The old wives tale that Playboy "airbrushed" the heck out of their models

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Found out that it is just that, they softened the shots by proper use of lights and the lenses that they had available and if you use the right tools you can get the same look yourself even in portrait shots without having to PS the poo out of your image.

Think-beauty dishes/softboxes/ringlights all used together along with whatever background lights and not shooting with the lens at it's tac sharpest-yeah you want tac sharp at the eyes but the rest can fall off just a bit.

BTW they shoot all 35mm digital now, no MF (film or digital)or LF for a couple years now
even for the centerfold! They still have the LF and Has MF digital bodies there but they set on the shelves. (won't say what camera that they do use to not throw that into the discussion).

I heard this from a guy who shoots at the Playboy shooting studio and knows the guy who has done the centerfold shoots for over 30 years now.

In fact if you ever get a chance to go there the photographer can show you the sheet film that was shot and he will dare you to show him where they airbrushed the photo in post.

IT IS IN Knowing HOW TO Light your SUBJECT plain and simple.

[groovyone]

No examples?

[MicWayWal]

There is something right about 'getting it right' IN the camera.

[CaptainTom]

starting out with a beautiful woman and professional makeup artist can help quite a bit.

[srwatters]

Tom beat me to it...

They also have an small army of assistants to make sure there aren't hairs or wardrobe out of place.

[d2creative]

So where's the youtube tutorial?

[Todd Lambert]

Pics or it didn't happen.

[dmora]

Airbrush in person then... still airbrushed.

:p

still fake.

MCNudes has better looking women and more realistic and life like retouching. I can still see blemishes or "faults" on those photos.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

Even if I had access to a scan of one of his large format negatives people would still say that it was photoshopped.

Also they use PRO Makeup and not some stuff off the counter at Walmart.

Yeah it is a team that works on the shoot but that was never the topic of this discussion it was that you always heard that oh the airbrush the heck out of the shot to get it looking that good-I think that rumour was started by envious lazy photographers who didn't understand light and how to use it.

[srwatters]

I respect and like Rolando as a photographer, but just don't overdose on the Kool Aid, OK

[Jake]

Sorry, but I do believe they do a lot of post work on the skin in a lot of their photos.
I'm sure the Playboy photographers claim otherwise, but I call BS.

[DEMDeepEllumMusic]

I am not talking about Rolando I am talking about the dude who has shot Playboy Centerfolds for 35 years or so and Rolando was talking about him this weekend (since he knows the guy and has shot using the studio) and he said that this dude will pull those large format negatives out of the files at the shooting studio for Playboy and defy you to show him where it was touched up or airbrushed.

IT is done with knowing what certain lights at certain angles will do as to how the light reflects off of the skin and how the pores in the skin will absorb or reflect light and how a combination of lights will produce certain results. (I listed what they will use in combination in that first post-but won't say how they set them up- Rolando actually had a shot taken from his I-phone showing the lights and then he explained it and why it was set up that way).

[Bruce M. Morris]

Originally Posted by srwatters

Tom beat me to it...

They also have an small army of assistants to make sure there aren't hairs or wardrobe out of place.

I thought wardrobe out of place was part of the requirements???

[photonewb]

Originally Posted by Bruce M. Morris

I thought wardrobe out of place was part of the requirements???

whether the wardrobe covers certain body parts or not is all by design!

[dmora]

Originally Posted by DEMDeepEllumMusic

Even if I had access to a scan of one of his large format negatives people would still say that it was photoshopped.

Also they use PRO Makeup and not some stuff off the counter at Walmart.

Yeah it is a team that works on the shoot but that was never the topic of this discussion it was that you always heard that oh the airbrush the heck out of the shot to get it looking that good-I think that rumour was started by envious lazy photographers who didn't understand light and how to use it.

To the same token... i dont think you're understanding the extent of the make-up they use in conjunction with the lighting. Sure lighting can make things look like that but its not an issue of being lazy and envious of the equipment. Most people dont have a budget to hire professional make up artists, make-up airbrushing equipment including the paint and makeup... on top all the lighting equipment. Why spend all that money when i can get the EXACT same look in Photoshop. You said your self you cant tell a difference. I think thats more of a negative than a positive.

The other point... at least one that i always take issue with is that i hate the "Playboy" look thats come about in the last 20 years. Its not real and its not what people look like.