Skin Tone Detail

[lasikdenver]

Does anyone have experience with using the picture profile settings for Skin Tone Detail (which can be turned on in P.Profile)? I had this suggested to me as something to try for improved skin tones in fashion shoots. There are a number of settings available of levels, saturation, phase, width and I am not sure what would be best. It seems to track the color you select as the skin tones once it is set up. Any recipes?

 

[Doug Jensen]

There is no such thing as a "recipe" for skin tones. Everytime you use that function you must customize it for the person you are shooting and the current lighting. You can't just turn it on and expect it to work. In fact, you definitely want to make sure you turn it off when you are done with the shot you set it up for. Also, just so you know, it doesn't improve skin tones at all. It is merely a tool to selectively adjust the sharpening/softening of certain parts of the picture.
http://www.vortexmedia.com/DVD_F3.html

 

[Lenilenapi]

It will be interesting to see other replies. Personally in 30 years of shooting I've never used skin detail once and don't know know anyone who does. There have been a handful of situations where I might have tried it had I had the time and/or was used to it enough to gamble on it. That was for aging faces. As Doug said you need to paint it in for each shot and heaven help you if you screw it up and have a noticeable break where the detail shifts on a face. Maybe its easier than I think though. I would think fashion shoot would already have a good make-up person and models in general wouldn't need it.

 

[Doug Jensen]

Personally in 30 years of shooting I've never used skin detail once and don't know know anyone who does.

Hey! I could have written that exact same sentence.
Alhough I have to understand how it is supposed to work so I can explain it in my training DVDs and books, that doesn't mean I think anyone SHOULD use it. There are a lot of "features" on some cameras that are better left alone.

 

[lasikdenver]

Thanks, I will avoid this feature and it will go away with S-Log anyway. I had received an enthusiastic rec to try it on faces in the studio who were well lit. I was impressed that when I tried it on my hand in front of the camera it followed my hand exactly as could be seen from an overlay of fine zebra pattern but I did not record or analyze anything.