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digital composites (pic)

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Thanks, Brian! She is a little doll, isn't she? I got so many great pics it's amazing. Some casual like these and some more formal, in a dfferent outfit and four lights. As soon as I get a few of those on my web site, I'll post the link.

http://64.49.211.153/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=75970

Well, here's the link to the pic I posted on zuga (where you can upload an image instead of just posting a link).

Nothing special about the lighting. I used one light on each side with the main about 1.5 stops hotter than the fill. Great subjects make the photograph.

Paul
http://www.paulsportraits.com
Brian Mackey said:
regards
Paul Ferrara said:
This is the easy kind, where you keep the background basically the
same color.



Paul
http://www.paulsportraits.com
Click to expand...
--
Oly E-20's? -- Aint no doubt about it!
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/mackey135/njdigitalservices.htm
http://www.pbase.com/mackey
http://www.photosig.com/userphotos.php?id=3459
Click to expand...
 
Hi Daniel,

I tried the crossed ankles and didn't like the way it looked. I didn't inentionally use broad lighting. I just didn't get her face turned square to the camera. Well, I did, but she moved it.

It's harder to pose kids, for me at least.

If the hair light is noticible it's too hot. ;-) This is a little too hot.

Paul
http://www.paulsportraits.com
Daniel Payne said:
The pose at:
Daniel Payne said:
http://64.49.211.153/forums/attachment.php?s=&postid=75970
Click to expand...
could be improved by:

1) Crossing her ankles
2) Bending her right arm, instead of keeping it straight

I like the hair light in this portrait.

I'm curious why you used broad lighting instead of short lighting,
and a masculine pose.

--
Daniel Payne
Canon D60
http://danieljpayne.com/
Click to expand...
 
Thanks, Dave. The first step is extracting the images and that depends on the background used in the original, the b/g you plan to use for the composite, and the amount of time you're willing to spend on it. I generally do not want to spend hours on these so I often will make the source and target background similar so the extraction does not have to be perfect.

For these images I used the Magic Wand, varying the sensitivity from 32 down to 4 or so. The jeans and background are close in color in areas and if it's too high when I selected that shade I'd have ended up selecting part of the jeans too.

Then I do a Select~Inverse and now I have the subject selected in the original. Ctrl-C to copy. Switch to the new canvas, and paste. That automatically creates a new layer.

Once I had all five images on the new canvas, I used the eyedropper tool to set my foreground and background colors from the original image (darkest and lightest, more or less). I then changed to the background layer and used the gradient tool to paint the b/g.

Then I moved the images around until I got the layout I wanted and adjusted the size on a couple of them so they'd be uniform.

Finally, I cropped the excess from the new canvas and that was it.

Since I was working with the full-sized files, this will easily blow up to 16x20 and beyond. I'm going to have a large print made from it but haven't decided on the size yet.

Paul
http://www.paulsportraits.com
dave newton said:
Paul Ferrara said:
This is the easy kind, where you keep the background basically the
same color.



Paul
http://www.paulsportraits.com
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
I was doing this last night. Quite coincidental! Another usefull trick is to use the gradiation tool. You can use many colors, variations, and my favorite, putting back lighting behind their head. To simplify things, I like to use a white muslin background. It makes the magic wand work easy (unless the poser is wearing white). I also like to add texture to it by draping it. Then when I fill I adjust the tranparency of the layer to keep the texture.

Thanks for sharing
Paul Ferrara said:
For these images I used the Magic Wand, varying the sensitivity
from 32 down to 4 or so. The jeans and background are close in
color in areas and if it's too high when I selected that shade I'd
have ended up selecting part of the jeans too.

Then I do a Select~Inverse and now I have the subject selected in
the original. Ctrl-C to copy. Switch to the new canvas, and
paste. That automatically creates a new layer.

Once I had all five images on the new canvas, I used the eyedropper
tool to set my foreground and background colors from the original
image (darkest and lightest, more or less). I then changed to the
background layer and used the gradient tool to paint the b/g.

Then I moved the images around until I got the layout I wanted and
adjusted the size on a couple of them so they'd be uniform.

Finally, I cropped the excess from the new canvas and that was it.

Since I was working with the full-sized files, this will easily
blow up to 16x20 and beyond. I'm going to have a large print made
from it but haven't decided on the size yet.

Paul
http://www.paulsportraits.com
dave newton said:
Paul Ferrara said:
This is the easy kind, where you keep the background basically the
same color.



Paul
http://www.paulsportraits.com
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Here's the shot that I posted last week with the gradient background. I use the extract tool rather than the magic wand since it tends to be more precise. It allows you to get all the fine hairs and shadows (if you want them). It takes a little more work but it's worth it. Also, when I do comps, I try to use 3/4 length poses. It keeps the subject from "floating".

Steve

 
Steve,

Very nice shot! I like the model(ing) a lot too;-) The kid is cute, but the lights kinda flat.

Thanks for sharing again. Mike
SRHookEm said:
Here's the shot that I posted last week with the gradient
background. I use the extract tool rather than the magic wand since
it tends to be more precise. It allows you to get all the fine
hairs and shadows (if you want them). It takes a little more work
but it's worth it. Also, when I do comps, I try to use 3/4 length
poses. It keeps the subject from "floating".

Steve

Click to expand...
 
Mike, I (SRHookEm) shot the senior girl with the gradient. Paul shot the little girl against the blue. Which shot do you think is flat? Just wondering....

Steve
MikeMiles said:
Steve,

Very nice shot! I like the model(ing) a lot too;-) The kid is cute,
but the lights kinda flat.

Thanks for sharing again. Mike
Click to expand...
 
Very nice! I like the name at the bottom too. I've been running out of creative ideas lately.

I don't think mine looks like she's floating. Do you? It looks very much like the original shots on paper.



And I guess I'll play with the Extract tool a little more. I did try it and didn't get fantastic results as I recall. I also tried the "mask". Can't recall the name off the top of my head and I don't have PS loaded right now.

One thing that works pretty well for me is Select~Similar. And Select~Color Range looks to have promise although I haven't spent enough time with it.

Paul
http://www.paulsportraits.com
SRHookEm said:
Here's the shot that I posted last week with the gradient
background. I use the extract tool rather than the magic wand since
it tends to be more precise. It allows you to get all the fine
hairs and shadows (if you want them). It takes a little more work
but it's worth it. Also, when I do comps, I try to use 3/4 length
poses. It keeps the subject from "floating".

Steve

Click to expand...
 
I don't think it's flat. It looks really compressed. The artifacts make it look like the lighting is running together. Did you smash it down pretty good to post?

I have to light a bit flatter for these as well. It makes it easier to strip. When I started this series of poses, I left the Octodome set where it was and bumped up the fill in the pan reflector.

When I mentioned floating, I was talking about stripping in a gradient background. It doesn't give you the look of a sweep like the solid does. You would have someone standing on the transition area out in space! I use a solid color for full length and mix in gradients for 3/4 length.

The kids and parents love the name on there. When I show samples, they all ask for the name.

Steve
Paul Ferrara said:
I don't think mine looks like she's floating. Do you? It looks
very much like the original shots on paper.



And I guess I'll play with the Extract tool a little more. I did
try it and didn't get fantastic results as I recall. I also tried
the "mask". Can't recall the name off the top of my head and I
don't have PS loaded right now.

One thing that works pretty well for me is Select~Similar. And
Select~Color Range looks to have promise although I haven't spent
enough time with it.

Paul
http://www.paulsportraits.com
SRHookEm said:
Here's the shot that I posted last week with the gradient
background. I use the extract tool rather than the magic wand since
it tends to be more precise. It allows you to get all the fine
hairs and shadows (if you want them). It takes a little more work
but it's worth it. Also, when I do comps, I try to use 3/4 length
poses. It keeps the subject from "floating".

Steve

Click to expand...
--
Click to expand...
 
If you use a tripod and lock your exposure and have the model move to different areas you don't have to worry about the background and your subject can cast shadows that make the background look more realistic...the photo I posted earlier had 6 layers, the background remained exactly the same, except the subject moved to different chairs around the table and even stood up behind it....you can even retouch the subject to add shadows from one of the other layers....see my ealier post and pay attention to the legs under the table and the remote control's antenna, etc....people really really like this multiple subject shots....
Kelly
 
I didn't mean it negatively. It's mostly the center girl that has a very even lighting to her. With portraits, my eyes are always drawn to the center.

Here is a shot using the grad tool going from the center out.



Mike
SRHookEm said:
I have to light a bit flatter for these as well. It makes it easier
to strip. When I started this series of poses, I left the Octodome
set where it was and bumped up the fill in the pan reflector.

When I mentioned floating, I was talking about stripping in a
gradient background. It doesn't give you the look of a sweep like
the solid does. You would have someone standing on the transition
area out in space! I use a solid color for full length and mix in
gradients for 3/4 length.

The kids and parents love the name on there. When I show samples,
they all ask for the name.

Steve
Paul Ferrara said:
I don't think mine looks like she's floating. Do you? It looks
very much like the original shots on paper.



And I guess I'll play with the Extract tool a little more. I did
try it and didn't get fantastic results as I recall. I also tried
the "mask". Can't recall the name off the top of my head and I
don't have PS loaded right now.

One thing that works pretty well for me is Select~Similar. And
Select~Color Range looks to have promise although I haven't spent
enough time with it.

Paul
http://www.paulsportraits.com
SRHookEm said:
Here's the shot that I posted last week with the gradient
background. I use the extract tool rather than the magic wand since
it tends to be more precise. It allows you to get all the fine
hairs and shadows (if you want them). It takes a little more work
but it's worth it. Also, when I do comps, I try to use 3/4 length
poses. It keeps the subject from "floating".

Steve

Click to expand...
--
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Your previous image didn't post so we can't see what you're referring to.
Kelly said:
If you use a tripod and lock your exposure and have the model move
to different areas you don't have to worry about the background and
your subject can cast shadows that make the background look more
realistic...the photo I posted earlier had 6 layers, the background
remained exactly the same, except the subject moved to different
chairs around the table and even stood up behind it....you can
even retouch the subject to add shadows from one of the other
layers....see my ealier post and pay attention to the legs under
the table and the remote control's antenna, etc....people really
really like this multiple subject shots....
Kelly
Click to expand...
Paul
http://www.paulsportraits.com
 
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