CASE STUDY 3
high fashion editorial | retouch & color grading
This image has been kindly provided by beauty and fashion photographer Ava Pivot.
final image
general idea / briefing
The main focus for the post production of this fashion editorial was to bring all images of the series into one family. The models were shot at various outdoor locations over the course of the day, so the light and color temperature changed naturally.
So the first step was a master color grade that Ava and I agreed on before retouching the whole series.
first step - raw conversion in Capture One Pro
As stated above, the main focus in Capture One was a master grade that brings all eighteen images of the series together as one family. The chosen mood is a warm, contrasty grade that brings out the details of the models' skin and highlights the fashion by Louis Vuitton (designed by Virgil Abloh) and Balmain.
second step - markup & notes
As you can see in the markup and visual notes, these areas need to be retouched and adjusted. I wanted to remove the color cast in the fabrics and keep them fairly neutral so they pop out of the scene. The face needs some blemish removal, dodging and burning and generally more punch in the skin texture.
In addition, the creases in the fabric needed to be smoothed and reduced. The retouch is finished with an additional, complementary color grade that enhances the mood and balances the images across the series.
third step - clean up and dodging & burning
The skin is retouched in a very natural way, only taking out texture that is not smooth and comes from temporary imperfections. The creases were removed with a non-destructive technique, so any part the client wants to recover stays available. The skin has been cleaned and enhanced.
fourth step - color correction and color grading
To balance luminosity, colors and grade and to create a harmonic color scheme, I removed the color cast in the fabrics. Kept fairly neutral, they pop out of the scene and give the viewer's eye a point to rest on: the collar shirt and cap by Louis Vuitton.
The look is finished with a subtle additional complementary grade. It enhances the mood even more and gives me another tool to keep the grade consistent across the whole series by applying it gradually.
fifth step - introducing a flexible and subtle grain finish
To give the final image a natural, convincing look and feel, I add a very subtle and flexible grain layer that adapts automatically to any format change or crop. I use my own grain patterns on individual adjustment layers, extracted from original analogue film.
The final image can now be delivered to the photographer and the magazine.
a similar project in mind?
Let's talk: mail@janwischermann.de