Before & After, Episode 16

Being that I was a recording artist and aspiring rock star in a past life, I have a special place in my heart for shooting promo images of musically-gifted people. Although this certainly wasn't my typical band promo shoot (because my subjects weren't rock-n-rollers this time around, but rather internationally recognized DJs/producers Viro and Rob Analyze), the basic premise was still the same-- create some visually engaging images of the highest quality (suitable for worldwide distribution) that really capture their style and personality. Basically, these guys were looking for CD cover & liner notes shots, as well as a few images to include in marketing materials and on websites.

For the shot below, I used a 3-light setup-- two on either side as rim lights/kickers (as you can see from the "before" image), and a beauty dish up front as key. The kickers were fitted with barn doors and 30° grids, and the beauty dish also had a 30° grid on it. I'll be adding stripboxes to my lighting rig in the near future, which will provide much more even illumination on the sides of my subjects, but that's a topic for another post.

I had my subject probably 12-14 feet from the background to control spill and ensure that the light falloff from my strobes would keep it solid black. I used a black shower curtain (yes, you read that right!) because it was handy, and because I was really only concerned about keeping his head/hair surrounded by blackness-- I knew that the rest of him would be quite easy to extract later in post, but hair is always much more challenging if the background isn't solid.

Speaking of post, once I got my subject cut out, I began applying the special effects. The background was simply a pure black layer onto which I drew a tic-tac-toe pattern with the brush tool and applied a radial blur. I then colorized it green & beige with a Hue/Saturation layer. For the particle effects, I used several different splatter brushes, sampling the color from the edge of his skin/clothing. I also used those same brushes to apply a mask along the edge, which provides the "disintegration" effect. Lastly, I really amped up the contrast with LOTS of dodging/burning to polish everything off.

To see the before & after, just move your mouse pointer over the image for a few seconds until it changes. Then you can switch them back and forth as much as you like.

ROLLOVER IMAGE

For further examples of my work, including high school senior pictures, baby & family portraits, and fashion & glamour, please visit my website at http://RussRobinsonPhotography.com

VERY interested in hearing everyone's feedback on this one, because I really pushed the envelope and took some major risks here. Fortunately the client loved it, but what do YOU think? Please sound off below, and be sure to Like/Share!

Tuesday, August 31, 2010