Retouching

Since I haven't been shooting lately, due in part to lack of funding for a makeup artist, and due in part to also having no solid ideas or direction, I have decided to look back at my past work, and re-edit it.

I assume anyone who looks at this blog is checking out the images full size (by clicking on the images)...if not, do...bigger is better. 

A lot of what I have online is good. It's well done. It's fairly tasteful. But it's not current, fresh, or eye-catching, and occasionally lacks a significant amount of polish. And worse still, it's not consistent. That, and my skill at editing and retouching has improved at least a little in the last 3 years...hopefully.

So in an effort to rectify the situation, I've delved into the archives, starting over to make what is old new again.

The current direction of things seems to be heavy retouching, muted skin tones, and more specular light.  I don't dislike that, and have applied it to my most recent work...and I think I like it.

First up, we get a self-portrait I whipped up last night to post on Model Mayhem, just for shits and giggles.  I took this last year sometime, december perhaps.  It was the last night I had my beard, which I'd lived with for quite a long time, and was a couple months long. I used plenty of fiber gum to tease my hair and beard into this shape. The final image got the blemishes removed, skin smoothed, colors tweaked, texture enhanced, dodging & burning galore, blah blah blah. Et voilá! Me, staring at you as though I'm going to destroy your soul.

Next up on the list is a perennial favorite. An acquaintance of mine, Matt, modeled for a project where the idea was to recreate a fashion ad. I chose a Dior sunglasses ad, but that's aside from the point. It turned out very retro, and I've had dozens of comments to that effect. Which is cool, but doesn't really help wanting a more modern look. Here's both images...I'm totally open to the older one being preferable...but the new one is very obviously more contemporary.

More to come on the re-editing old shit tour 2009. Perhaps significantly more, until I've created enough new work.