Posted by Anouilh

No its actually a colour version, I am waiting still to see which shots will be used, there is an internationally acknowledged artist who has designed the cover so my shots will make up some of the detail within the sleeve and also in promotional press release and such.

It would be great if you kept up to date with this here. I cherish my record collection because of the large format cover designs. Somehow CDs have changed the music industry by making visual material on the sales racks so small.
(There could be a thesis in this...)

I don't know if you will find this tutorial useful:

http://www.ohblitz.com/2009/04/how-t...hop.html#links

While it refers mostly to sepia, the whole question of silver toning has attracted my attention.
Also, the documentary on Irish photographers during the Summer TV schedule included a lesson on preparing paper for toning.

http://photo.net/black-and-white-pho...g-forum/00DaPv

There is so much to learn...

[sineadw]

Originally Posted by Anouilh

I didn't mean to say that your ideas are not well thought through or facile. In fact, I would be very interested if you could share links on texts that you have found useful in relation to Noir genre.

Basically, all art is debateable and that is why I have not joined in much discussion on Boards.ie as there is not a shared language in such a forum.
The number of discussions that tail off due to misunderstandings have become tiresome, I find,
so I stick to uploading factual sites and practical assessment of how photos are actually made.

Thank you for uploading this excellent image.
I think that enhancing the silver tones would be of value.

NP I didn't mean it to sound like you meant that

Silver tones.. hmmm.. you mean around the dress and such? I'm still trying to decide where to go with it so any suggestions are greatly appreciated! How would you go about it in PP?

[Anouilh]

It's just a hunch and linked to my experience of "the silver screen" before colour became so predominant in cinema.

The photo struck me emphatically, not for the hirsute lady, but because of the surprising tone of pink you chose. It would be useful to know why this was used, as the gender references of pink are very obviously linked to the gay community and I wondered if you are sending some subliminal message.

I don't have Photoshop, but with your persmission, would be happy to work on your photo in the Canon software program which gives subtle control of curves and levels. If you try the image to enhance the silvery nature of flesh (which will mean bleaching out the pink tones) you might find a surprisingly strong image.
Also it should deal with the hairy arms, which I really did not worry too much about until attention was drawn to them. It makes the model look Italian rather than masculine, I thought.

It may be a few days before I get to work on your photo, but I would enjoy trying some different effects. Also, feel free to look at my work and see how it could be improved.

[mikeanywhere]

Originally Posted by sineadw

I'm still trying to decide where to go with it so any suggestions are greatly appreciated! How would you go about it in PP?

Stick a copy up Sinead and see what other people can come up with

[sineadw]

Originally Posted by mikeanywhere

Stick a copy up Sinead and see what other people can come up with

It's six posts up from this one

[sineadw]

Originally Posted by Anouilh

It's just a hunch and linked to my experience of "the silver screen" before colour became so predominant in cinema.

The photo struck me emphatically, not for the hirsute lady, but because of the surprising tone of pink you chose. It would be useful to know why this was used, as the gender references of pink are very obviously linked to the gay community and I wondered if you are sending some subliminal message.

I don't have Photoshop, but with your persmission, would be happy to work on your photo in the Canon software program which gives subtle control of curves and levels. If you try the image to enhance the silvery nature of flesh (which will mean bleaching out the pink tones) you might find a surprisingly strong image.
Also it should deal with the hairy arms, which I really did not worry too much about until attention was drawn to them. It makes the model look Italian rather than masculine, I thought.

It may be a few days before I get to work on your photo, but I would enjoy trying some different effects. Also, feel free to look at my work and see how it could be improved.

No probs Anouilh - do your worst - I'd be interested to see what you come up with. There's a link through to the original size (huge!) from the picture above..

As for the toning, I didn't want it monochrome. I'm still not sure on that decision (I might still convert) but I thought the different tones gave this particular image a bit more depth? It's a bit nore sepia-ish on my monitor than pink though?

I'f I'm feeling up to college tomorrow (sick as a dog here) I intend to go to the lab and try some test prints to check the hue off the printer. I've tested it on screen there and on this (calibrated) monitor, but I'd like to be sure before I go any further...