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

0. Introduction

01 - Welcome
02 - About the course
03 - Using the exercise files

1. The Compositing Mindset

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

2. The Compositing Image Library

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

3. Photographing the Location Elements

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

4. Photographing the Studio Elements

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

5. Composite Project - Trapped in a Bottle

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

6. Composite Project - Portrait

29 - Masking the subject
30 - Editing a layer mask
31 - Adding sand detail from another image
32 - Finishing touches

Composite Project - Man in a Seascape

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

Conclusion

37 - Next steps