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We're celebrating Christmas a week early with Lara's family.  So I'll be turning off posting in the classes from Monday morning to Wednesday evening next week (17th-19th) (approx Sunday evening to Wednesday morning USA time).  I look forward to seeing your photos in class for the rest of this week, and over the weekend, as usual.

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  1. Today
  2. Damien Symonds
    https://www.damiensymonds.net/what2buy_cal.html
  3. MHalloran
    They are hanging on walls that are not in my house.....I do have a few. I should dig them out, and see how they match. I think I am ready to get a newer calibration device, since I have the Spyder 4....and it's so light sensitive......and doesn't change the screen brightness I believe. Do you have a recommendation?
  4. Damien Symonds
    Online and other monitors are meaningless. ONLY the print match matters. Do you still have them?
  5. MHalloran
    I will, but I don't quite understand how the actual file looks proper on other laptops and viewing online with other various monitors......THAT being said, the lab I used comes highly recommended, and they even suggested the test prints to compare to the calibrated monitor.....which is exactly what you teach. I've done other prints, not in a while....and they matched...how my monitor could become that bright is a conundrum....."ive been readin"......to me.
  6. Damien Symonds
    Right. So you're not calibrated at all. Calibrate again.
  7. MHalloran
    AND....I checked my brightness setting on the monitor it’s at 75%.... Everything looks so good on the monitor and on websites including social media photographs nothing looks washed out or overly bright. I’m using the suggested Firefox as well.
  8. MHalloran
    The screen is about 2 stops or so brighter... 😞
  9. Damien Symonds
    That kind of stuff is minor details. I just wanted to reiterate that the heart of this look is the aggressive midtone darkening layer, with the "Blend if" sliders being used to take it off the bright end.
  10. Yesterday
  11. Damien Symonds
    That's ok, just bring in the white slider on the RGB channel on that final levels layer I just gave you.
  12. Eran
    Looks like his skin is smoother (which I know how to handle) but whites are stronger (like stronger highlights)
  13. Damien Symonds
    Next step?
  14. Eran
    I need to learn that... What is next step ? 🙂
  15. Damien Symonds
    Just by taking readings from the sample photo you posted.
  16. Eran
    How did you get the values ?
  17. Damien Symonds
    Good. Finally, to get the right colour tinge, add this Levels layer on top: R 0/0.98/255 and 17/244 G 0/1.00/255 and 14/242 B 0/1.02/255 and 9/244
  18. Eran
    Done , I used now a more aggressive skin smoother to get something close to the look on the picture.
  19. Damien Symonds
    No, this is what I said: You must do your skin smoothing on the colour version.
  20. Eran
    Earlier you said first convert to be and than smooth ... Which is why I asked... Ok , will fix it , what next step ?
  21. Damien Symonds
    No, the smoothing must happen BELOW all adjustment layers. NEVER allow a pixel layer above adjustment layers.
  22. Eran
    I cloned background as you instructed. Did non destructive heal BW conversation Levels And skin smoothing I use Plug in called Delicous Retouch... (destructive) so I do it after the BW conversation
  23. Damien Symonds
    What the heck??????? Show me a screenshot of your layers panel.
  24. Eran
    I moved to 122 (undid skin retouch) .
  25. Eran
    Hmm... The skin retouch was done after the levels , so I need to delete that layer and do skin retouch at the end ?
  26. Damien Symonds
    As you can see, I moved mine to 118. But play around and see what you like.
  27. Damien Symonds
    Thank you. Now, select the Levels layer, and go to Layer>Layer Style>Blending Options. Are you familiar with the "Blend if" sliders? I need you to Alt-click on this white slider and drag it in to about halfway: (You probably already know this, but using Alt breaks that little slider in half, allowing only one section to move).
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