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Introduction to Fine Art Post-Processing

Lesson 58 from: Portrait Photography Fundamentals

Scott Robert Lim

Introduction to Fine Art Post-Processing

Lesson 58 from: Portrait Photography Fundamentals

Scott Robert Lim

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Lesson Info

58. Introduction to Fine Art Post-Processing

Lessons

Class Trailer
1

Class Introduction

04:10
2

5 Shots That WOW

14:08
3

Four Fundamentals of Photography

08:05
4

Create a Visual Impact with Composition

07:04
5

Importance of Foreground and Background

08:30
6

Create Depth in Landscape Images

18:09
7

Photos Don't Always Follow the Rules

02:11
8

Composition Practice Exercise

10:41
9

Composition Critique of Student Images

05:28
10

Keys to Posing

05:37
11

Shoot: Classic Elegance Female Pose

14:46
12

Shoot: Modern Female Pose

09:04
13

Shoot: Rollover Female Pose

08:10
14

Female Hands & Arms Poses Overview

19:52
15

Shoot: Hands and Arms Poses for Female

08:58
16

Seven Posing Guidelines

04:18
17

Headshots Poses with Male Model

14:59
18

Shoot: Headshot for Male Model

06:45
19

Shoot: Sitting Poses for Male Model

10:03
20

Shoot: Leaning Poses for Male Model

06:43
21

Shoot: Standing Poses for Male Model

03:32
22

Keys to Couples Posing

10:31
23

Shoot: Couples Posing

06:17
24

Couples Transitional Posing Overview

14:28
25

Shoot: Transitional Posing

15:25
26

Keys to Group Posing

07:12
27

Accordion Technique with Groups

07:46
28

Shoot: Accordion Technique

04:11
29

Shoot: Best Buds Pose

04:54
30

Shoot: Talk with Your Hands Pose

02:33
31

Shoot: Lock Arms and Hold Hands Pose

04:34
32

Run at the Camera and Dance in Your Seat Poses

04:13
33

Shoot: Pod Method Pose

17:58
34

Posing Critique of Student Images

09:32
35

Introduction to Lighting

05:38
36

Soft vs Hard Light

17:10
37

Difficult Lighting Situations

05:52
38

Bright Light Techniques

18:16
39

Overcast Light Techniques

10:34
40

Low Light Techniques

10:27
41

Lighting Techniques Q&A

14:58
42

Drama Queen Lighting

06:26
43

Laundry Basket Lighting

09:44
44

Make it Rain Lighting

03:48
45

Smart Phone Painting with Light

07:53
46

Mini LED Bokeh Lighting

08:22
47

Choose the Right Lighting System

13:30
48

Hybrid Flash System

06:42
49

Innovative Accessories

05:35
50

Gear Overview

06:19
51

Theatrical Post-Processing

06:07
52

Ten Keys to Post-Processing

08:37
53

Essential Skills to Post-Processing

08:25
54

Headshot Post-Processing

24:53
55

Bright Light Post-Processing

09:45
56

Flat Light Post-Processing

14:46
57

Low Light Post-Processing

08:24
58

Introduction to Fine Art Post-Processing

09:06
59

Light & Airy Fine Art Post-Processing

27:34
60

Dark & Moody Fine Art Post-Processing

13:36
61

Post-Processing Critique of Student Images

36:56

Lesson Info

Introduction to Fine Art Post-Processing

I'm gonna talk to you a little bit about fine art, what they call fine art post processing and, you know, I would have a lot of people look at my photos and go, you know what, I like how you do that effect where it kinda looks like a painting and a photo and I'm not quite sure what that is. Well anyways, that's what I'm gonna talk about and its a very popular method, and a lot of times when you're submitting for a competition, a lot of those type of images win. And we'll go into a little bit why they do and I'll explain the fine art post editing process. And so let's get going on it now. So when you're doing fine art post editing, it's really kinda creating a timeless image and that's what you're kinda going for is something that's timeless, that could just live forever. So what type of imagery is that? Let me first ask you, why are paintings priced higher than photographs? I did a search, and you can do this too, on Google, and I looked up the highest priced paintings, and I think the...

y're up at 200 million or something like that. And I go, well, I wonder what it is for the highest priced photograph. What d'you think that is? Lookin' it up, and who do you think it is? What's that? Peter, what? Peter Hurley, I think you mean Peter Lik. Yeah. (laughs) Peter Hurley does head shots, he's great at that. (laughs) He would take the compliment, that's for sure. Okay, right, and what do you think that price was, on a photograph, the highest? Anybody have a guess on it? Well, it's about... Well at one time it was one and a half million, but I think he recently sold something, you know the one in the Grand Canyon where the light goes through the things and... I think it was about six and a half million. But paintings, why is it that paintings are so much more popular and demand such a higher price with a painting than with a photograph? Well, reality is common and that's kinda what a photograph is, right. We could go to the Grand Canyon and we can see a great landscape shot, right, and so we see a picture of that, we can go to the exact same location and see it. And so it's somewhat, reality we can actually kind of see. But when you're talking about a painting, and these paintings that are millions and millions of dollars, it's strictly, what, the artist's vision. So what does that tell us? We are gonna get paid for our vision, okay? And if post processing allows us to extend our vision, then that's gonna separate us. So let's take a look at what really makes, say, a painting tick. Right, if we can kinda look at, and I recommend you doing that, I recommend you doing a Google search, and if you Google search and are like, you know, top paintings, or whatever it is, and search it and then go in Google and just hit images and just look at what comes down at you, you get a kinda feel of that painting. And so what we wanna do is take some of those aspects and bring it into our Photoshop, and create that. So let's look at some of those keys of what happens when you do that. When you do the Google search, and you click images, and you look at it. Well one thing is when you see a painting, you see detail, detail, detail, details, like crazy. And so there's a lot a detail in it. And when you look at a famous picture, let me ask you, do you see a lot a white in the image? No, right? Does, like a painter, he's got a canvas, right, the canvas is white. Does he leave, oh you know what, I'm just gonna leave that canvas white there, 'cause it goes with that. Do they do that most of the time? No. (laughs) It's completely filled with tones. Tone, Tone, Tone, Tone, all over the place, right. And so that's why you see me when I'm doing my editing, I'm adding tones. Like when you see my pictures it's just solid tone and there's not a lot of like, whites blown out. I am kinda like the opposite of light and airy (laughs) you know the light and airy look, where they've got a lot of blown highlights and things like that. I'm the opposite of that, where I'm going for the tone feel to it. So there's minimal white tones as all. No blown out highlights. Complimentary color pallets, they use that a lot. And they exaggerate that a lot. So they have exaggerated tones! Look at it, Google it, look up famous paintings, click the images so you see 'em all at once, you're gonna see exaggerated tones all over the place. Larger than life tones. It has to grab your attention. 'Cause everything kinda looks normal, oh okay. But if you change the tone of the sky and make it even bluer or whatever, oh, okay, or make it pink, or... I'm looking now because those tones are exaggerated. And that's what our vision is, that's what our creativity is that we do that in our mind. Strong composition, you'll see those paintings, they have very strong composition. They have strong posing, and they have strong lighting. They've got it all, they're the full package, exactly what we're trying to learn. And so those images are perfect, they're timeless, everything is perfect about them and you're gonna see that, the composition, just, wow. The lighting is wow, Rembrandt lighting, well that's where we got the term from. It's from a painter! What we use in photography for lighting is what a painter developed. Rembrandt lighting, that tells you something about the lighting. Strong posing, right, everything has to come together. And so, you're really not gonna be able to do these processes with your images once you start to lock down the basics of each of those. And then bring those images and then do that fine art processing with it then it's gonna... Keep practicing it, and it's gonna look better, and better, and better, as you get better. You're going to have more versatility with your images the better they get, right. But when you don't produce a great image, eh, I can only do one or two things here, really, and that's about it. Okay, amplify the main subject, diminish complementary elements. And then we talked about that before. And that's a must, especially when you're having detail, detail, detail, right. Then you can't have all the detail come out at you all at once because you'll go like, oh, sensory overload here, not quite sure what to do with everything. So that's why you've got to say, hey, main image here and then complementary around it. Okay, then here's another source of information. I want you to look up popular landscapes. So do a Google search or, you know, top landscapes, right. Do the same thing. Click on the images that screen come down to you and see those tons of thumbnails of the best landscape images. What are you gonna see? You're going to see the same thing. Are you going to see just normal skies out there? Or you go on Instagram, right, and you follow those amazing landscapes photographers and you are gonna see tone, tone, tone, tone. You're not gonna see a lot of blown out white anywhere. Everything is gonna be filled with tone. Usually there's like a main focal point, like a waterfall or whatever and then everything is gonna kind of enhance that main focus to it. Instead of focusing on people they're focusing on nature and using post processing to really amplify that. And that's What you really want to get at.

Class Materials

Bonus Materials with Purchase

Alien Skin Software Discount Code

Ratings and Reviews

Vitor Rademaker
 

This course is amazing! Scott is extremely straightforward. He goes directly to practical problems, tips and etc. He explains every thing very clearly, and he is also very funny and charismatic, making you laugh as you learn. He shows that you don't need a lot of expensive gear to make very nice pictures. So I have saved some money as well, cause I was about to buy some gear that I wouldn't need right now. It is for sure one of the best photography courses I have ever attended to! I highly recommend! Thanks a lot Scott! You are the best!

user-9994d2
 

I have purchased a number of classes, this being one of them. The quality of the information was good and the level at which Scott spoke was appropriate for me. Having a course sylibus would add greatly to the value, which usually is not part of the programs I've purchased including this one, unless I've missed it. I believe the speaker should be required to provide one. After watching the videos, much of material can be recaptured by seeing it in writing. I would like to hear back from Creativelive their thoughts. In sum, good topic, good speaker, good technical audio and video quality by Creativelive

user-b48fe5
 

Another fantastic class with Scott Robert Lim! The combination of his knowledge, willingness to share, passion & entertaining personality makes him a top choice for photography education. Learning not only the "what", but the "why" & "how" can transform one's entire approach towards MAKING pictures. A constant inspiration to get better & better through practice.

Student Work

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