Have you seen Merkley??? 's amazing photos?

Strokesfan

Has anyone seen these amazin photos on Flickr taken by Merkley, they are out of this world I think, he says he uses Photoshop to make people look so gorgeous, can anyone else do this or describe how he does it? Gives their skin this flawless finish...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/merkley/

AlisonB

These are SUPER shots !! Definitely something i'd love to shoot. There is a number of ways to give a flawless finish. In minor cases, healing brush, gaussian blur and addition of some noise to get rid of that plastic blow up doll look . In extreme cases, there are plugins or software available. I have a Kodak plugin (used with PhotoShop) installed on my machine (only a trial version) but seems pretty effective. Only trial version so i will leave a watermark on any images you try and save.


Kodak Digital GEM Airbrrush Professional 2.0

Zillah

Oh God.

1, its really easy to do, 2, they look awful. Photoshop is a delicate tool, sure you can smear away their real skin tone and replace it with perfect smooth textures, but they look like shiny barbies.

I can't believe you think the people in those photos look good. They look like they're made of latex.

Fenster

They don't look too shiny and:

NSFW

Fionn

i guess he's got a certain consistant look there eh?

all the glamour mags use airbrush techniques all the time, why not others? and the composition of some are very good as well.

Not too long ago there were peeps exaggerating all the flaws visable on a person's face etc. this guy does the opposite

some like it others don't

elven

Of course it's down to taste (or should I say lack of ) but if we all just kept our mouth shut and didn't say what we liked or didn't like it would be a fairly quiet old world wouldn't it?

Personally I don't see where he's going with those pictures... they are too obscure to be framed and hung on a wall - I could be wrong of course - but at the same time I think they are too plasticky looking to be considered to be trying to actually convey a message or even something of the character of the models. Maybe they are making a comment about the plastickyness of the models, who knows. I personally think it's pretentious mince... but I take pictures of flowers, what do I know, eh?

rymus

Zillah wrote:

1, its really easy to do, 2, they look awful.

I agree on both counts. If you wanted all your photos to come out that 'good' and didn't have a copy of photoshop handy, just wrap all your models tightly in cling film. There's airbrushing, then there's taking the piss. Clearly this is the latter.

After clicking the link in work, I also agree on the nsfw

elven

Aah, now I know what nsfw means...

I'm glad that I was at home when I was reading it first time round. Could have done with a heads up there.

Dimy

elven wrote:

Aah, now I know what nsfw means...

I'm glad that I was at home when I was reading it first time round. Could have done with a heads up there.

You're not supposed to browse boards while at work anyway!!!! :rolleyes:

So what does nsfw means? It still doesn't ring a bell to me. As for the photo's.... I don't really like them, I find them rather untasty and don't like the processing effect either. I think it's one of those things you either love or hate.

Fenster

Not Safe For Work

peckerhead

With all that post-editing, you'd think he'd have got rid of poor snortzle's redeye...! :rolleyes:

Oriel

They're crap. But then I hate fashion/glamour photography at the best of times.

rymus

Perhaps this could inspire a future photo challenge.. Your most over-cooked, over-edited and hideous looking portraits. Hmm

Dimy

rymus wrote:

Perhaps this could inspire a future photo challenge.. Your most over-cooked, over-edited and hideous looking portraits. Hmm

You wanna model for that rymus?

Fajitas!

It was said best above...Photoshop is a delicate tool.

As much as I like fashion photography, and as much as I like women, I find they need some character...not sanded faces...

Shrimp

Ok, those photos, nice enough set up.. ie lighting and stuff... but they were wrecked in post production..

anyways... the problem soooo many portrait/fashion photographers have when they go to do post work is that they go to airbrush the skin, but they seem to forget that, a few things..

A) If they smooth out the skin, the skin must still retain the texture that skin has. You know, tiny wrinkles..

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=163279926&size=o look at the state of that.. Way to over done..

http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=158043173&size=o Who's legs actually are like that, they look plastic, and to be honest, that shot in particular isn't exactly great..

I could go on, but If u want to see some good photography check out..

http://www.jsmonzani.com/

rymus

Dimy wrote:

You wanna model for that rymus?

Only if I can wear my sparkly speedo

mike65

Yuk! Look like an attempt to do Helmut Newton in colour all bad poses and silly croping.

Mike

Oriel

pimp wrote:

If they smooth out the skin, the skin must still retain the texture that skin has. You know, tiny wrinkles..

For exmaple - this photo here really overdoses on the post production:

http://ic1.deviantart.com/fs9/i/2006/049/6/9/Through_His_Eyes_by_Shrimp123.jpg

Shrimp

yeah, but that was taken about 2 weeks after I started photography, it was intended, it wasn't meant to look real, since when is someones face completely surrounded with darkness..

i was wondering why you visited my gallery earlier...

Oriel

Shrimp wrote:

i was wondering why you visited my gallery earlier...

I visit it every so often...

Karoma

Strokesfan wrote:

..can anyone else do this or describe how he does it?[/url]

Ask some tango'd oompa loompa going into Slapper Face's to hold a torch to her face.

There are airbrushing tutorials on-line. The key to 'good airbrushing' is subtlety.
I can do it. I hate doing it. Lines, blemishes, blotches... all good; all add to the story of the subject's life and, by extension, the photograph taken.

Shrimp

Here is how airbrushing should be done..

http://www.retouchme.co.uk/

Fajitas!

sinecurea wrote:

Pimp

Lol!!!

Mike65, spot on, Newton gone wrong. Similar colours alright, but missing all the character, the grittyness and fetish quality of Newtons work.

Fajitas!

Shrimp wrote:

Here is how airbrushing should be done..

http://www.retouchme.co.uk/

http://www.retouchme.co.uk/NEW_IMAGES/ong03.jpg

Yup...

311

I never use photoshop ,but she has clone lines on her bottom lip

Her lips don't look right at all ,very sharp. no subtlety

The chin is very bad aswell ,is this for real.