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alvanylander
Participant
June 27, 2017
Answered

How does petra collins edit her photos?

  • June 27, 2017
  • 4 replies
  • 50190 views

I would love to figure out how she creates her images. I understand it’s the lighting to a certain extent. But there’s often this cool haze and it also looks like the colors are bleeding, and like the highlights are blown out, which i feel has to be the editing. Can it be just using fill layers with different blendingmodes and tinkering with the color channels. If so, HOW more specifically? what other adjustments do you think she makes?

im very clueless as to how she goes about to achieve this hazy but still intense and sharp and colorful effect.

here are some more examples:

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer gener7

Classic definition of a blank stare, Trevor.

To answer the question: She doesn't use Photoshop. She uses 35 mm film exclusively and does not retouch.

The information comes from this article and explains why others have been going back to traditional film.

Have We Reached Peak Digital Photography?

4 replies

T
tania_hb
Participant
January 9, 2021

Hi, to extend the answer of gener7, besides film she uses a diffusion on camera filter, maybe Pro mist, maybe Satin or a Black Promist, or maybe she has them all! also I'm guessing for some of these photos she could be using actual haze/fog from a machine (like in movies). Besides scan the negatives she may also tweaking colors on lightroom, she has a really good pointing start because colors on film have infinitely more deep than on digital, it is nearly impossible to have a ready to use/publish/print analog photos just by scanning them. But in old times that color/contrast/sat tweaking was made in analog as well, mostly in the enlarger, analog printing uses CMYK dials to get the desired color and depthness, so in a way lightroom is the modern digital enlarger but with more precision at the cost of a smaller color space. You can tweak the dehaze slider but it will never be the same as an oncamera diffussion filter. Tiffen and Prism Lens FX make the best, in my opinion.

trinity_irene
trinity_irene
Participant
April 22, 2021

Just came to say how incredibly helpful this was. Petra's work is a huge inspiration of mine and I could never really pinpoint how she created such a soft lighting in her photos. Don't know why I never thought of a diffusion filter but yeah just wanna say thanks lol.

F
freckled_eyes
Participant
June 8, 2018

I imagine she uses a lot of different photo editing softwares or even apps. There are many that can give you those effects. One I like using is called Polarr Photo Editor.

Trevor.Dennis
Community Expert
Trevor.DennisCommunity Expert
Community Expert
June 27, 2017

Those are artful images indeed, but I prefer this amazing triplet.  It has a wonderful sense of open space, and the flow from one canvas to the next, is breathtaking.  It has an adolescent 'cow eating grass' quality that is pure innocence, and the brushwork is beyond subtle.  I have agonised for hours on whether the predominant colour in these inspirational art works is Mountain Snow Fall, or a masterful shade of fully desaturated terracotta? 

Modern "art" comp. - It's just god damn ridiculous. Pretentious retards looking at "art" made by money sniffin jews... I screwed up a piece of paper and left it on an empty pedestal in the artroom in my college. It sat there for 3 weeks before it was removed

I have just realised that in the time it took to type this, the young gentleman is so transfixed by these paintings, that he has barely moved.

    gener7
    Community Expert
    gener7Community ExpertCorrect answer
    Community Expert
    June 27, 2017

    Classic definition of a blank stare, Trevor.

    To answer the question: She doesn't use Photoshop. She uses 35 mm film exclusively and does not retouch.

    The information comes from this article and explains why others have been going back to traditional film.

    Have We Reached Peak Digital Photography?

      Steve Werner
      Community Expert
      Steve WernerCommunity Expert
      Community Expert
      June 27, 2017

      Moving to Photoshop General forum

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