Glauco Dattini: Digital Alteration and Enhancement
Glauco was born and lives in Rome. When he started photography he joined photos clubs and learned the basics then moved on to a photography school in Rome. Starting out as a wedding photographer using analog film and cameras, he quickly became interested in digital imaging as the technology improved. Particularly he is fascinated by the possibilities of creative expression through digital manipulation of his images.
His images are sold in internet by a few specialized sites and in the artistic presses like Photogem. He is a Photoshop expert and a contributor for an Italian photographic magazine, Fotografare, for which he write tutorials, reviews of softwares and technical articles.
Many of your images show a large amount of digital alteration. What got you interested in this sort of imagery and why do you enjoy it more than ‘straight’ photography?
GLAUCO: In the history of photography there are two school of thought, that divide the photography in pictorial and straight. This division was born many years before the introduction of the digital alteration. I’m mainly interested in the pictorial concept of the photo. In analogical photography there are many way to achieve pictorial effects, such the use of soft-focus lenses, multi-exposures, alterations of the development of the negatives, chemical toning and so on. The digital means enlarge the possibility to obtain pictorial effects and it makes possible to run over again the steps made by the art of the painting, using the photographic medium. I think that we are only at the beginning of this journey. I believe that the possibilities that the digital elaboration offers are really great and we need to experiment for a long time to reach something of new indeed.
Does your interest in photoshop manipulation dictate the types of subjects that you shoot? For example, shooting HDR images of people is difficult because of subject movement, thus most HDR images out there are landscape type images. Or do you decide what alterations you are going to do based on the subject you have shot?
Glauco Dattini
GLAUCO: Generally I decide the shots according to the function that they’ll have in photoshop. It could be that I shoot a stock photo, without interpretation, because it will serve me for the following manipulation. It means that often the subjects are dictated by the manipulation. The landscapes or the architectural subject are congenial to the HDR photography and so I prefer they for this technique. It’ s possible to make HDR files from a single frame, shooting in RAW and changing the exposure in the RAW converter, and so you can generate an HDR image with persons or animals in movement, but in this way you don’t have the same quality as joining more different exposures. However sometimes I make photos without to think about the manipulation and I’ll decide as to retouch basing on the subject.
Without giving away any secrets, what are some of your favorite alteration methods, styles, or filters?
GLAUCO: I use the Tone Mapping plug-in in photoshop to alter the HDR files and I usually experiment every type of plug-ins on my images, but I obtain many alterations only by the use of the adjustment levels. Another technique that I love is the employment of the textures with different blending modes, above all Overlay or Multiply.
What did you do to learn your digital alteration skills? Where did you go to learn techniques like HDR?
GLAUCO: When I attended a professional school of photography was used only the analogical means. In every case, I have always had the passion for the computer. I begin to play with the Commodore 64 in the early ‘80 and when the personal computers became of public dominion I learned to use the softwares as autodidact. Subsequently I have worked for some years in a computer farm as technical. So I have a propensity to learn and to use software. However internet is a very good source of learning. When I have a new program on my PC, I explore the net to find tutorials and reviews and it’s very simple to improve myself.
Glauco Dattini
How do you feel about the “photoshop ruins photography” or “HDR is fake” or “Digital alterations aren’t photography” controversies? Do you feel there is any difference between an HDR landscape and one that is presented more traditionally?
GLAUCO: Obviously there is difference between an HDR and a traditional photo, the technique and the result are different. But I don’t see a controversy. Simply everyone can finds the more appropriate way to express himself. In painting we can use only a pencil or we can attach on canvas all that comes to mind. The photography is not only a technique but it’s an art that each can conceive in his way. I think beside that the different visual disciplines have drawn near and often up to melt in a hybrid. The product of photography, 3D and graphic is always a file, and one discipline trespasses in the others. The old concepts of frontiers don’t have anymore sense today.
And finally, the question we ask everyone: While this article is primarily directed towards your digital alteration work, we all have other interests aside from what we are “known” for. With that in mind, what would be your âdream project’ if you could work on anything in the world?
GLAUCO: If I could have the opportunities I wish to use my creativity for advertising campaign and especially for social purpose like the preservation of the nature, the fight against the racism and so on. I hope to will know the new technological means for the elaboration of the images that will be available in the future and that these will give me further opportunities to effect innovative works.
Some Examples of Glauco’s Work
Glauco Dattini
Nikon D200 - Nikkor vr 70-300 mm – Photomatix Pro – Photoshop
This image is a classic roman cityscapes shot in winter during the afternoon, when the light become warmest. I shot five exposures from -2 to +2 and I have joined them in a single HDR file. The elaboration of the HDR has produced a ghost artifact on the birds, but it was simple to erase it with the clone stamp tool. The goal of this image is the light and the atmosphere created with the HDR and the following Tone Mapping.
Glauco Dattini
Nikon D200 - Nikkor 12-24 mm – Photomatix Pro – Photoshop
The process to obtain this HDR is the same that in the precedent picture. It gives to the image a hyper-realistic aspect. Using three or five exposure it’s possible to get a great quantity of details both in the highlights both in the shadows. It enhances the texture on the walls of this picture. However I have been stricken by the presence of the motorcycle in this old alley that creates a mixture between new and old.
Glauco Dattini
Nikon D300 - Nikkor vr 70-300 mm – Photomatix Pro – Photoshop
This image join the HDR technique to the surrealistic composition. The idea was born looking at the texture on the wall that suggested me some forms. So I have added the child by digital painting. The balloon and the crow come from others shots. At last I have introduced a texture that makes more mysterious the image according to the overcast sky
Glauco Dattini
Nikon D300 - Photoshop CS4
This is fundamentally a photographic collage. The elements derive from eight different photos. The lightning and the reflections are made by plug-in in Photoshop. Before this I have made a series with the roman statues in some locations at Rome but always seen as giants. In this image I have liked to bring the statue in a fantasy scenery with a gloomy atmosphere.
Glauco Dattini
Nikon D300 Photoshop CS4 Cinema 4D
This is a mixed technique. The eye-balls are made with a 3D software. The stems of the eye-balls derive from a shot of a rose. The road, the mountains and the moon by three different photos. The sky was made with a plug-in. The particular tones are obtained with the adjustment levels. I have imagined that in another planet some creatures observe us and reproach us.
I like some of the surreal 'collages' (french, looking for the english term) very much ; am working on a future floating water world and am gathering group of photograpers and cinematographers etc who could / would eb willing to do visuals for such projects; much of it has to do with major changes to our planet 'earth' which should be named planet Water as covered more than 70% by water and this will go up in near future; will send you an outline / description of my SelfSustainingSeaSity submission to the Google 10`100 Competition (10 mio usd for 5 projects to improve the world) as suggest human kind moves to water based living massively (means we will want to either preserve and/or copy some of our world heritage, rome, venice, etc etc); first on the water as this means we will float with whatever future brings, rise or decrease of sea levels (more likely major rise and definitely many more tsunamis, el ninos etc), then BELOW water to protect from coming Ice Age as we prepare more serious efforts to establish human kind in the universe, moons of major planets (moons of jupiter - Saturn, Uranus, Neptune = jSUN like Jason and the argonauts....) and then further, notably including man made floating space cities which I can imagine, but not produce in visuals as you can....
have to make it down to Rome anyway; have not been further south than Siena (seen most parts of the North, at least quickly) which is ridiculous as have good friends form Sicilia, Calabriam, etc., will have to see Napoli / Capri /Amalfi before swapping Planet Water for Space and the nice thing about ROMA is that inversely spelled it yields AMOR so I definitely want to take my new to be wife to the Trevi Fountain for good wishes on our upcoming marriage, of course....
kind regards,
Jeroen Paul DE KRUIJFF
JPDK
Jointventure Projekt
Development Koordinator
Geneva, Svizzera
jeroenpaul@dekruijff.net
I would like to congratulate you for your work.You already know that I like your art and I am very happy I could find your photo in front page of photo.net. Regards, Stamoulis.
ciao glauco, sei stato scelto tra i 700.000 membri e non è poco!! ancor di più primo italiano....complimentissimi :-)) ..continua così ad usare la tua creatività per fini sociali .. and so on!! seguo le tue foto fantastiche e a presto incontrarci eheheh
What a great portfolio! Thanks for being part of photo.net I learn so much from those of you who have such great skills. I would like to learn to do HDR but do not the software to do it. What program would you recommend? Thanks Tom
Hi Glauco and many compliments for this award. I read the interesting interview and the description you give of some of your works add interest to the works themselves and dirve me to understand the complex research activity that you develop to reach these outstanding results.
Mauro
PS: Yes, I know I'm a bit late with my comment, but you know the saying: "meglio tardi che mai!"
