Photofocus

Education and inspiration for visual storytellers

Lee Varis

Owner at Varis PhotoMedia
Lee Varis is a Boston based photo-illustrator whose career in commercial photography spans four decades. His work includes movie posters (Star Trek,) albums, CDs, and magazines (Nat Geo, Fortune, PDN.) Lee is the author of the best selling Photoshop book “Skin: The Complete Guide to Digitally Lighting, Photographing and Retouching Faces and Bodies."

Latest posts by Lee Varis (see all)

Evolution of a Glamour Image in Post

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Great Glamour Starts with Light but Finishes with Luminosity One of the concepts I stress most with my students is that photography is all about the play of lights and darks; tonal value is more important than color! I find that, most of the time, the path to a great color image runs through a B&W conversion, at some point. It is much easier to make tone and contrast decisions when you are not being distracted by color. Once an ideal B&W is achieved, you can apply the B&W luminosity to the original color. The following example, … [Read more...] about Evolution of a Glamour Image in Post

Build a Better Background for a Glamour Image

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Sometimes we get stuck with a plain background that we'd have preferred to be more interesting. The solution is often to dress it up in post I want to share with you the post process I went through in one of my past workshops and introduce a technique for creating custom backdrops in Photoshop using custom brushes. Lets start with this base file right out of ACR/Lightroom...   I did the usual Lightroom enhancements plus a little post crop vignetting and graduated filter application to darken edges and enhance the existing … [Read more...] about Build a Better Background for a Glamour Image

Its All About the Square

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Why I love Instagram & Hipstamatic Like every photographer nowadays, I have been shooting with my iPhone more—it has virtually replaced the pocket point & shoot! The one camera that is always with me, it has come to represent the future of photography technology, and it cannot be ignored. More often than not, my go-to photo app is Hipstamatic. Why? The funky, old fashioned, snapshot camera simulator has an interesting effect on my vision, simplifying my approach to picture making by virtually removing the post-processing part of image … [Read more...] about Its All About the Square

Cambo Actus + FUJIFILM GFX-part-2

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Testing the Ultimate Technical Camera - part 2 This 2nd part of my examination of the Cambo Actus GFX system focuses (literally) on the lens tilting functionality. The tilting lens stage allows the photographer to alter the plane of focus, usually to match the plane of focus with the subject, to achieve better depth of focus with near-to-far subjects, or with macro focus situations. This lens tilt takes advantage of the Scheimpflug principle, a geometric rule that describes the orientation of the plane of focus of an optical system … [Read more...] about Cambo Actus + FUJIFILM GFX-part-2

Cambo Actus & FUJIFILM GFX – part-1

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Testing the Ultimate Technical Camera – part 1 Cambo USA recently contacted me with an opportunity to test the Cambo Actus technical camera with the FUJIFILM GFX—this was very exciting for me because I could renew my experience with view cameras in a new digital configuration! The folks at Cambo USA provided a fully configured demo unit, so I could put the system through its paces! The Cambo Actus is essentially a view camera front end for just about any digital camera that gives the serious photographer the ability to use full lens tilt & … [Read more...] about Cambo Actus & FUJIFILM GFX – part-1

Fujifilm Meets Pixelstick

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Pixelstick meet Fujifilm... now lets create! While we were on our photo tour of Venice Carnival, Bobbi Lane and I had a great opportunity to test out a prototype of Fujifilm's new medium format camera, the GFX. I had been planing to create some images using the amazing Pixelstick, a very cool, programable light painting device, and Venice Carnival was the perfect setting for creative play! You can see more about the Fujifilm GFX in my previous blog post here. For now, I'd like to introduce you to the Pixelstick! The Pixelstick is a linear … [Read more...] about Fujifilm Meets Pixelstick

See Like a Camera – Part-2

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Shoot Mode Tone Control Picking up where I left off last time. Besides the Film Simulations themselves, The Fuji-X cameras offer additional controls for customizing the look of the in-camera jpegs! The Fuji-X cameras have what they call "shoot modes" that can be used to alter the way the in-camera jpegs are processed. These can add significant value to your creative options, and pre-visualization during capture. The available options are: Image size & quality Film simulation Grain Effect Dynamic Range White Balance … [Read more...] about See Like a Camera – Part-2

See Like a Camera – Part-1

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Don't just pre-visualize—see the shot! My "Re-Thinking the Raw File Workflow" post stirred up quite a storm of protest from photographers so thoroughly invested in a raw-file workflow that they missed the point of the whole post! So... consider this a clarifying post—I will be examining how using the Fuji Film Simulations in-camera helps the photographer see creatively whether they insist on shooting raw or take advantage of the high-quality jpegs offered by the Fuji camera! Make no mistake, there is a revolution brewing in photographic … [Read more...] about See Like a Camera – Part-1

Fujifilm GFX – Medium Format Gets Real

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An Adventure in Venice, Italy for Carnival Bobbi Lane and I had the great fortune to shoot with a prototype GFX 50S on our tour of Venice Carnival 2017 this past February. Needless to say, we were extremely excited to put the camera to use in the incredible magical dreamlike environment that is Venice during Carnival. Certainly, the whole internet is a buzz with interest for the coming release of the camera, which Imaging Resource said has "The best lab images we've ever seen." The Fujifilm GFX pairs a mirrorless design with a high-res … [Read more...] about Fujifilm GFX – Medium Format Gets Real

The Magic of Venice with Fuji-X

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Photographing Venice during Carnival with Fuji-X cameras I recently had the opportunity to attend Chromasia's Venice Carnival photo tour led by my wife Bobbi Lane and our friend David Nightingale. All three of us are part of the Fuji-X team, and we're very passionate about our Fuji cameras! The 2016 tour was a perfect opportunity to put the Fuji-X system to the test! Venice is an amazing city—evermore so during the period of time, just before Lent, known the world over as Carnival. This magical time, in a magical environment, offers splendid … [Read more...] about The Magic of Venice with Fuji-X

Adventure in Color and Tone – Lightroom vs Photoshop

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Editor's Note: This is an advanced tutorial. For a detailed explanation of these techniques, Lee is sharing see his post on LAB Masking. Everyone would agree that a great photo starts with a great capture—good composition, good light, good exposure, and a certain ineffable quality of magic that comes together at the moment the shutter is released. However, a great photo is not really finished at the moment of capture. That capture, however great it is, exists as pure potential until it is rendered viewable to an audience. Many times the full … [Read more...] about Adventure in Color and Tone – Lightroom vs Photoshop

Lab Luminosity Masks

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Editor's Note: Lee presents a very powerful way of enhancing color and sharpening an image in this post. The video that concludes this post is an excellent tutorial with step by step instructions and explanations. These are advanced techniques.  Here I submit, for your consideration, this step-by-step video on using Lab channels as the source for luminosity masks. This type of masking is all the rage right now, and you can find many tutorials about the general procedure all over the internet. There are even action that automatically generate … [Read more...] about Lab Luminosity Masks

Two Heads Are Better Than One – How to Deal with Bad Expressions

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How to deal with the unfortunate facial expression in group portraits Ah... it's that time again! The time when we are challenged to capture the idealized family portrait to send out to friends and family. To help you along, I'd thought I'd share a technique for a common problem with group portraits. Most of the time, but especially with shots including babies, if you have more than one person in the shot, someone is not going to look as good as the others in the shot. The example below shows two images from a recent photo shoot I did of my … [Read more...] about Two Heads Are Better Than One – How to Deal with Bad Expressions

Apple’s Automator – The Ultimate Workflow Tool

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Imaging Workflow Beyond Lightroom & Photoshop Most of the time, photo-imaging workflow can be completely managed within the familiar applications of Photoshop, Lightroom, Bridge, Photo Mechanic, etc... but occasionally it becomes necessary to go beyond the capabilities of these programs to automate more complex series of steps that involve multiple applications. Such was the case for me, when my friend Eduardo Angel asked me for a particular workflow solution – he wanted to have something he could drag a bunch of images onto, that would … [Read more...] about Apple’s Automator – The Ultimate Workflow Tool

How to Use a Digital Projector as a Glamour Spotlight

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An Alternative to Focusing Fresnel Spot Light with the Benefit of Easy Custom Shapes I have been experimenting with digital projectors as a light source in my Glamour Photography Workshops. If you don't have access to large movie hot lights with focusing fresnel lens systems, a digital projector provides a wonderful simulation! You can create any imaginable shape to project in Photoshop and use the projector like a light source. The example below was created by strapping the projector to a platform attached to a light stand - this accessory … [Read more...] about How to Use a Digital Projector as a Glamour Spotlight

Architecture Interiors — The Broad Stage

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Creating Panorama Scenes in Photoshop I did an exterior shoot for the Broad Stage back in 2011  (see the blog post here) and the next assignment was to document the interior for use on their website and in printed promotional materials. Besides its use in school programs the swank 500 seat theater is available for rent and is often used for major public performances. My job was to produce wide angle panoramas to show the space with and without crowds. I did quite a bit of other shooting as well, details, musicians and instruments but the main … [Read more...] about Architecture Interiors — The Broad Stage

Oben TT-100 Table Top Tripod

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There some times when even a travel tripod is just too much to lug around, and sometimes you need to get really low, or switch quickly between tripod steady, and hand held without leaving a valuable full-size tripod unattended. Thats where a good table top tripod can come in handy—a table top tripod can also be easily stuffed into a camera bag for emergencies without jeopardizing the carry-on status of your gear. I submit for your approval, the Oben TT-100 Table Top Tripod: This little gem is a great addition to any photographers kit—it … [Read more...] about Oben TT-100 Table Top Tripod

How to Light Close-up Flower Photos with a Flashlight

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Summer is Here - Time for Flower Photography I just thought I'd share a quick little lighting technique for your flower photography. Now that spring is past and summer is here, it is almost mandatory that, as photographers, we document the emergence of dormant life in the form of flower portraits. I have some lovely Amaryllis, just now blooming at my windows, and these make great subjects for close-up photography... It is very easy to get great close-up shots with limited depth of field, soft pastel colors, and gorgeous semi-abstract … [Read more...] about How to Light Close-up Flower Photos with a Flashlight

Gear Review: Oben Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod

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Just Enough Tripod & Then Some At some point every photographer needs a tripod. How much tripod depends on the specific needs of the photographer—are you a landscape photographer, portrait photographer, still life, nature, or street photographer? Maybe you're all of these at one time or another. What kind of camera do you use? Do you favor big DSLRs, medium format, or are you old school, with a big-ass view camera? If you shoot with a giant , heavy camera, you probably already know you should have a big tripod—if you are in full-on Ansel … [Read more...] about Gear Review: Oben Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod

Lee Varis’ 10-Channel Workflow – Part-3

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Picking up where we left off in part-2... Now for the really fun stuff... make a new empty layer at the top of the layer stack. Then select Image-> Apply Image... from the menu bar at the top... We are going to grab a copy of the b channel from the Lab document and put it into that empty layer. Set up the resulting dialog as shown... The grayscale "b" channel has a unique tonal rendering that makes it especially well suited to applying it in Overlay blend mode... This final Overlay blend darkens the sky … [Read more...] about Lee Varis’ 10-Channel Workflow – Part-3

Lee Varis’ 10-Channel Workflow – part-2

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Picking up where we left off in part-1... Now lets look at enhancing the color saturation. Of course this could be done with a Hue/Saturation adjustment, but we will do this another way to gain access to the channels of the Lab version of this image. Duplicate the document (Image-> Duplicate...) check the Merged Layers checkbox & rename with Lab... Convert this duplicate to Lab... Now we will use a little trick to boost the saturation. First apply a Curves adjustment layer, but don't make any changes to the curve. Then … [Read more...] about Lee Varis’ 10-Channel Workflow – part-2

Lee Varis’ 10-Channel Workflow – part-1

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Despite the wishes of most avid photographers, the photographic image is not really finished at the moment of capture. Every image can benefit with some level of post processing, even if it is just a modest adjustment in white balance or contrast. Most people never realize the potential of a captured image because they stop well before exploring all the enhancements that are possible. It is my belief that you don't know how good an image can be until you've pushed it too far! Meet the 10-channel Workflow I have a basic image enhancement … [Read more...] about Lee Varis’ 10-Channel Workflow – part-1

Channel Blending: From Color to B&W and Back again

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Channel Blending for Tone Control I'd like to share an advanced concept for tone control in Photoshop. This channel blending idea forms the basis of my 10-Channel Workflow for digital photography. Lets start with this colorful image of a sunflower... It is important to realize that all digital photographs are captured as three B&W images representing the Red, Green and Blue channels. If we examine the individual channels of this image we can see three radically different B&W renderings: Red Green Blue We … [Read more...] about Channel Blending: From Color to B&W and Back again

Fujifilm X100F – Star of the Street

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The Camera that's Just Enough for Most Everything I had the great fortune to beta test the newest iteration of Fujifilm's X100, the X100F — the little camera that could! This camera occupies an odd niche in that its a fixed lens mirrorless, that is much more than just a point-and-shoot, but not an interchangeable-lens "system," with a cool, retro "old school" vibe reminiscent of the Leica rangefinders.   The new X100F is pretty much the same size as the original, with the same 23mm ƒ2 lens. Most of the changes are under the … [Read more...] about Fujifilm X100F – Star of the Street

Lightening Dark Skin with Luminosity Blending – part-2

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This is part 2 of a detailed article.  Be sure to also check out part 1. We saw how to lighten dark skin using the red channel luminosity in my last post. This post explores an additional technique to "Pop" the highlights for further lightening. The idea here is to emphasize just the highlight portion of the skin tones and add a bit of 3D pop! Start by selecting "Merge Visible" from the Layer options flyaway menu WHILE holding down the Option/Alt key (very important!) As long as you have the top layer selected when you do this, … [Read more...] about Lightening Dark Skin with Luminosity Blending – part-2

Lightening Dark Skin with Luminosity Blending – part-1

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When you intent to print photos, its often a good idea to lighten skin tones a bit.  Dark skin tone can often pose a problem in print. Skin can get a muddy, plugged up look even with a high quality inkjet print. The trick is how to lighten it in a natural way that doesn't look forced or too contrasty! Lighten Skin with Channel Blending Here is a practical application of Channel Blending for a common problem with dark skin tones. Often, the client will want to lighten skin tones so that an image will print correctly or be easier to see … [Read more...] about Lightening Dark Skin with Luminosity Blending – part-1

How to Desaturate Shadows in Photoshop, for 3D Contrast

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  Digital capture technology is really awesome and has truly changed photography, improving it in a multitude of ways. But sometimes, digitally captured images have a certain exaggerated colorfulness, that just looks a little off, for those of us raised on the old fashioned film days! I have found that this has to do with the way color gets saturated as contrast increases. Even standard rendering presets increase contrast a bit through a global RGB composite curve, often indirectly. It seems that when contrast increases this way a … [Read more...] about How to Desaturate Shadows in Photoshop, for 3D Contrast

Color Correction for the Best Skin Tone

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Editor's NOTE: Photofocus is proud to welcome master photo educator Lee Varis to our roster of authors! Subtle Adjustments Make all the Difference Every photo needs some amount of adjustment to enhance its presentation, even really good photos can benefit with the right adjustment. However, if you ask 5 different people what needs to be done, you'll get 5 different answers, or worse, no answers, simply, "it looks fine!" Things become really difficult when there is no obvious problem. There are simple things to check for, like making … [Read more...] about Color Correction for the Best Skin Tone