Jim Lind Photo

I was recently interviewed for the fifth installment of Photoshop Projects magazine, which (as you probably already guessed) gives comprehensive tutorials to Photoshop novices and experts alike. Because of its European decent, the distribution is limited and thus why I am sharing here. While I’m definitely an advocate of Photoshop (when used right), it can often incite the traditionalist within the field. So for those photographers out there, shield your eyes from the composite fury I’m about to release…

Often it is close to impossible to achieve your true vision in a single photograph.

Instead, by using Adobe Photoshop and a little ingenuity, you can create just about anything that pops into your imagination.

In this tutorial we will discuss how to visually sculpt a photograph with the aid of composite imagery.

STEP 1
Pre-visualization
To start, you need a concept. This is the most important step in the whole process because it is this concept that will carry your image beyond mere ‘eye candy’ and into people’s memories. Take plenty of time to plan this idea out. Use a pen and paper or Wacom tablet to roughly sketch, trying to visualise light direction and perspective.

STEP 2
If you already have images you want to insert, you can skip this step. Otherwise, photograph your background plate as well as any foreground and mid-ground elements you want in the final image. Try to match the perspectives as closely as possible by using a tripod. If need be, use ambient lights to match your subjects’ lighting with the background lighting.

STEP 3
In Photoshop, place the images where you want them and add a layer mask (Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal All). Go to the Channels palette (Window > Channels) and select the Alpha Channel. Using the Brush tool, carefully paint around the objects to isolate them from the background (painting with white reveals while painting with black hides).

Step 4
Color Balance
Select the RGB Composite to begin work on the image. Using adjustment layers (Layer > New Adjustment Layer), balance the subjects to their background. To only affect a certain layer, hit Layer > Create Clipping Mask (often this can be achieved by using just the Curves, Selective Colour, and Hue/Saturation layers).

Step 5
Blending Modes
Now to add the lightning. I started by gathering high- contrast images where the background was nearly black and the lightning nearly white. Once you have your image, select the Colour Dodge blending mode so that the darkest parts of the lightning disappear and the brightest parts blend with the layers behind it.

STEP 6
Final Touches
I wanted my image to be believable, so I decided to spend some time fine-tuning it to add realism. Even if your goal is fantasy or surrealism, a touch of realism is always good – it helps suspend viewers’ disbelief and keeps them engaged.