12Jul/100
Video tutorial on creative editing
After my last photoshop challenge I received yet another image from Martin Wennerstrøm. This time, the challenge was somewhat similar to the first - but instead of doing the same approach, I went all Dave Hill on it, and ended up with this video tutorial.
(My advice would be to watch it in HD)
7Jul/103
Photoshop Challenge
My dear colleague Frank Visler poked me on facebook and said, go edit this photo. Having respect for the elderly, I of course obliged.
In this post, I will demonstrate how I managed to make a blown out photo of some nice looking cars look a bit more dramatic.
This is the original unedited photo taken by Martin Wennerstrøm
And here's what came out of photoshop 20 minutes later.
This is not by any means a full makeover - that would take a bit more than 20 minutes. This challenge was to make the image look more dramatic through fast editing and with some easy tricks to do so.
Let me guide you through it.
Here we have the image opened in Photoshop.
To me, the challenge was to make due with a pretty cool image which unfortunately had burned out areas.
- My first layer was a curves layer, which pretty much was used to pull out whatever information I could in the brightest areas.
- Next, i made a copy of the original layer, added motion blur (vertically), masked it, and painted back the effect on the wheels. We don't want to see the prints off the wheels if we are to create the illusion of a burn out.
I had my hazzle with the rims. I made selections of the 3 visible ones (I left out the top left one) and tried to add some blur effects to them. But because of the crooked angle, non of the blur effects was really suited.
- What I then did was to take the smudge tool and smudge away within the selection of the largest rim. I figured the other ones would be too covered in smoke. Yes, Smoke.
- In order to create the illusion of smoke, I usually create several layers, take a brush with low flow (4-5%) and paint in different shades of grey and white. That way, I can add this smoky effect. I didn't work the first few times, but if you keep trying, you'll most likely end up with something that works - it's all about creating the illusion.
- Here, I added a sky to add drama (I guess that's my thing). What I also did was make a new layer, take a white brush with flow of 10-15% and repeatedly dab white areas around the lady.
- After that, I added a color balance layer where I adjusted the mid tones and dark tones to get the bluish feel.
- on top of that, I added a PWL layer (paint with light - empty layer set to overlay) and painted with black and white (5% flow) to add highlights and drama to other areas. I also used this to add the skidmarks on the ground under the wheels. This basically works the same way as dodge and burn.
Finally, I merged all the layers together on top of it all (CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+E), dublicated (CTRl+J) and changed the top layer to vivid light.
I then inverted it and added surface blur (30 ish in both values). Again, I do the CTRL+SHIFT+ALT+E thingy to merge to top. Delete the second layer still in vivid light mode and change top layer to overlay. I add a layermask to paint where i want this effect.
If the last section made no freaking sense at all, just use highpass. But by doing it the way described above, you avoid the nasty looking halos one always end up with after using highpass to sharpen up the image.
Feel free to throw Photoshop challenges at me from time to time.
1Apr/104
My first video tutorial
Okay guys and gals, I finally did it. This is officially my first video tutorial, so be gentle.
I've explained how the image shown below was done in some quite simple steps - I hope it's useful.
Make sure to check out my other tutorials right here:
Tutorial 1 portrait
Tutorial 2 portrait
Tutorial 3 spartans
Tutorial 4 man on fire
optimizing through tehcnocrati: XC5X4XJQ4NTG
20Mar/100
Lighting techniques in studio photography
I've been doing some teaching in studio photography, and while I have the opportunity to show these people the difference between lighting in person, I can't do that with you guys in this blog (well, if I started doing video I probably could, but that's gonna have to wait a bit).
I spend some time surfing that big ole web and stumbled upon this blog post which in text and images showed different lighting techniques quite well.
So do yourself a favor and spend a few minutes on the site
16Mar/101
Man on fire – the Photoshop tutorial
I did a poll counting on a different photo site asking the users which photo they wanted a tutorial on, and unfortunately they picked the one I spend the most time on.
The .psd file weighing 663MB had to be reopened. The 34 layers where looked over once again, and I have tried to recreate the process for creating this image. Stay tuned.
Here's the original image of Brian, taken in my small home studio
He was shot on a gray backdrop with my 400d and a 17-85 is usm lense attached as far as I remember.
Here's the setup:
I had my model placed central with 2 hard light sources hitting him from each side a bit higher than him and a bit from behind - 150w lamps on half charge if I'm not mistaken.
I then used a photo I had previously taken of some skies in Copenhagen - converted to black'n'white.
And on top of these two of my own, a bunch of fire stock photos were used, all picked up at Deviantart - great stuff can be found in there.
The wings were also free stock found at deviantart:
Okay, we've got the most basic elements, now let's move on to the editing.
The dear Brian was masked with extraction tool, and then cut out to be inserted in a somewhat larger .psd document measuring 5000x6000 pxl. The background was black, which made it easier to see those masking flaws you always end up with anyhow - layer mask him and paint them out with a black brush.
The now centered man was missing his legs due to the odd black robe(why did I even make him wear that ?), so on a new layer on top of him, I took a black hard brush and painted a geni like form in addition to the missing legs - later, this served as a guideline for where the flame should be.
Behind him, I added the clouds which I then darkened by painting away the clouds in a layer mask with a soft low flow brush in order to make the black background somewhat visible again.
Beneath the layer of the man, I've made a color balance layer, where the clouds have been make red/orange. Over that layer, I added a layer filled with orange (darker orange in the edges - darkened with burn tool) - blending mode set to overlay and lowered opacity to around 25%.
The man himself has had some color balance done to him to enhance that red/orange feel. To attach an adjustment layer to another, hold down ALT while adding the layer.
The Wings
On the image just above, you can see the different layers used to make the burning wings - all layers with an opacity of 100%, so this image is just to show their blending modes.
To get the skeleton like look on the wings, I've chosen soft light as blending mode -after that I've added a bunch of stock images of fire - placed them somewhat over the wings and then painted back the effect. Layer on top of layer is often a good way to achieve good result regardless of it being fire, rain or sexual interaction.
The feather is also a stock image, which as been set in fire (again, add some fire and paint the effect on)
While doing the fire elements, I would like to underline that there is not recipe to how it's done. All you should do is plaster them on top of your object(s), make the layer mask and paint on and off until YOU think it looks good.
The column of fire is one stock image - blending mode set to screen.
The City
I've got 4 stock images of skylines all with opacity between 50 and 80 % with overlay as blending mode. They are all placed below the adjustment layers so that they have the same color tone. To make the city more ghostlike, I've lightened the image with the Paint with light (PWL) effect as described In this tutorial.
After all of this, the following adjustments are made on top of all the other layers. - note that I've made these adjustments because I thought they looked good - that's not usually that same as what YOU would think, so keep that in mind while adding effects.
On the bottom, you can see two PWL layers where one brightens around the mode and one draws up the highlight on his muscles. I've got 2 layers with a weak orange color (blending mode soft light) and has painted this around him in order to make him stand out. Our eyes are by nature drawn towards brighter objects, so add focus to what you want your viewer to see by brightening it.
Last, I've made the image somewhat darker in the corners, again to keep the attention focused on what goes on in the center. I've also removed a bit of color from his body with a hue/saturation layer and painted it on his body only - it was a but too saturated to my taste.
I always do images like this based on some of my own ideas of how things SHOULD like like and how I remember it looking like. It's a bit harder when it comes to a burning man with wings of fire, since this is a sight I rarely see - that's why lot of the work on such an image is done blindfolded. If you want to try this out yourself, then picture how the done image is gonna look in rough terms - what elements you would like and how they should look. Then work towards this and hold on to that mental image (or even drawn sketch) when you add layer after layer. It can be hard to keep focus on the finished image when you're working with small cuts of fire which is going to cover 1/4 of a wing.
Take some breaks now and then and return only when you really feel like continuing - when you are working on large edits like this, it's not beneficial to feel that you HAVE to get through this. Do it because you think it's fun, then I'm sure the result will reflect that.
Make sure to check out the other guides on the blog:
Photoshop tutorial on portraits
8Mar/100
Best photoshop guides 3
I have a friend living and working somewhere in Africa, Tanzania maybe, and talking to him through Skype, he begged for photoshop tutorial stimulation.
with him having read those I've done myself, I was forced to dig into what I had bookmarked in my browser. These we some of the best ones I rediscovered:
Photshop tutorial: How to make a person to AVATAR
Photshop tutorial: Diplacement - the awesomeness of displacing elements
Photshop tutorial: shatter photos the cool way
Photshop tutorial: smokey women
Photshop tutorial: Surreal photo montages This one goes out to you Frankie boy
Photshop tutorial: creating an interesting portrait
And my old posts:
5Mar/100
Spartans – the tutorial
May 3rd I, along with a crew of friends, did the Spartan shoot (you can see all the behind-the-scenes-action along with the video right HERE)
From what I understand, these photos have somewhat become the essence of Adam Sund Photography or at least what people often refer to as the cool shots in my portfolio.
It happens to be that I’m quite fond of them myself too, so that’s just awesome I guess.
Some of you guys out there have asked how they were done and if I perhaps could make a guide for these images too. Well since guides and tutorials is kinda what I like to do, you should think that it was an easy job really, but in this case – with these Spartan shots – that’s really not the case.
You see, the other guides I’ve made are mostly done In the studio where the only thing I really didn’t have control of was the model.
In the Spartan shoot, It was not me as a photographer, but us as a team of people with different sets of skills. What many people have requested info on, was how the cartoonish look was created. Part of it was creative lighting, another part was the editing, but mostly was actually done by Thomas Schwerdtfeger with his wicked airbrush skills. With him brushing up muscles and shadows on the Spartan’s body, even the unedited photo looked all cartoonish.
And besides Thomas, there was a crew helping out with dressing up the model, bouncing light and holding flashes while shooting.
After dressing him up, we wandered out into the main shopping street heading to “storkespringvandet” where we did the first shots. I had made a map of locations I wanted us to visit, so we took them 1 at a time.
With most of the jumping shots, the model was lit from underneath whereas everyone else in the scenes were lit by sunlight coming from above. This also made him stand more out in the photos – apparently in such degree, that an admin almost banned me from a photo site because he thought I had stolen the Spartan from a “300” movie poster.
In photoshop, some basic contrast adjustments were made – I cloned away stray objects (and left some to be – light bouncers and hands holding speedlites) – added some sky, and painted his cloak red on an overlay layer.
On some of the images I made the helm a bit smaller with liquify tool – it was way too large for Patrick who modeled – even though he’s a big badass marine soldier.
But as mentioned earlier – this shoot mostly consisted of planning and a group of people enabling it to happen – there really isn’t much more to be said on that part.
And remember to check out all the behind-the-scenes action here
2Mar/101
Tutorial 2 – the portrait
After numerous suggestions (one), I’ve decided to make a quick and hopefully understandable guide to how I’ve made this image of Nynne:
To start at the top, this is how the image came to be,
I used the following equipment:
1 piece of excellent model
My camera back then – a Canon 400d (xti rebel) and a 17-85 is usm lense.
A white backdrop
2 interfit 150w flash lamps – the cheapest money can buy in Denmark.
Here you can see my setup:
The image was shot with hard direct light, which means there was no softboxes, umbrellas or anything else to soften the light from my flashes – all I did was to turn them down as much as possible.
Ufortunately I don’t remember the exact exifs, but I’ve exposed the image so that the white backdrop seemed dark grey.
In its unedited form, the image looked like this.
______________________________________________
And now, for the photoshopping:
As always, I duplicate the main layer so that I always have the original to return to of things fuck up.
Another thing I always do Is make an empty layer on top – I’ll remain this to Clone, as this will be…. My clone layer – surprise!
When using the clone tool, remember to enable the option sample all layers.
Use a small soft brush to clone away small marked anomalies, pimples and stuff – flow 90-100%.
For larger areas of unclean or mis colored skin, use a larger soft brush and flow between 20 and 40% - experiment around with this yourself – there is no wrong way to do it.
Anyways, I use this to remove anything which would be really ugly printed big size.
After that I merge the clone layer with my original copy just below (Ctrl-E).
I duplicate this newly merged layer, so that I can work on it again.
Now add surface blur in a quite extensive degree. My numbers are 13 radius and 11 threshold.
After that I add Gaussian blur with 2.8 pxl. Remember such settings will always turn out different in different photos since they are referring to a fixed unit instead of percentage – use this knowledge when applying and using tutorials in general.
Now make a layer mask for this blurred out layer – fill it with black and paint back the blur effect with a soft white brush. Paint it back on the skin only – when you are satisfied, merge the two images.
Duplicate again.
Now add highpass to the top layer. (filter>other>highpass)
I’m not going into what this effect does since so many people have already done it way better than I would ever be able to. My pxl number is somewhat over 10.
Now, this layer has to be inverted (image>adjust>invert)
Set the blending mode to soft light.
Make a layer mask, fill with black and paint back the effect once again with a soft white brush.
Merge the two layers and duplicate.
Repeat the process with highpass, but this time raise the pxl to 3 times the last number and put the blending mode to overlay instead.
Once you’ve painted the effect back on this skin, you can continue to this:
A thing I like to do on many of my images (I’ve made is as an action), is to make 3 curve adjustment layers.
One I name Contrast – blending mode is set to overlay, and this layer now works as a contrast layer which you can always adjust – Notice the curve has NOT been changed in any manner.
The second layer is called “red reduction”, since I tone down the red color in the image. (At the top of the curves window, you can both adjust the combined RGB curve or the color channels separately)
The third will be my multiply curve with blending mode set to multiply – again, I’m not changing the curve, simply changing blending mode does the magic for me.
In this third and last curve layer, I fill the layer mask with black to make the effect invisible, and with a soft white brush and low flow I paint back the effect in the corners of the image to make that lovely vignette.
I also add a hue/saturation layer and lower the saturation about 40 clicks.
Finally I add my signature PWL layer (paint with light) – Well people have done it before me, but rest assured that you will always find such a layer in my psd files.
I fill this empty layer with grey (the color value is 127-128) and blendingmode is overlay, which makes the layer transparent.
At this point I can now point with black and white brushes to imitate dodge and burn, but in a non destructive way – yay control!
With a white brush and a flow not higher that 5% I paint up the highlights.
Here you can see my photoshop window:
If there are any questions, fire away in the comments below.
1Mar/100
best photoshop guides 2
After I had done the other feature on great photoshop guides, I realized, that it wasn't enough. So I began digging through my archives of links to various photoshop tutorials and found a few more which could have interest to some of you out there.
Photoshop tutorial: the ultimate 30 guides to beginner
Photoshop tutorial: the pen tool and how it's actually used
Photoshop tutorial: How to extract objects out of backgrounds
Photoshop tutoral: The flaming meteor! - more of a cool thing to do rather than really necessary
And check out the newest ones:
26Feb/101
Best photoshop guides 1
I'm not sure I wanted to know exactly how much time I've spend looking for photoshop guides, tutorials and help online if I could find out.
Some good has come out of it though, thank god, and that is, this extensive list of photoshop tutorials, which I'll share with you folks:
Photoshop tutorial: creating a water man
Photoshop tutorial: adding rain to a photo
Photoshop tutorial: how to create a circle polyorama
Photoshop tutorial: masking an image
Photoshop tutorial: fixing blown out skin
Photoshop tutorial: imitating stage light - video guide
Photoshop tutorial: understanding skin retouching regarding LIGHT
Photoshop tutorial: Skin cleanup
Photoshop tutorial: dragan effect video guide
What goes for these as well as all tutorials, is that they work as guides, not answers to how it's done. Use them knowing that these were not made with YOUR picture in the work room - the values might not fit exactly, the colors may be a bit off, and it may end up looking less than decent on your own photos. So use these tutorials as guides to understanding the tools and ways of work in photoshop in order to achieve whatever you might be looking for - and most important of all - play around in photoshop - it's the best way to improve.
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