How to achieve skin almost without sructure

[SadChi]

Hello,

Some times the skin structure/texture is not necessary from photographers point of view. How to achieve skin without texture using LF? To make something like that:

http://2photo.ru/uploads/posts/7891/20081007/shelak_maxim/07_10_2008_0870078001223362174_shelak_maxim.jpg

[Vlad Soare]

Massive overdevelopment, or printing with a #5 filter, or both.

[Dave Brown]

Soft focus, flat light, a subject with smooth skin, careful dodging of areas that do show texture.

[Brian Ellis]

Are you using a darkroom or Photoshop? I've never done it but if I was trying to do it in a darkroom I'd underexpose (for the blacks), massively overdevelop (for the skin tone and the grain) using a film lwith a high shoulder, print with a high contrast paper/filter, then spend the rest of the night dodging and burning. Or you could make a couple duplicate negatives using lith film if possible and if it's still around. When you make a series of dupes, especially with lith film, you end up with a very high contrast negative. A third possibility would be to make a paper "negative" in camera, which also produces a high contrast look. But you can do a better job much quicker with much less drudge work if you use Photoshop. I'd guess that 99.9% of the time when you see photographs like this lately it's done in Photoshop.

[Ralph Barker]

While there are various methods that can be used to achieve "milk white" skin with little or no texture, the conventional method would be to "place" the usual Zone 6.5 skin at Zone 7.5, or even 8, by opening up a stop (or a stop and a half). You may, or may not, want to adjust development accordingly.

[SadChi]

Thanks to everyone. You fed we with a lot of good ideas. I'm using darkroom, so idea with overdeveloping and placing skin to Zone 7-8 seems workable for me.

[Robert Brummitt]

I would also suggest using a pyro developer. It gives a smoother testure.

[domenico Foschi]

Red Filter

[SadChi]

Red Filter

Domenico,

Good idea too, but the lips will suffer.

Regards.

[Paul Kierstead]

Well, if you completely control the situation, you could use a non-red lipstick, or an appropriate tone of lipstick

[SadChi]

Well, if you completely control the situation, you could use a non-red lipstick, or an appropriate tone of lipstick

It will work, thanks.

[Ash]

Red filter? But yellow is more flattering for skintone?

Red may increase contrast but also make any blemishes more obvious. You could use a yellow filter for exposure, then use more magenta filter in the darkroom for contrast.

[jnantz]

high key lighting

[Ash]

In fact high hey isn't enough, it's better to have a softbox mere inches away from the face, maybe 1-2 foot, with your camera just behind the box which for you acts as a flag.

[jnantz]

i have achieved this look using bright light, over exposure and overdevelopment.
no softboxes - i just used sunlight and a yellow siding that
reflected the sun. other times, i had softboxes and flash fanned both sides
45º from my model even light, overexposed (again) ..
over development helps a bit ... i agree just bright light isn't enough ...
i was just giving an over simplified answer ...

[C. D. Keth]

Don't forget that makeup is a big part of that look, or at least of achieving that look with a minimum of problems and a maximum of perfection. The skintone needs to be evened out first and preferably paled some. Then lipstick can be applied in a color that will work with your preference of filters. To get that old Greta Garbo closeup look, a midtone green lipstick works great with an orange filter on the lens.

[Brian Ellis]

While there are various methods that can be used to achieve "milk white" skin with little or no texture, the conventional method would be to "place" the usual Zone 6.5 skin at Zone 7.5, or even 8, by opening up a stop (or a stop and a half). You may, or may not, want to adjust development accordingly.

I think I'd do the opposite to achieve a look similar to the one the OP posted. Moving Zone VI to Zone VII or VIII works fine for the skin but look at all the texture-less blacks in the photograph he posted (hair, eye lashes, etc). Placing the skin on Zone VII or VIII will result in the dark areas being on on Zone IV or V, which will make it very difficult to achieve the black look that the OP's photograph has. So it seems to me that you'd underexpose for the hair, eyelashes, etc. (i.e. place them on Zone II or so) to be able to print them as pure black like they are in the OP's photograph, then overdevelop to move the skin tone up from Zone VI to Zone VII or VIII.

[Paul Fitzgerald]

Ash,

"Red filter? But yellow is more flattering for skintone?

Red may increase contrast but also make any blemishes more obvious."

No, red #25 or #29 would eliminate any blemishes, they make red lighter in the print and would reduce contrast.

[Frank Petronio]

Flat even light blasted and steep "S" curve in Photoshop.

[Anupam]

Red may [...] also make any blemishes more obvious.

Just the opposite.

[Hector.Navarro]

a blue filter 80A will enhance scars & blemishes....

[Shen45]

Print through a sheer black stocking and increase the contrast of the paper by about 1 extra grade. Use the stocking for at least 50% of the print exposure.

[jnantz]

green filter gets rid of redness in skin, not red ...

[Ash]

I'm getting my colours confused. Or am I?

[Anupam]

green filter gets rid of redness in skin, not red ...

Red will lighten red. For caucasian skin, which is light, this means reddish imperfections will blend in. Green, blue etc will darken reddish imperfections, making them stand out against light skin.

[domenico Foschi]

Green filter is for Galli and the LGM.

[jnantz]

Red will lighten red. For caucasian skin, which is light, this means reddish imperfections will blend in. Green, blue etc will darken reddish imperfections, making them stand out against light skin.

that's weird,
i've boosted green filter on kids
with blemises and they vanished ..
and when talking about "hiding red" with
someone who worked make-up for
tv shows / movies ... she told me that they
often times filter lights with green
to hide blemishes on some of the actors / actresses ....

guess my color blindness is showing ...

:confused:

should have said YMMV

[C. D. Keth]

that's weird,
i've boosted green filter on kids
with blemises and they vanished ..
and when talking about "hiding red" with
someone who worked make-up for
tv shows / movies ... she told me that they
often times filter lights with green
to hide blemishes on some of the actors / actresses ....

guess my color blindness is showing ...

:confused:

should have said YMMV

That's strange. I work on movies and in TV and I've never once seen a DP filter a light green with the purpose of hiding blemishes. Usually it's a gel called "cosmetic" which is a pale pink combined with a light diffusion.

[PViapiano]

From the LL site:

http://www.luminous-landscape.com/columns/sm-02-04-28.shtml

Some good suggestions there. You don't have to jump through hoops with filters, etc...when you print, print for the skin tones you want. I do this all the time, and the results are wonderful, esp with a Leica and nice glass.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/viapiano/2547066661/

[jnantz]

That's strange. I work on movies and in TV and I've never once seen a DP filter a light green with the purpose of hiding blemishes. Usually it's a gel called "cosmetic" which is a pale pink combined with a light diffusion.

i guess she realized how gullible i am and was feeding me a line .. :rolleyes:
i have used it myself in PS and it worked to do what she claimed it did
very strange indeed.

i was hoping you would chime in with your experience christoper ..

thanks!

john

[C. D. Keth]

i guess she realized how gullible i am and was feeding me a line .. :rolleyes:
i have used it myself in PS and it worked to do what she claimed it did
very strange indeed.

i was hoping you would chime in with your experience christoper ..

thanks!

john

No cause to be snide.

[SadChi]

Thanks to everyone.

[jnantz]

http://styles101.homestead.com/corrective2.html
look under: Acne, red blotchiness, rosacea

green concealer is used by most women or men who wear makeup and and need to conceal
redness. a green filter does the same thing ...

christopher, i wasn't being snide sorry it came off that way ...

[David A. Goldfarb]

Part of this effect is light and exposure, but some people use local bleaching as well.

[cowanw]

http://styles101.homestead.com/corrective2.html
look under: Acne, red blotchiness, rosacea

green concealer is used by most women or men who wear makeup and and need to conceal
redness. a green filter does the same thing ...

christopher, i wasn't being snide sorry it came off that way ...

Lets nail this down.
Is there a difference between mixing colours, in which mixing red and green will give you a brownish colour, and filtering out red wavelengths. I suspect so.
A big red birthmark will have less light pass through a filter that blocks red and will appear darker in a b&w print in the same way a yellow filter blocks blue and darkens a blue sky.
Pigment colouring works differently, I think. I you mix red and green and blue you get brown. If you mix Red, green and blue filters you get no light passing i.e. The absence of light and colour, black.
I think it has to do with an additive system and the subtractive system of colours.
yes, no, Maybe?
Kindest Regards
Bill

[cowanw]

Nobody has mentioned this and it may not relate to large format but I think IR film eliminates surface blotches.
Regards
Bill

[Joel Brown]

I was able to achieve the look by under exposing the soft light on my VC head. I stopped just short of pure white. I can also print this image the more conventional way showing all of the skin texture.

www.joelbrownphotography.com