Photographing for Compositing in Photoshop

Course details

Learn the creative and technical considerations involved in photographing with compositing in mind. Seán Duggan reviews the key elements of any compositing library, and then shows how to go out into the field and into the studio to capture the photographs you need to round out your own image library. He also reviews using props to expand your creative options and some simple post-processing techniques for creating different types of composites in Photoshop.

Learning objectives
Types of composites
Using blend modes to create composites
Creating an image library for compositing
Photographing location elements
Using props
Photographing in the studio
Composite projects

Concepts

Introduction

Welcome
About the course
Using the exercise files

The Compositing Mindset

Types of composites
Seeing compositing possibilities
Creating a simple blend-mode composite
Using blend modes to create a photorealistic composite

The Compositing Image Library

Lightroom collections and keywords for a composite library
Discussing skies, water, and landscape elements for compositing
Recognizing and photographing symbolic elements

Photographing the Location Elements

Introduction - Location shooting for composites
Planning the shot
Getting the shot
Shooting additional angles
Understanding lighting, perspective, and camera angle to aid the composite
Using a model in the composite
Using props - Shooting a glass bottle

Photographing the Studio Elements

Introduction - Shooting in a studio for composites
Matching studio lighting to location shots and lighting the background for masking
Matching perspective, angle, and focal length
Using location elements in the studio
Shooting tethered in Lightroom for quick rough drafts
Creating a studio mock-up composite in Photoshop

Composite Project - Trapped in a Bottle

Using the Quick Selection tool to select the subject
Perfecting the selection with Select and Mask
Using Smart Objects for nondestructive transformations
Refinements with blend modes and adjustment layers
Finishing touches

Composite Project - Portrait

Masking the subject
Editing a layer mask
Adding sand detail from another image
Finishing touches

Composite Project - Man in a Seascape

Combining two seascape images
Modifying rocks for a realistic look
Final mask touch-ups
Using adjustment layers to create tonal styling

Conclusion

Next steps