Dramatic Portrait Compositing: From Capture to Completion Video Tutorial Series
To order the downloadable series, click here.
Watch the Introduction
It is with utter delight that I announce the release of my latest video tutorial series, “Dramatic Portrait Compositing: From Capture to Completion.” I’ve never been this excited to launch anything!
Whether you’re familiar with compositing or you’ve always wanted to explore it, you’ll love this series because it reveals every secret you need to accomplish mind-blowing composites. Although the specific focus of this series is on creating a dramatic portrait composite using a studio-lit model and an edgy HDR background, the concepts covered here apply to every type of compositing, whether the subject is a person, a pencil, or anything in between.
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Through precise control of light, color, texture, and atmospheric effects both in the studio and in Photoshop, it’s possible to craft scenes that would be nearly impossible to capture solely with a camera. This enlivening process has been the center of my creative ambitions for the past year and it is my goal during this series to share all that I’ve learned.
You’ll learn how to…
- Light and photograph a subject for compositing
- Capture a striking background
- Make accurate selections
- Use Photomatix Pro to stylize the background
- Merge the subject with the background by balancing light and color
- Add dramatic atmospheric effects that help sell the composite
- Finish the composite using Nik Color Efex Pro Complete
- Create the popular edgy look made famous by Joel Grimes
I hope you decide to join me for this exhilarating ride!
Mark
Click here to download the Press Packet
Sometimes little finishing touches are all it takes to separate a photo from the pack. I resisted Color Efex Pro for quite some time because I wasn’t convinced that my images would benefit. Boy was I wrong! After downloading the trial and playing a bit, I quickly realized that although Color Efex Pro wouldn’t transform my mediocre images into great ones, it would consistently make my best images even better. In today’s Workbench, we’ll use Color Efex Pro 4 Complete Edition to finish a portrait by using light and shadow to subtly focus the viewer’s attention on the subject’s face and by adding punch to the overall scene.
Nik offers a 15-day fully functional free trial for Color Efex Pro. If you decide to purchase this plug-in (or any of Nik’s products), simply click through this Nik Software Discount link ( Nik Software: Color Efex Pro 4 15% discount ) or in the sidebar of msjphotography.com to receive 15% off during checkout.
I’m a born teacher. When I get excited about a new technique or a great photograph, it’s nearly impossible for me to do anything but yearn to share it. Over the years, through my books and videos, I’ve shared lots of techniques, but there has been a shortage of photo sharing. This is why, beginning today, my intention is to release one new photo each Monday. If you’d like to be notified when a photo is released, please click here to subscribe to my RSS feed. My hope is that these images will inspire you to engage your imagination and create wonderful works of art!
To view a larger version, please click the image above.
Photo composite using a background courtesy of Trey Ratcliff of stuckincustoms.com.
If you’d like to be notified when a photo is released, please click here to subscribe to my RSS feed.
Click here to view the Photo Vault Archive
These “Just Do It” (JDI) improvements won’t get much hype, but boy will they make a big difference!
Click here to download the entire ten tutorial series for $9.95
Learn how to generate realistic 3D effects complete with lights and shadows using a more intuitive user interface.
Click here to download the entire ten tutorial series for $9.95
