How to get this photorealism-like effect?

[Thomas Kyhn]

I wonder if anyone here can help answer a question I've had for a while and now finally am getting around to asking. Some photos have a smooth, photorealism-like quality – a little like this painting by Don Eddy, "Untitled (4 VWs)" (1971):

 

(Source)

 

Here are a few examples – I just came across these; I'm not particularly interested in cars, but noticed this particular quality/effect again – all from Lienhard Racing Photography on Twitter (if it isn't OK to embed photos from Twitter here, please someone let me know and I'll remove them and just leave the links):

 

(Source)

 

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Does anyone here know how this quality is achieved? Is it done by some sort of colour grading or a particular editing procedure?

 

(I know, I could just ask the photographer on Twitter, but it didn't seem quite right ask for technical explanations there.)

 

Edited August 10, 2021 by Thomas Kyhn

[wiskerke]

I tried to get https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8cHDPPX0AUBQG2?format=jpg&name=large

to this: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E8cMMpdXMAEIb30?format=jpg&name=large

 

ACR Detail:

Noise reduction 90 sharpening at 30 color noise 60

ACR Basic:

Vibrance and Saturation at +40

Exposure +50

Contrast +40

Highlights -30

Shadows +30

Whites +60

Blacks -10

Texture -50

Clarity +30

 

These settings are a bit rough and everything concerning noise and detail depends on size of input and output.

 

Keep the background as it is, and paint in the car from a layer.

 

I'm sure there are presets and actions that can do something like this. 

 

wim

[Thomas Kyhn]

Thanks, Wim! I will give that a try and see how it works.