Photo Compositing - - Adding shadows Technique...! - Page 2

Kraellin · #16 10-11-2006, 12:27 AM

this sort of what you're looking for?

dupe bg
illumination
adjustment layer of brightness/contrast
illumination

done.

this is a very simple way to do this and has endless, easy to do variations. the adjustment layer was put in to darken the image, since illumination tends to only want to brighten.

craig

Donamai · #17 10-11-2006, 12:40 PM

Hi Kraellin and solitear!

Thank you very much for your time to work on this.

You were right solitear... what I am looking for is being able to have the face surrounded by darkness as though the real person was taken with a spot light but in this case I want the dark shadows fall only on the contours of the face just as you did on your post without oversaturating it with color.

http://www.retouchpro.com/forums/att...amberagain.jpg

I will practice that one for sure!

As for the approach of Kraellin, the spotlight is perfect but again it does not follow the lines around the face so in this case you only get a rounded highlight of it...

thank you though

I have found some movie posters that I think use this technique of light very well... --THIS is the technique I want to accomplish--... I also know that this pics were probably taking again black bakground but who knows!!

Check it out!

http://www.sfondideldesktop.com/Imag...-Baby-0001.jpg

Again, I am no photographer so IS THIS ACCOMPLISH WITH A FEW LIGHTS in PHOTOGRAPHY? As you can see the light it is right on the outlines on some of the faces... --check Mister Eastwood's face on the lines produced by his features! Very dimensional!!

This also brings another question: CAN CANDLE LIGHT BE RECREATED AS IN THE PICTURE Of "The Others"?

They probably used good lights when shotting the movie but in my case I have to have a good eye to accomplish the lighting of the face as well as the balance of the shadows.

I will continue to explore new ways and experiment more with this see if I can accomplish it without the real picture being in the dark already.

Kraellin · #18 10-11-2006, 04:57 PM

donamai,

interesting. you might want to take a look at displacement maps. you could make a mask and wrap it to the contours like you're after and then apply your lighting.

craig

bart_hickman · #19 10-13-2006, 12:30 AM

I didn't read every word in this thread, but how about a simple masked curve layer? Just imagine where the light might be coming from draw along the contours of the person's face and clothes kind of like the light might look.

Here's my kid slurping spaghetti while camping and I've transformed him into the slurpinator!

I just used a polygonal lasso and clicked along his face. Then featherd the selection and put it as the mask for a darkening curve layer (layer pallette and curve dialog attached). Used a smudge brush to smear out the mask more on his forehead and a stippled smudge brush on the top of the hood. Magnetic lasso along the left edge of his coat.

Anybody with half-way decent artistic abilities and spending a little time (this was about 10 minutes worth) should be able to get the mask looking good. Or, if you're like me (poor artistic abilities), google some examples to use as models.

Also included the original.

Bart

paroroonman · #20 10-13-2006, 06:17 AM

what if the image too bright? check first the info if its 0 channels already if not, make new layer "control j" and go to image/adjustment/shadows and highlights.. play with the scroll bar on the second row... mask some part of that image so the original file below would show.

Donamai · #21 10-14-2006, 02:35 PM

Hi again!

I wanted to try some of the things I have read hear. Somehow I have not comprehended much about how to get the right technique but hey! we are here to try, right!!!

I wanted to post the following image that I downloaded from Katrin's website.

I try different ways to improve or even get close to the effect on Clink Eastwood face.

Please post your critique here and I will try to work on it a little more.

The problems I encountered here were:

1. The lighest areas are lacking detail or color so I think it is just plain white in those spots... a little bit of color would help there.

2. Some of the darkest areas around the yes were hard to balance as in the color of the face. This spots have color values darker but I could not, for some reason, get them cleared.

3. The light source is only one on the left side of picture. i wanted to add little or more light sources around it too.

I am placing the first and second attempt as well as the effect I am trying to accomplish.

Take care!!