Jon Warwick Posted June 26, 2014 Share #1 Posted June 26, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) Quite a lot has been written about the M240 images looking rather "flat", and also colors not being quite accurate. This is something that I find too. My questions -- (i) what do you recommend doing in PS (or via the NIK collection - I have Silver Efex and Color Efex) to add some "pop" / "3D look" / micro-contrast into the M240 files? I've tried upping the Clarity in Raw -- it helped to some extent -- but it's still not that great. Any suggestions? (ii) what are your recommendations to get the most accurately recorded SKIN colors (I mainly shoot caucasian people). Preferably in the camera itself (eg, advice on using manual white balance or dialing in a color profile), or in post processing? Many thanks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted June 26, 2014 Posted June 26, 2014 Hi Jon Warwick, Take a look here How to make M240 images look more "3D", and with "accurate" colors?. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
250swb Posted June 26, 2014 Share #2 Posted June 26, 2014 If you have the full Nik Suite try the Structure slider in Viveza, it works better than Clarity in ACR. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sanyasi Posted June 26, 2014 Share #3 Posted June 26, 2014 One tecniques I have been using when I want a little more pop in the colors is to add a selective color adjustment layer and to then increase the amount of black in the grey. You don't need to add much--maybe 3 or 4 to get a nice result. I have found this tool to be useful to adjust other colors. Many people are unfamiliar with this tool. I believe it is the last option in the adjustment layer sub menu. I add this adjustment early in the process. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted June 26, 2014 Share #4 Posted June 26, 2014 (ii) what are your recommendations to get the most accurately recorded SKIN colors (I mainly shoot caucasian people). Preferably in the camera itself (eg, advice on using manual white balance or dialing in a color profile), or in post processing? If circumstances permit, you could shoot a frame including a ColorChecker Passport in the scene. If not, you could establish more general profiles for typical lighting conditions using the Passport. If colors are consistently skewed in one direction (e.g., too much red or orange, for instance), you might also establish some pre-sets with the appropriate corrections already dialed in. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pico Posted June 26, 2014 Share #5 Posted June 26, 2014 (i) what do you recommend doing in PS (or via the NIK collection - I have Silver Efex and Color Efex) to add some "pop" / "3D look" / micro-contrast into the M240 files? I've tried upping the Clarity in Raw -- it helped to some extent -- but it's still not that great. Any suggestions? Could you point (link) to some images you believe have the 3D look? . Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genn Posted June 29, 2014 Share #6 Posted June 29, 2014 I think, you could give a try to a family of HiRaLoAm edits. One example - you make a copy of all layers merged together, then desaturate it, then apply high pass command with big radius - 10..50..100 pix, change mixing mode to overlay and make opacity between 10 and 30. This will improve mid-size contrast. (Once you get idea - you can make your own action with preferred settings.) Another approach - to get Cron or Lux lens, and use it with f/2..f/4. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkP Posted June 29, 2014 Share #7 Posted June 29, 2014 Advertisement (gone after registration) I was shown a variation of this very effective method to use towards the end of my Photoshop workflow: 1. High pass filter ~250 layer (and then dialled down opacity to 20-30%) as a soft light overlay on base layer. Then flatten. 2. High pass filter ~1 to 2 layer (just enough to get an outline of the main components of the image) overlaid on the base layer. Then flatten. 3. Then just a whiff of Gausian noise to add some filmic texture to the image. ps - very easy to overdo it so as always less is more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Warwick Posted July 1, 2014 Author Share #8 Posted July 1, 2014 Another approach - to get Cron or Lux lens, and use it with f/2..f/4. Absolutely agree here -- that seems to give a wonderfully deep and 3D look when I've tried it. That aside -- for things like landscapes or when using a lens stopped down -- is it mostly the wide dynamic range of the M240 that can initially give images a slightly flat look, and are you all confident that you can get "depth" into them with post processing? The main reason I ask is because I'm looking to pull the trigger on an M240 (it would be my first digital Leica after years with an M7), and want reassurance that I don't end up with flat-looking prints! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
250swb Posted July 1, 2014 Share #9 Posted July 1, 2014 ....are you all confident that you can get "depth" into them with post processing? Yes. If you find the default look 'flat' do some post processing. That is what all those sliders and things are for, to make the image look as you want it to. The chap who programmed the software for Leica probably didn't understand the exact type of look you were after, just as the guy who did it for Nikon, Canon, Fuji, Sony, etc. won't know either. Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff S Posted July 1, 2014 Share #10 Posted July 1, 2014 ... and want reassurance that I don't end up with flat-looking prints! If you think the look of prints is determined solely by the camera, you're likely to be disappointed. Same as always…film or digital. Jeff Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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