Super vivid, almost cartoon like photos..........how?

Discussion in 'Digital Cameras & Equipment' started by Snowhunter, Jul 27, 2007.

  1. Snowhunter

    Snowhunter Member

    Hi! I'm a noobie here but have dabbled in photography for years. Here's what I'm interested in doing: I'm looking to take some pics at DW (I'll be there on a mini-marathon trip from 8/5-8/7.....my daughter and I trying to hit as much as we can in that short period of time) with some extra punch to them, in other words I want to try and have some of my pics have an almost exaggerated vividness/color to them. Now let me add that I'm still shooting film...prints no less.....and I'm looking to avoid lots of scanning and photoshop time. I'm thinking more along the lines of using something like Fuji Reala and a warming polarizer or a polarizor and enhancing filter....not looking for cartoonish type pics but just want some colors to almost jump off the film. Any suggestions???

    Thanks in advance for any help.

    John
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2014
  2. Roger

    Roger Member Staff Member

    Okay I was going to say: Velvia or Kodak EliteChrome 100VC, but you are shooting film. Reala might work, but I really started liking Kodak's Portra, especially their VC (Vivid Color) version.

    Portra, is, by default, a portrait film, so it used to be available only in 160,400, and 800 speeds.

    I see Kodak has an "Ultra Color" professional negative film.

    http://www.kodak.com/global/en/professi ... 7.16&lc=en

    Go to your local pro shop, go to their fridge, and get a roll to try before your trip. If you like then you'll know. Don't worry about refridgerating the film - that is to keep the emulsion from changing - the film is made in batches exactly the same so the professional knows that a color chart photo on every roll in that batch will produce the exact same color - but with prints and unless you see the same image, taken at almost the same time, from different rolls and look at them with extreme detail, you may see a little difference in color if the film is stored at room temperature. Most consumer films are just professional films kept at room temperature and that are not made in precise batches, so they have a little more variation in samples.

    Filters: a warming polarizer will work to some degree (much better than nothing), there are other filters depending on what colors you want to make pop.

    Cokin makes different color polarizers.

    http://www.cokin.com/filtres3.html?=#173

    This one was with their blue & yellow one:

    <img src="http://www.themeparkphotos.us/cpg140/albums/uploads/052307/E/DL0899250a.jpg" />

    Enhancing filters are available depending on what colors you want to improve. I know Tiffen's original one was for greens and reds I believe.

    I hope this helps.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2014
  3. gary

    gary Member

    if you have a version of photoshop that works with actions, there are literally a hundred free actions that do velvia or provia effects to a photo, all with one or clicks of the mouse, i even sometimes do it as a automated batch action to a whole folder of pics, particularly if they were all taken around the same time of day/lighting
    just google for photoshop, free actions, and you should come up with the adobe sponsered shareware sight
     
  4. Tim

    Tim Administrator Staff Member

    try atncentral.net
     
  5. Snowhunter

    Snowhunter Member

    Thanks for the suggestions. I ordered a Hoya Moose's polarizer and I will look into the film options. I will also look into the photoshop options upon my return.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2014
  6. Snowhunter

    Snowhunter Member

    Well I'm back, things didn't quite pan out as planned...my test pics with the lense prior to the trip revealed a viginetting(sp) artifact, I believe associated with the lens hood and then the lumbar pack/camera & lens combo didn't work out as convienent as I would have liked. In the end I had a wonderful couple of days of fun with my daughter and that's more important than any pics I might have gotten. I'll check out the few I took and hope that I get something worth blowing up but if nothing else I have my precious memories of our 3 day attack on the thrill rides of Disney!!!
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2014
  7. try Alienskin Exposure. It emulates various filmstock characteristics on digital pictures. Furthermore, you may want to set your unsharpen-mask to 15/30/0.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 11, 2014

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