This time around it's a double header, kiddies...so strap yourselves in and let's take a ride. ;-)
The first image you'll already be familiar with, since I presented it in my last blog post. I did receive a few questions from readers about the distracting background, and my response was that I simply wasn't shooting for portfolio images (and therefore didn't really care about it at the time). However, I later realized that I had originally promised my "model" that he'd get a Facebook profile pic out of the deal, so off to Photoshop land I went....
I extracted him out of the original background using a tool called
ReMask from
Topaz Labs. It's a fairly decent "quick and dirty" extraction tool when the item you're trying to extract has a fairly well-defined edge and there is clear separation from the background. However, I wouldn't use it for anything too complex, because it starts to get a little squirrely with your edges, and you'll end up saying a few more curse words than you would if you had used a REAL extraction tool like
Vertus Fluid Mask. Anyway, I digress.
I found a nice stock image of a Nissan 350Z on Flickr (photo credit
Jeremy Cliff), and decided it would make a much more appealing backdrop for my model, since he also happens to drive a 350Z. I dropped him into the scene as a new layer, used the free transform tool (while holding the Shift key, which constrains the proportions) to adjust him down to a smaller size relative to the car, and proceeded to make all sorts of adjustments to the lighting. That's the real key to making believable composites-- you absolutely *have* to pay very close attention to the lighting or it will scream "PHOTOSHOPPED!".
Anyway, when all was said and done there were a number of adjustment layers......mostly Curves and Levels with different masks applied, and also a couple of Dodge & Burn layers. Sorry that I didn't take detailed notes of all the steps I took, or I would gladly share them with you. I'm more than willing to answer any questions you may have about the process, though. So here's the before & after image (roll over it with your mouse):
The second image was taken in my studio that same day, and basically he was laying on his belly with a
Lastolite TriGrip Reflector under his elbows and a beauty dish above his head. It was inspired by an image I had seen on legendary high school senior photographer
Kirk Voclain's website a couple of months earlier. As far as post processing:
- I cleaned up his skin a bit using the High Pass filter (here's an excellent tutorial on this technique)
- I added some additional contrast using another High Pass filter (again, here's a great site explaining 3 great uses for this filter)
- I enhanced the color of his eyes by creating a new layer, lassoing his irises with the elliptical marquee tool, filling the selection with a bright blue, changing the blend mode to Color, and reducing opacity to taste
- For the most dramatic change, I blended in a texture of a scratched surface, and masked out his eyes and most of his face with a reduced-opacity, soft brush.
- Lastly, I created a merged layer at the top of my stack (Ctrl+Alt+Shift+E) (or Cmd+Opt+Shift+E for Mac users), added a Gaussian Blur, then applied mask using the Gradient Tool in linear gradient mode so that only the top and bottom edges of the photo would be a little blurry. Kind of gives the photo a little more interest, and helps to draw the viewer's eye to those of my model.
Check out the before and after below. I think the image has much more drama and "punch" now, don't you? Please let me know your thoughts by leaving a comment. I absolutely LOVE hearing your feedback and all the many different fascinating perspectives you share with me. It's what truly makes this all worthwhile. Enjoy!
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