# How Do You Get This Photo Effect? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 23, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-this-photo-effect/482696 "2009-01-23T19:57:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-this-photo-effect/482696/1 "2009-01-23T19:57:02Z")
If found [this picture](http://i39.tinypic.com/14n2sg8.jpg) on an Internet search, and thought the effect was very interesting. What is this effect called? Is it something you can do with Photoshop or the GIMP ---
**Author:** ![Dorjan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dorjan/32/12440_2.png) [@Dorjan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dorjan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-this-photo-effect/482696/2 "2009-01-23T19:59:26Z")
Over exposure? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-this-photo-effect/482696/3 "2009-01-23T20:23:16Z")
You could also just use Levels or Curves and slide the white point over towards gray to mimic overexposure. You might also want to play with the midtones and blacks to get the balance you want. But, yes, easy Photoshop or GIMP effect. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-this-photo-effect/482696/4 "2009-01-23T20:27:24Z")
Yes, simple. Just play with the gamma and contrast levels on any image/photo application. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-this-photo-effect/482696/5 "2009-01-23T20:32:48Z")
Thanks, but when I try I don’t even come close to the effect? Is the original picture altered someway first before you apply the gamma and contrast? I’ll keep trying though, thanks ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-this-photo-effect/482696/6 "2009-01-23T20:40:04Z")
Could you link to some of your attempts so we can perhaps see what’s going wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-this-photo-effect/482696/7 "2009-01-23T20:40:16Z")
Select most of the pic. Seems they used a circle to select most of the pic, except for most of the hair, then increased the white/bright/lite/gamma/contrast (it takes tinkering, etc). In Picasa, there are focus settings to that let you fade selected areas and narrow or widen the faded effect. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-this-photo-effect/482696/8 "2009-01-23T20:55:30Z")
> [@Markxxx](#): > > Thanks, but when I try I don’t even come close to the effect? Is the original picture altered someway first before you apply the gamma and contrast? I’ll keep trying though, thanks The photo has to be lit well. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-this-photo-effect/482696/9 "2009-01-23T20:59:41Z")
[Here](http://www.dslreports.com/showpic/dimaging?lid=106979&1=1) is a picture I took of my daughter on her first day home. The technique I used to make it look like this was called ‘high key.’ To make it look more like the one in the OP, I think I would just back off on the opacity, maybe leaving the hair alone or fading it less then the rest of the picture. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2009, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-get-this-photo-effect/482696/10 "2009-01-23T21:04:59Z")
I just also realized that there is still a little bit of fleshtone around his lips and the corners of his eyes. So after you made all the changes, you would turn off the original layer (you didn’t work on that layer, right), flatten all visible layers, turn the original back on and then take your eraser with an opacity of maybe 10% or so and erase those areas to bring some flesh tone back through.