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Much better quality larger version here
I am trying to get this 'pure white' skin effect. Is this just playing with over-exposure or is it more post-processing work?
The above image is not mine. I found it on the web. It is an example of what I am trying to achieve.
EDIT: just for clarification in case anyone eles has the same question - the idea/effect I am looking for is called 'high-key'....yes I am a complete noob
You could play with exposure and post-processing, but the most important step would be the lighting of the shot. I would think butterfly (clam shell) lighting to brighten the face, eliminate shadows and reduce texture on the face.
Image above does not give a good feel for original.
There are many versions on web. Most are small and unattributed.
A small version from what claims to be the original source is seen here
They have dozens of similarly rendered images of young girls.
Home page TANNEKE PHOTOGRAPHY
"artistieke & romantische kinderportretten door Tanneke Peetoom "
aka
"Artistic and romantic portraits of children by Tanneke Peetoom "
Contact details here - she MIGHT tell you if you ask :-).
Notice that the girls face has hardly any shadows. This means that the light source, from the perspective of the subject, is large and diffuse.
This can be achieved by a ring flash and shoot close to the subject or, alternatively, put a huge white box behind you.
If you have lots of lights, then 4 strip lights above, left, bottom, right of subject can give you very precise control.
The background is photoshopped because the glow around the subject follows her form. I would love to see a version of these works without this glow.
When in doubt, zoom into the pupil of the face to see the reflection of the light source.
Be careful not to confuse the contrast of the image with the way it was lit. While shadows themselves can't easily be added in post processing, the difference between shadow, midtone and highlight can be adjusted through both lighting and post processing. In particular, by pumping up the contrast in parts of the image (e.g. hair), the "flatness" of other areas is accentuated.
Adjusting contrast based on tone can be achieved with plugins -- for example, Nik's Color Efex Pro tone contrast
