# Thin skin



## ScaryBonster (Jun 15, 2012)

I have a weird problem in that I look drunk in every photograph taken of me - I come out looking a lurid bright red. As far as I can tell, it's because I have very thin, almost unpigmented skin - I can't tan or even freckle and burn like a vampire in strong sunlight, so my theory is that maybe blood vessels are showing through the skin under the flash, like a full-body red-eye.

I would really, really like to have one decent photograph of myself to send to my Dad for Father's Day. Are there any pointers anyone could give me for taking a photo that would avoid this, or could someone walk me through a photoshop technique to de-red myself afterwards?


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## sm4him (Jun 15, 2012)

First of all, quit drinking. Then maybe you won't look drunk. 

Just kidding. Why don't you post one of your photos so people can get a better idea of how it looks and what you might be able to do about it.


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## KenC (Jun 15, 2012)

There's not a lot you can do while taking the photo.  The best thing to try is more diffuse light, e.g., flash bounced off the ceiling or a wall, or flash through an umbrella or softbox.  As for PS, you can use a color balance adjustment layer (preferably with a mask) to make the skin less red, but there's a limit to that because it will start to look unnatural.  A better alternative is probably to do a color saturation adjustment layer and decrease the red saturation enough to get the look you want.


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## Bitter Jeweler (Jun 15, 2012)

Black & White.

Problem solved. You're welcome.


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## GnipGnop (Jun 15, 2012)

Sepia.

Problem solved. You're welcome.


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## KmH (Jun 15, 2012)

Are you doing self portraits? 

If so, maybe having a professional portrait photographer make images for you would be the answer.


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## c.cloudwalker (Jun 15, 2012)

GnipGnop said:


> Sepia.
> 
> Problem solved. You're welcome.



:thumbdown:

This is an art oriented forum (really?) so, please, be creative.


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## c.cloudwalker (Jun 15, 2012)

Although I think BJ's solution is the one out of the answers, you can do a color portrait. Just have it done by a person who knows what he/she is doing.


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## ScaryBonster (Jun 16, 2012)

Thank you, all, some very good advice here. I hadn't even thought of black and white, but that _is _such a good, simple idea.

Getting a professional to do it would be my first choice, but I'm sort of in a position at the moment where I'd have to sell my camera to afford to leave the house. So I shall try to take a nice black & white shot, then see what I can learn by trying out diffuse lighting and colour adjustment in photoshop 

This is one of the test shots I took while I was trying to work it all out (I'm no great shakes as a photographer, still working out what all the buttons are - I only came to the beyond basics part of the forum because I thought it was more likely someone might have photographed an albino or someone with a similar problem here).


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## Buckster (Jun 16, 2012)

When you look at yourself in a mirror, do you seem overly red looking?  If not, I'd say this can be dealt with pretty straightforwardly.

My first suggestion: Try using a gray card to calibrate proper white balance and color temperature.


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## markj (Jun 19, 2012)

SB, I'm actually having a problem understanding your dilemma. The photo of you looks great, you hardly look intoxicated. 
It's funny how our perception of our self is always different from how other people perceive us. Believe me when I say, 
half the people that see you during any giving day will not noticed anything, 25% of people will not care and the 
remaining 25% will find your complexion attractive. Your photo conveys warmth, sensitivity and honesty. Lucky dad.


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## unpopular (Jun 19, 2012)

Eat a few cream pies every day to get a nice layer of blubber between your skin.

Problem solved. You're Welcome.


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## jeterisagirl (Jun 21, 2012)

markj said:


> SB, I'm actually having a problem understanding your dilemma. The photo of you looks great, you hardly look intoxicated.
> It's funny how our perception of our self is always different from how other people perceive us. Believe me when I say,
> half the people that see you during any giving day will not noticed anything, 25% of people will not care and the
> remaining 25% will find your complexion attractive. Your photo conveys warmth, sensitivity and honesty. Lucky dad.



I agree 100%. I dont see the issue. You are very pretty and Im sure your dad sees that.:thumbup:


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## Rwsphotos (Jun 21, 2012)

I can see what she is refering to did engagement photos for Hubbys co worker last weekend and his skin can look red too even though he is really pale.  BW or sephia conversion will eliminate that.  As previously stated it can be fixed in PS or light room with neumerous methods. And I do agree you do need to be careful there is a fine line between the fix and unnatural looking. but it can be Done.  Pm I might be able to help if you havent fixed it already.


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## morganza (Jun 21, 2012)

I love the black/white plus sepia solutions, funny and actually useful as well.


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## Marcelle (Jun 21, 2012)

try a diffuser in front of your light source to make it softer and a little bit of post treatment but honnestly I do not see a major problem about your pic except for an overall blue/magenta shade


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## GnipGnop (Jul 4, 2012)

unpopular said:


> Eat a few cream pies every day to get a nice layer of blubber between your skin.
> 
> Problem solved. You're Welcome.



:thumbdown:

This is an art oriented forum (really?) so, please, be creative.


If you're going to eat a few cream pies, get someone knowledgeable to make them for you.


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## Alpha (Aug 12, 2012)

Why not just remove the red in post?????


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## pic_chick (Aug 12, 2012)

Ok The 1st thing that pops to my mind is that it is just your face that looks red. and that makes me think it is your make-up. Most base makeup and powders have shiny bits added to them that will reflect light in a photo. I would go to the mac store and ask them to do your makeup for you or get some of their base and see if that does not help. I have worked as a make-up artiest for over 5 years and I have seen makeup add green, blues, reds and whites to peoples photos due to what is in them.


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## LShooter (Aug 14, 2012)

A little quality makeup and you can always bring the reds down a hair in post processing. OnOne Perfect Portrait works well also. I'm a half bloke and spent a lot of years in the UK.  Everyone over there is see though, and I mean that in a nice way.   Also, the colors you wear will add to your skin tone so wear more pastel colors that won't create a color cast on your skin.


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## KmH (Aug 14, 2012)

ScaryBonster said:


> View attachment 11540


The main problem is mostly your camera settings. This photo you posted is badly under exposed, and under exposure over saturates colors. Adding 2 stops of exposure helped a lot. Some other minor tweeks, including increasing the red channel slightly, yielded this:


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## ScaryBonster (Aug 15, 2012)

Wow! Thank you - I love the way this looks, and I went and looked up the different ways to adjust my exposure settings (aperture size and shutter speed), and am playing around to see what effects adjusting the red, green and blue channels have.

I might never have the gifted eye of some of the photographers I most admire, but I found in the past that I needed something to work on to learn how to do something, and asking questions piece by piece along the way helps pin stuff down for me. So thank you all so much! I'm really learning stuff here.




KmH said:


> The main problem is mostly your camera settings. This photo you posted is badly under exposed, and under exposure over saturates colors. Adding 2 stops of exposure helped a lot. Some other minor tweeks, including increasing the red channel slightly, yielded this:


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## gsgary (Aug 15, 2012)

If you live near Chesterfield we could take a proper B+W on medium format or even color i have some fuji 160NPS


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## skieur (Aug 15, 2012)




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## WildAtHeart (Aug 26, 2012)

I don't see anything wrong with your skin in the photo.  I can see where you are coming from saying you look red, but if you didn't say it, I really wouldn't have thought anything about it. 
I would brighten up your photo in an editing program and see what it looks like from there.


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## kevinkt (Aug 27, 2012)

Here's my fix. Tried to keep it as natural as possible.


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## BryanHousley (Aug 27, 2012)

White Balance.


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## unpopular (Aug 28, 2012)

this thread just won't die.

skieur - dog river must have pretty low expectations.


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## skieur (Sep 2, 2012)

kevinkt said:


> Here's my fix. Tried to keep it as natural as possible.
> View attachment 18470



Portraits are supposed to flatter the subject. If it gets "too natural" or too white, it does NOT flatter the subject.

skieur


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## skieur (Sep 2, 2012)

unpopular said:


> this thread just won't die.
> 
> skieur - dog river must have pretty low expectations.




Why do you waste your time and reader's with dumb comments?


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## unpopular (Sep 2, 2012)

Because for the all mighty Skieur with all of his experience I would have expected more than a jaundice and sunburnt wax figure treatment.


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## IByte (Sep 2, 2012)

sm4him said:
			
		

> First of all, quit drinking. Then maybe you won't look drunk.
> 
> Just kidding. Why don't you post one of your photos so people can get a better idea of how it looks and what you might be able to do about it.



Lol drinking is the best part


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## skieur (Sep 6, 2012)

unpopular said:


> Because for the all mighty Skieur with all of his experience I would have expected more than a jaundice and sunburnt wax figure treatment.



About time that you changed your glasses.

skieur


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