Happy Holidays!
 A pack of poodle puppies partying in a posh palace probably in Portugal December 2009
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Applying Makeup to Models in Post-Processing
I claim no skill as a makeup artist, but I have watched women apply makeup to themselves and I've learned a little about what's done. There have been occasions when a model comes to a photo session with no makeup on, or in my opinion there isn't enough makeup. Instead of wasting time or possibly embarrassing a model (and instead of hiring a makeup artist), I will shoot them as they are and then in post-processing I'll add the makeup that I think looks good.
Make up can be applied with the brush tool in the tools palette of Photoshop. In the screen capture below, the blue arrow points to the brush tool. The color that is applied comes from the foreground box color, and the red arrows shows you where that is. You can change that color simply by clicking in the box and then in the color picker that opens up, click on the color that you think looks good.
 It is best to work on a lowered opacity so the color goes on slowly. When the brush tool is selected, the opacity option appears in the tool bar. I typically
work between 8 to 12%. Just like applying makeup to skin, as you brush over an
area two or three times the color builds up and becomes more opaque. If you
apply too much, simply hit Ctrl/Command Z to undo the last application of color and then lower the opacity so the color goes more slowly.
If you want to add makeup to a portrait in black and white, as I did in the picture of my wife above, make sure that the image is in RGB mode. If you convert a photo to black and white using the command: Image > mode > grayscale, you will only be able to apply makeup in shades of gray. However, if you convert the grayscale image back into RGB (Image > mode > RGB) you can then brush on color to
the face in any hue you wish. The portrait will still be in black and white but the
makeup will go on in color.
In addition to makeup on the eyes, cheeks, and lips, you can also add nail polish
as I did on the Brazilian model I photographed in Rio de Janeiro. This young
woman came to the photo session with zero makeup and no nail polish, and I
added the color on her face and nails (I also gave her a digital haircut).
Sometimes I feel that the eyebrows or even the eyelashes need more contrast with the skin. I will then use the burn tool to darken those features as I did in the profile shot below.
Many photographers work on a layer copy
(you can make a layer copy by choosing
Ctrl/command J) because the original and the
layer copy can then be blended together using the opacity slider in the layers palette. This allows you to adjust the amount of makeup with a single slider. I do this sometimes as well.
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LIGHT FALL-OFF WITH FLASH PICTURES
A common problem with on-camera flash is that backgrounds are dark. You can see an example of this in the photo below of two young Balinese dancers. The temple in front of which they were performing is much darker than they are.
Flash units can only expose correctly for a particular distance from the flash to the subject. Beyond that, the light is diminished much faster than you would expect. The 'Inverse Square Law' states that as the distance from the flash to the subject is doubled, the reduction in light is four times, not the expected two times.
Sometimes a dark background is a good thing. If there are elements behind your subjects that are distracting, making them go very dark or even black eliminates their negative influence on the picture. In other circumstances, you want the background to be included in the composition. There are four ways to do this:
1. You can bounce the light off the ceiling (assuming the ceiling is white or close to it). This spreads the light over both the subject and the background.
2. You can use Aperture priority on the camera and ETTL (or iTTL for Nikon users) on the flash, and now the ambient light in the background will give you a good exposure. The downside to this is that the shutter becomes quite slow in low-light situations, and you may get a ghosting effect. In other words, over the sharp image you got from the flash, a secondary blurred image from the long shutter speed will appear to be superimposed. If a tripod is used, and the subject(s) is not moving, then this technique looks great and there is no blur. If the subject moves during the lengthy exposure, you may or may not like the effect.
 In the photo at right, I used a tripod and
Aperture priority. The flash was
on ETTL and it was set to minus one f/stop because I didn't want to overexpose my dog, Rexie. My wife was able to hold still during the 1/2 second exposure, but Rexie moved during most of the photos. The picture you see at right was an exception -- I was able to get a sharp picture but only after about 10 tries. Notice the ambient light exposure in the background, and notice the color. I used daylight WB for this, so my wife and Rexie are both correct in terms of color balance, but the background is golden due to the tungsten lighting in the room. The foreground has a tinge of yellow, which I like, but the flash mostly overpowered it.
3. You can use off-camera flash. Light coming in from the side will illuminate the background if it is fairly close to your subject. If the background is far away, then the sidelighting will give you an attractive illumination on the subject but it won't affect the background.
4. You could replace the background altogether using Photoshop or Elements and that solves the dilemma. That's what I did in the butterfly picture below. It took some time to cut around the insect with the pen tool, but in the end it was worth it. I placed the butterfly on the orchid digitally (you can learn how to do this in my home Photoshop workshop -- see below).
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ON-LINE PHOTO INSTRUCTION-- with detailed critiques of your work
My new 4-week on-line photo courses began again last Wednesday, Dec 2. It's not too late to sign up. As preparation for an African safari (for example, my Namibia photo tour next year), you might consider my Wildlife course: http://www.better
photo.com/course
Overview.asp?
cspID=87
Do you want to make money in photography? Want to feel more confident in exposure? Interested in learning more about Photoshop (like putting fireworks in the sky or removing lens flare). Are you insecure about your compositional or exposure skills?
I teach several 8-week and 4-week courses on-line. The way the courses work is this. Every Wednesday, you receive a lesson that consists of text and photos, explaining various principles in photography, marketing your work, digital manipulation, or whatever subject you are studying. At the end of each lesson there is an assignment, and you have plenty of time to take pictures and upload them for my critique. You can use photos you did specifically for the assignment or images that you have taken previously.
On-line photo courses are like virtual classrooms but not in real time. Other students can see your pictures, read my critiques, and comment on your work. Similarly, you can comment on the pictures of other students. It is a unique and wonderful learning experience.
One of the great things about these on-line courses is that students participate from all over the world. In a single lesson's uploads, you may see pictures from Bryce Canyon or Brazil, or from Singapore or South Carolina. It's a very stimulating environment, and it will help you become the photographer or digital artist that you would like to be.
On the Betterphoto.com website, you can read the lesson outline of each course and see sample photos. In addition, you can also access the courses I teach directly by going to my website, jimzuckerman.com, and clicking on the link 'On-line Photo Courses'. at the top of the home page.
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SELF-CRITIQUE
If you have taken any of my on-line courses at Betterphoto.com, you know how I feel about out of focus foregrounds. I don't like them. There are exceptions, of course, where they can work, but in most cases I feel they are distracting, visually annoying, and they ruin the picture.
Compare the photos below. The first image has a great background, beautiful light, and an effective frame-filling composition. However, the entire wing of the bird is out of of focus due to the shallow depth of field I got from f/4. This ruins the image.
The comparison photo shows the entire heron in focus. A few leaves in the immediate foreground are soft, and I don't like that, but I can live with it. The entire bird is sharp, and that makes all the difference. To get this kind of depth of field, I raised the ISO to 400 and that allowed me to close the lens down sufficiently to show all the beautiful detail with tack sharp clarity.
The first picture should be trashed. The second picture is a keeper.
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FROG AND REPTILE WORKSHOP
Saturday and Sunday, Feb 27, 28, 2010, St. Louis, Missouri
Twice a year I conduct a very special workshop. A maximum of nine people spend two days photographing some of the most intriguing creatures on the planet. I arrange to have roughly 50 species of poison dart frogs (they aren't poisonous in captivity), chameleons, snakes, geckos and other creatures positioned on natural backgrounds, and after a short lecture on using flash for macro work, depth of field issues,
 exposure, how to use extension tubes, the artistry of sidelighting and backlighting, and composition, students get up close and personal with these captivating animals. Some of the species of colorful frogs are surprisingly small, and I explain the best strategy for getting as much of the animals in sharp focus as possible. In macro photography, the goal
is to get as much detail as possible, and that's
why I emphasize depth of field.
The fee is $895 for the two days. The workshop is held in St. Louis, Missouri at a hotel a few minutes from the airport. I have 2 spaces left for the Feb. workshop, and if you are interested in taking some of the best macro photography ever, contact me and I'll tell you how you can sign up.
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PHOTO TOUR to IRELAND
May 21 - 31, 2010
Come join me on a wonderful photography tour to beautiful Ireland. I've created an itinerary that encompasses castles, ruins, landscapes, cathedrals, old cemeteries and more. Ireland is a joy to experience, and you will cherish your pictures from our trip.
Here is a link to the promotional page on my website where you can see photos and read the day by day itinerary in brief:
http://www.jimzuckermanworkshops.com/photo-tour-to-ireland/
If this interests you, drop me a note (photos@jimzuckerman.com) and I'll send you the complete schedule. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.
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COSTA RICA HUMMINGBIRDS
May 1 - 11, 2010
 If you have a passion for bird photography, and you've always wanted to shoot exotic species of hummingbirds, Costa Rica is the place. I am conducting a 10 day photo tour there where we will focus on three different locations. Feeders have been placed to attract the birds, and awesome images are guaranteed. It's really like shooting ducks -- or in this case, hummers! The flash units are provided, as is everything else, and all you need is your camera.
Also included in the trip is the active volcano Mt. Arenal, which night photography of the lava flows is incredible, as well as some other surprises. Here is a link on my website for more information:
http://www.jimzuckermanworkshops.com/costa-rica-may-1-11-2010/
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PHOTO TOUR to
EASTERN EUROPE
August 27 to Sept. 9, 2010
My Heart of Europe trip was very successful last year, and I spent this past summer in Europe again planning a Heart of Eastern Europe trip. As usual, I find the best vantage points, the most stunning cathedral interiors, and the best locations for twilight photography, and you will return home with images you will cherish. The countries we will visit include The Czech Republic, Slovenia, Poland, Hungary, Croatia, Austria, and more.
For a full description, pricing, and more photos, please check out this link on my website: http://www.jimzuckermanworkshops.com/heart-of-eastern-europe-2010/
The photo below is the opera house in Budapest. This is one example of the remarkable places we visit. If you have any questions, my direct email is: photos@jimzuckerman.com.
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PHOTOSHOP WORKSHOP in my HOME
Feb. 20, 21, 2010
I have a couple of openings left for the February Photoshop worksop in my home. Photoshop is a photographer's best friend, and the creative possibilities are absolutely endless. I start at the beginning -- assuming you know nothing -- but I quickly get into layers, cutting and pasting, plug-ins, and a lot more. I promise to fill your head with so many cool techniques, and you won't believe what you'll be able to do.
I live in the Nashville, Tennessee area, and if you fly into the airport (BNA) I will pick you up. If you drive, I'll give you my address and you can find it on Mapquest. For the $450 fee, I include one dinner in my home (prepared by my wife who is an amazing cook) and two lunches, plus shuttling you back and forth from my home to your nearby hotel.
A couple of spaces also became available for the Photoshop workshop this weekend, Dec. 12, 13. Contact me if you would like to participate. All you need is a laptop. If you don't have one, I have one laptop (a Mac) I can loan out.
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