Duotone and Neo-Noir

Fajitas!

Covey wrote: »

I think it's a boxing term Al

It's an 'album' from Spinal Tap

Fajitas!

Anouilh wrote: »

I cannot understand this, Fajitas. If I scan Neopan negatives, will the same thing happen.

At least now I'm beginning to see why some of my attempts at BW photography a few years ago came back with a colour cast.

It's because they're not black and white - Not many things are, and the scanner will scan in the colours that are present - Most scanning software should have a BW option though, so it'll do the work for you. A lot of BW negs will scan in with a browny-sepia (Sh*t, I've said that word again) tone.

trishw78

I find sepia-toning (there I said it) & duo-toning, can be very boring, you need to have an interesting photograph to begin with, in order for these process to work well.

OT: has "That Tree" in Carlow been put through any of these processes yet.

That's my two cents.

Fajitas!

Cliche much?

Spring/Summer 2007

Edit; It's selenium toned.

trishw78

@Al I knew someone had done it...

Thinking abit more on this I think that it would be very easy to get stereotyped as being the photog that does the duotoning/whatever, while clients like it now, they may not always like it.

Is this the topaz/vignette/HDR?

Fajitas!

There's plenty of vignetting on it, but it's done via burning rather than a LR slider in this case. I really dislike HDR's or the Topaz presets tbh, so I avoid at all costs

smelltheglove

trishw78 wrote: »

@Al I knew someone had done it...

Thinking abit more on this I think that it would be very easy to get stereotyped as being the photog that does the duotoning/whatever, while clients like it now, they may not always like it.

Is this the topaz/vignette/HDR?

That is true and this is why you need to have variation of styles and discuss the clients tastes. I meet evry client upon booking and get a feel of what they are about, what they hope to achieve, some want traditional, some quirky, some just natural. I dont think you can have one style of photography and apply it to everyone but I do believe it helps to be known for having something a bit different, also because of the circles of people I associate with etc I tend to get a fair few from musical backgrounds, rock or metal contact me and this style suits them quite well.

eas

The toning methods we've been discussing have been in the mix for generations & generations - I don't think it's suddenly going to become unpopular or wrong within photography circles to use these "techniques"

Personally I don't think too much thought should be put into what the client will like in 5-10 years. Producing photography is about doing it in the present. Why restrict yourself based on what will or won't be popular down the road?

Anouilh

trishw78 wrote: »

I find sepia-toning (there I said it) & duo-toning, can be very boring, .

Have you found work that you think is successful, trish78?

Covey

Anouilh wrote: »

Have you found work that you think is successful, trish78?

She has indeed, she's a moderator :pac::pac:

Buzz Lightyear

Jeez it great to see a good auld battering getting going here again. This place has been sedate for the last while. I'm sitting back in the car reading while I'm waiting for someone, crackin me a*$e laughing. It sounds like I missed a great morning. :P

Art is art and is totally subjective to ones perspective, and ' there should be no need to talk to a photographer to explain'.

As for Covey and duo tones ... not my work but appropiate

Covey

Ah but no blood spatters on the spoon :eek:

Buzz Lightyear

Covey wrote: »

Ah but no blood spatters on the spoon :eek:

For flip sake man this is a family forum :P

Anouilh

Sean Sculley's duotones of walls in Aran are remarkable:

http://www.photoeye.com/BookteaseLight/bookteaselight.cfm?catalog=NT224&image=7

Anouilh

Favourite colour combinations could be explored?

I find green very difficult to work with but indigo and blues give a sort of old world newsprint effect:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61766224&postcount=1031

smelltheglove

Anouilh wrote: »

Favourite colour combinations could be explored?

I find green very difficult to work with but indigo and blues give a sort of old world newsprint effect:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=61766224&postcount=1031

I dont particularily like any green combinations either! Blues, reds, yellows can work quite well.

Anouilh

Muted tones of apricot, silver and teal are also very pleasing.

Mildred E. Eldridge was a well known artist and book illustrator.

Her work comes up on Ebay for next to nothing these days:

http://cgi.ebay.it/Abergynolwyn-slate-fences-Mildred-Eldridge-print-1940_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQitemZ260464438559

There are some very good ideas in her composition and choice of toning.

Anouilh

Fajitas! wrote: »

There's plenty of vignetting on it, but it's done via burning rather than a LR slider in this case. I really dislike HDR's or the Topaz presets tbh, so I avoid at all costs

I've just found this tutorial on duotone and printing:

http://www.takegreatpictures.com/duotone_tutorial.fci

The technique can only be fully appreciated when an image is printed, I think, as on a screen the finer points of duotone do not really stand out.

HDR is really a procedure in its own right, I think. It always seems closer to intaglio than to traditional photography in the density of its effects.

Anybody interested in BW and duotones could take a look in Hughes & Hughes on the top level, outdoors, in the Dundrum Shopping Centre. I have found remaindered copies of some of these books

http://www.nobleandbeggarmanbooks.com/advSearch.asp?search=duotone&submit=Search

there, over time, as well as some very useful digital imaging handbooks:

Anouilh

"The Lady in the Water", directed by Shyamalan and starring Paul Giamatti will be shown on TV3 at 10.30 tonight.

http://archive.sensesofcinema.com/contents/08/46/m-night-shyamalan.html

It is noteworthy that different tones of blue were used in the posters for the French and English speaking markets:

http://www.cinemovies.fr/fiche_affiches.php?IDfilm=8293

Cultural significance in colour toning is worth looking at closely, perhaps?

Anybody interested in lenses used by cinematographers will probably enjoy this:

http://www.theasc.com/magazine_dynamic/August2006/LadyintheWater/page2.php

50mm is described as "too conventional"...

Arciphel

Cheers Anouilh will have to give it a watch after all your talking about it...

Anouilh

Anouilh wrote: »

The Macmillan link is now online.

http://us.macmillan.com/winterland


Urban fantasy is so fashionable that I can see TheBaz's work, in particular, being very suited to book covers in that genre.

Anouilh

eas wrote: »

The toning methods we've been discussing have been in the mix for generations & generations - I don't think it's suddenly going to become unpopular or wrong within photography circles to use these "techniques"

Personally I don't think too much thought should be put into what the client will like in 5-10 years. Producing photography is about doing it in the present. Why restrict yourself based on what will or won't be popular down the road?

While projections for the future could be a waste of time, the technological advances that are directing photography at the moment are so forward looking I have to admit I do keep an eye on what is coming down the line.

I've just found a good Flickr group on dutone:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/duotone/pool/

Interestingly, there are many Italian posters.
I always associate dutone with Italy...

eas

yes, absolutely looking forward is essential a if you want your work to stay fresh. But understanding that trends come and go is also a fact that needs to be accepted.

I find photography to be rather calm in the coming and goings of trends compared to the likes of fashion and graphic design. There is also a big difference between technical advancements and artistic ones. Technical advancements are generally met with negativity amongst the masses, artistic ones are usually quite quick to take hold.

For the wedding business it pays to look at what's going on in the US and Australia as they seem to be setting the tone for the rest of the world. For example, the "fusion" concept of wedding photography is currently gaining momentum. I know my next camera will need HD video. Not because I want it to, but because my business will need it to.

Anouilh

eas wrote: »

yes, absolutely looking forward is essential a if you want your work to stay fresh. But understanding that trends come and go is also a fact that needs to be accepted.
...
For the wedding business it pays to look at what's going on in the US and Australia as they seem to be setting the tone for the rest of the world. For example, the "fusion" concept of wedding photography is currently gaining momentum. I know my next camera will need HD video. Not because I want it to, but because my business will need it to.

Being at the cutting edge seems to be a feature of the wedding industry.

I still cannot work out what "fusion" produces in terms of visual culture.

This looks a neat hybrid camera that could fit the bill:

http://gizmodo.com/5163658/jvc-everio-x-an-hd-and-slow+mo-camcorder-that-shoots-9mp-stills-too

Since starting this thread I have noticed that teal seems to be the colour of the moment with film directors, often contrasted with a chocolate toned, very dark sepia. I expect wedding photography calls for a lighter touch.

However, this seems to be a wow:

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/fusion-style-wedding-photography/194329


This has a good idea for a collage:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/79622150@N00/331751506/

I've also seen postcards made of wedding photo collages which can be sent as "Thank You" messages to the guests afterwards.

humberklog

Anouilh wrote: »

Sean Sculley's duotones of walls in Aran are remarkable:

Yet I wouldn't be too gone on the subject matter what makes them duotone?
They look B+W to me, how am I wrong? Should I be seeing another colour other than grey?
I did that colour blind test that was posted recently and came out tip top, I'm wondering now.

Anouilh

humberklog wrote: »

Yet I wouldn't be too gone on the subject matter what makes them duotone?
They look B+W to me, ...

This gives a better representation of the toning, Humberklog:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/imageviewer.asp?ean=9780500543399

I have never been to Aran, but the stones seem to be hot news there:

http://www.randomhouse.com/acmart/catalog/display.pperl?isbn=9781590173145

Whenever exposed to wildernesses and wild places I tend to wish I was back strolling down Grafton Street. However others seem to find rocky landscapes the stuff of dreams.

Anouilh

This thread even got Twittered recently, but it was not a positive notice.

I would like to understand more about split toning and found some very good explanations through this search:

http://www.google.ie/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-GB:official&hs=c2E&q=related:www.alternativephotography.com/articles/art049.html

This reminds me of the lurid colour photography in the 1950's...

Fenster

Oh, Al.

humberklog

Anouilh wrote: »

This gives a better representation of the toning, Humberklog:
[URL="http://"][/URL]

It doesn't really Anouilh, link just opens on book overview. I saw the collection a few year ago and recall it being B+W walls. Sure, sure there's a process that I'm missing the finer points of when I'm viewing them but I kinda take the easier understood route...B+W, colour, sepia toned and duotone. If what I see fits one of these labels quickly then that's what it is regardless of the photographers and appraisers guff.
All that explaining to get across what the photographer wants you to see is a bit irrelevant to me as the ship has already left as soon as I see the work. I never read the pamphlets that go with exhibitions as the works themselves do me grand.
I think your book cover is worked through duotone, I think STG's picture is sepia and your man's walls are B+W.

The book cover looks the biz btw.

Anouilh

http://digital-photography-school.com/5-techniques-for-enhancing-contrast-in-digital-photos

Using contrast and shadows to add drama to a photo.

This photo was desaturated, which is not true duotone.

Photoshop users often share duotone settings and textures that add an aged or retro effect to photos:



http://www.flickr.com/groups/technique/discuss/18226/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/23174201@N06/2531798886/