Sepia

CabanSail

I'm interested in the way sepia toning is used, and sometimes abused.

If I'm not mistaken the original purpose of sepia toning was to make photographs more stable by altering the silver and making them better for archival purposes. So many older historic photo's have been treated this way Naturally we then associate sepia toning with old photographs.

I really like the feel sepia toning can give an image when it's appropriate, however when it's applied to an image that it doesn't suit it really clashes (for my eye anyway) A lot of software and some cameras will create a sepia image at the push of a button. This means that some people will tend to apply it to shots without much thought. Maybe I'm wrong here but I feel that when applying a technique there should be a reason why you do so. The sepia effect works to evoke feelings of the past and nostalgia.

I recently saw a shoot where a very modern powerful car was processed in sepia. It was also in graveyard. The photographer had no reason for these decisions other than he thought it was cool. To much of the audience the reaction was WTF?

What do you think?

smelltheglove

I agree, I like sepia in rare circumstances... Ive had clients request outdoor family images in sepia that to me just look wrong, who a I to argue with them but it is abused. I think it is a lot easier to change a photo to a black and white rather than a sepia successfully.

Borderfox

I did a quick google for Sepia pictures and it really is abused. I dont tend to use it that much but some older pictures for the reasons you give above look superb in it.

Thecageyone

I like it for children's portraits, but not much else. And it has to be just right, not overly yellow or brownish. I have my own method of doing it, from scratch. It's more duo/tri-toned I do in fact.

It doesn't work well for adult portraits. I don't know why, it just doesn't.

I like the aged feel it gives to children's portraits, it gives them a timeless feel, like they could be orphans from the 1800's

Oh, and it works well for pub shots for some reason, again, IMO.

There are numerous other mono/duo tone style. Like Selenium and Cyanotype. IMO they're much less attractive.

I prefer B&W in general.

jpb1974

The photographer had no reason for these decisions other than he thought it was cool.

The fact that someone likes something probably accounts for a lot of why we do things.

smelltheglove

jpb1974 wrote: »

The fact that someone likes something probably accounts for a lot of why we do things.

True but what percentage of the community here have abused hdr because it looked 'cool' (I tried it to so I bow my head in shame).

It may look cool but cool does not equate to good!

mehfesto

I like it, but have no idea how to use it correctly myself.
The times I have used it, I thought it was great - coming back to the same picture later, I've discovered how far off I was!

Duotone is the new one for me!; A nice green and purple mix!

jpb1974

but cool does not equate to good!

I can't for the love of me understand why people need to debate other people's own personal preferences and taste. Granted I probably did it myself back in the day... but I've come so far now with photography and forums that I no longer give a shíte.

People are free to make their own choices, and if they're happy then go for it I say. If something is good, bad or indifferent it's no skin off my nose... better things to worry about.

I could post some of my HDRs and Sepias from back in the day that I look back on and shiver at... but I accept that that's what I was into at the time and it's all a learning experience if you ask me.

smelltheglove

And Im not debating that with you either but I am merely stating that the fact somebody liking something does not always mean its good. We have all made the mistake of over editing pictures and regretting it afterwards, its nothing new, I like tomatoe you like tomato debate is timeless but what you need with photography is a timeless image, not something you will go back on in 3 or 30 years and say to yourself Holy crap why did I do that.

jpb1974

what you need with photography is a timeless image

Really?

The only thing I need with photography is to enjoy it.

Thecageyone

It may look cool but cool does not equate to good! - well it's good to anyone who happens to like it.

Just because people don't like it, doesn't mean it's bad.

It's a marmite thing for sure. I like it, I know that's all that matters to me personally. I don't know why so many get uptight about Sepia!?

smelltheglove

jpb1974 wrote: »

Really?

The only thing I need with photography is to enjoy it.

Obviously your perception and my perception are different. I enjoy photography alright but my ultimate goal will always be to produce an image that in later life I will still enjoy, without being irriated by toning or editing, be it for a client or for my own personal images.

jpb1974

My goals and standards could be sky high but debating what other people do or how my tastes don't match theirs doesn't make my photographic experience or the photographs I produce any better.

I just enjoy it... and what happens, happens.

challengemaster

smelltheglove wrote: »

True but what percentage of the community here have abused hdr because it looked 'cool' (I tried it to so I bow my head in shame).

It may look cool but cool does not equate to good!

In your opinion. If the photographer thinks it looks good, then why should your opinion factor into it? Photography is a very personal thing, and unless you're being paid for what you're doing and specfic results are expected, I see no reason why someone shouldn't do whatever they want with THEIR OWN photos.

swingking

There are two ways of looking at this.

1. It's a big competition where everyone is trying to get the best image possible. That means they must not use HDR or sepia and probably resort to film or something.

2. Photography is an art form. The artist must be respected because it is their main idea and it looks appealing to them.

johnmcdnl

CabanSail wrote: »

The photographer had no reason for these decisions other than he thought it was cool.

What do you think?

there ya go - he though it looked good so why not

I don't like the sketchmyphoto yokes on facebook but lots of people think they're cool so they do them..

Not to my taste but everyone to their own I suppose... you mightn't like it but if the guy who took it though it looked good then that's all that really matters at the end of the day

I could take a photo and put it in sepia - in my eyes it could be amazing but everyone here might hate it - does that mean I shouldn't be allowed to do it because it's not to the taste of pro's and such

smelltheglove

challengemaster wrote: »

In your opinion. If the photographer thinks it looks good, then why should your opinion factor into it? Photography is a very personal thing, and unless you're being paid for what you're doing and specfic results are expected, I see no reason why someone shouldn't do whatever they want with THEIR OWN photos.

Yes it is my opinion, they can do what they want with their own photos, I am responding to a thread REQUESTING opinions and my opinion is that sepia is often overused much like other forms of editing because at the time it looks cool. My opinion is also that a good photograph is one that wouldlast through the ages rather than standing out years on because of a gimmicky effect on it, lets say the flowery framed borders of the 90's.

This is a forum where people are entitled togive their opinions and debate those opinions why people seem surprised others here have opinions I have no idea!

On experience, after sepia prints being requested, I have often opened the image up and shown side by side colour, sepia and black and white versions for the client to then see which looks best out of all 3, sepia rarely was the top choice.

CabanSail

I am not denying anyone the freedom to do what they wish with any of their own images. My feeling is that HDR, Selective Colouring, Toning, Stitching etc. are all valid techniques. They can all be very effective when used well. When learning how to use these processes we have all been guilty of over doing it. That is just normal.

What my point here was to do a C&C on a style rather than a single or set of images. This is not denying the right of the tog to do what they like, but when these images are published for general consumption we can also comment on them.

Personally I like the effect and feeling a well done sepia can portray. It can be used effectively as part of the story being expressed to the viewer. Generally I like it when there has been the effort made to tone an image so that it emulates what would have come out of a darkroom, rather than just a filter applied in a program. This also should match the content of the image so it forms part of the narrative.

Thecageyone

Of course you're entitled to your opinion STG, we all are

It depends on the client I guess. As I did a shoot in England for a family recently, I processed about 50 shots for them and forwarded on resized samples for them to choose prints, various processing techniques used. They picked only Sepia & B&W to my surprise. I thought the colour ones were sweet on this occasion.

swingking

sepia toning looks good if it exists mainly in the shadows and the highlights remain untouched. This is how it's replicated in the darkroom

kelly1

Swingking, I got the same tip recently from Jaybeeveedub. He/she wrote:

"tinting applies the color to the whole image in the same way as a filter would...

sepia tone only applies to areas where there is detail... this is especially noticeable in high contrast images...

in a true sepia tone image the black faded to brown leaving the White areas White... as they were just paper colored ( of course the paper color could change too...)

to achieve a true tone you need to apply a mask so the color change applies only to those areas of the print receiving ink... leaving the paper color for White areas... "

Thread is here

I tried this in Lightroom and it definitely looks better to me if you tone the shadows only.

Thecageyone

Yeah, as i said earlier, less yellow, as in, what should be white areas. I know I used to go all out on the tones, now I begin in LR, and finish in PS, desaturating any yellows or browns from the whites.

It's really no more complicated than that.