Some Painterly and Expressionistic Photo Work

in photography •  8 years ago  (edited)

Introduction

I thought for a change from the recent tutorials and standard portrait photos I would do something a bit different and post some of my more controversial photo-paintings and photoshop creations.

These generally divide opinion some people love them, others absolutely hate them and can't stand them.  Some of these are achieved through creative lighting and makeup, whilst others have more extensive Photoshop   work (including painting).

Since most of these take significantly longer to create and work on than conventional photos they tend to be standalone one-off pieces.  Unfortunately it is hard to really see them properly at web sizes but I will try to preserve as much detail as possible in shrinking them.


The Photos


This is an untitled photo.  I was going for a cross-processed fashion magazine type look.  I sometimes like it and other times I don't.  The model is Zoe C.T. - I could do more in this style but generally I prefer to process these kind of photos in B&W.  If people like this look I might try some more.


"Untitled Portrait" - model is Emma Wood.  This is probably one of the more conventional photos. Due to the lighting it was a simple retouch job in Photoshop.  What took a long time was adjusting the colours just right and making sure that neutral parts of the shot didn't look too weird.


Again this is untitled.  Model is Axel Von Rosencoff.  This is a much more painterly work.  The pose really spoke to me.  Painting was used here to remove detail and increase the drama.  Perhaps viewers can suggest a title?



"Mornings Are Blue" - this was a very soft hazy kind of shot to begin with.  I emphasised the blue tones and softened it further.  I also painted out extraneous details which I felt were not required and used painting to soften some other features to get the right "feel".  Model is Rachelle Summers.



You can see more of my work @thecryptofiend - hope you enjoy.

(Verification for me here: http://www.aapicture.com/about-me)

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You look like a very talented artist. But let's find out. Can you use photoshop and paint to make this look beautiful?

Thank you.

It is already beautiful in a rugged - life revealing way. Your face reveals the many struggles you have faced. To alter it would be wrong. I can change it but I think it is already beautiful.

perfect like always

Thank you:)

Always look forward to seeing your work!

Thank you:)

Well done, as always. I really like the one of Emma. Those orange tones aren't something you see all the time and I really like that. Very warm and summery. :)

Thanks:)

Lovely ladies

Thank you:)

Which one is your lady?

Not sure what you mean. Do you mean which photo do I prefer? I'm not sure about that.

Which one do you like from the photos?

I like them all:) They are all not only beautiful and talented but lovely people to work with.

That's very nice of you for saying that!

@the-future It is the truth though:)

The third one is my favorite :)

Thanks. I like it a lot too.

I like the last one most, great shots!

Thank you:)

Well done! Great images. I shoot exclusively with available light, and prefer dark, moody locations. I end up doing a lot of painting because of that. I'm about to spring for Adobe CC now that they offer RAW editing capabilities on the iPad Pro. I'll be posting a blog about it once I get there.

Cool. Available light makes it tricky! Do you still use reflectors though - I'm assuming you'd have to?

Not sure I'd want to try editing on an Ipad Pro although I suppose the pen will make it more like using a tablet.

I did briefly try using a Wacom Cintiq which is a monitor and tablet combined but found that I had gotten so used to using a tablet (without having my hand blocking the view) that I found it harder to use for photo editing - it was still easier for painting though!

I don't care much for the fashion magazine look. That style seems a bit cold and lacking in human warmth to me.

For the Axel Von Rosencoff one, I would suggest the title "Spotlight". That's my favorite of these pieces.

I'd be very curious to see the original photographs, to highlight what kind of difference your modifications made.

Some people don't like that cross-processed look. It is a matter of personal taste - I tend to waver between the two positions.

"Spotlight" is a great idea for a name.

I might do a post with the before and after at some point.