Temporarily Buried

The concept behind this photo shoot revolved around wanting to hide something of yourself. You cannot run away and hide yourself forever. Freedom is only temporary.

I needed a lot of acting for this shoot to successfully portray the message that I wanted to get across. Therefore, I asked one of my close friends, Kristine Crouch. She has a lot of acting experience as she is no stranger to the stage.

The location I chose for this shoot was as detached from society as I could find. This shoot was shot in a farm in Batangas, Philippines, which was provided by a good friend of mine, Mara Javier.

For the photos in this series, I created a light source to emulate the glow of the fire in the jar. Therefore in this post, I will focus on giving tips when creating light sources using photoshop.

As you can see with the photo above, there is light emitting from the jar that the model is holding. I did not want to place an actual fire in the jars because of safety and logistical reasons. Therefore, I had to use Photoshop to create this illusion.

A thing to keep in mind is, Photoshop is a very powerful and useful tool. However, it will not always produce realistic looking images. You first need to create a proper set up when taking your photos to ensure that you get all the elements and variables correctly. For this concept, the important variable was the emitted light. To make sure that the light bounces off the body accurately, I placed a strobe light (artificial light) with a soft box on the right of the frame (in front of model).

This is the RAW file after some post-editing using Lightroom 4. I have attached the preset that I made at the end of this post. As you can see, the original lighting set up that I used already create the necessary lighting on the model.

I then added the fire/energy using a brush that I downloaded online. I thought that the fire/energy looked out of place because it didn't affect the model nor the surroundings and thus looked unrealistic.

To create the glow from the fire/energy, I created a new layer above the original image. After, I used the “Gradient Tool” then switched it to “Radial Gradient”. I used the same color I used for the fire/energy for the gradient. I then chose the center of the fire/energy as the starting point of the gradient. After that, I changed the blending mode of the layer into “Soft Light” (you can find the blending mode right on the bottom of the layers header). “Soft Light” makes the gradient blend more with the background. It also adds a transparency, which makes the glow look realistic.

As you can see, it is quite easy to create light sources using Photoshop. But like I said, make sure that the picture is ready for another light source. Keep in mind that the lighting throughout the photo must be consistent to make it realistic. Add shadows when necessary. 

Here are more photos from the series:

I edited these photos mainly using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom 4. I also used Portrait Professional Studio for retouching. If you have more questions on how I produced these images, feel free to comment here or post on my wall on facebook.

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Shersy Clothing Photoshoot

This was probably the most challenging shoot I had over the summer. I was asked by a friend if I could do some fashion photography for her Shersy Clothing upcoming launch. Since it was for a friend, it was a little casual. However, I still wanted to make my photographs as professional and as impressive as possible. Unfortunately, I really didn’t have any experience in fashion photography. To make things worse, I was working with two models. If you’ve been in my situation before then you would know that it’s not ideal. If you haven’t then I have some tips for you.

Do Your Research:

We are bombarded with images everyday and the key is to look out for photographs that stand out. Then use those photographs as an inspiration for your shoot. You can find a lot of great images over the internet or fashion magazines. It is also a good idea to communicate with your client. Ask them how they want their photographs done. However, don’t completely depend on their response because the final image is still up to you and your style. They asked you to photograph for them for a reason.

Get Pegs:

A lot of professionals will create their pegs to show the photographer. However, if that is not the case, then you will have to make your own. This is the best way to make sure that you get the shots that you want.

Be Prepared:

Make sure that you have everything you need for the shoot, and I mean everything. If you think you might need a certain equipment, just bring it. Prepare all of your equipment ahead of time and make sure that everything works fine. For more tips, check out my previous post on setting up your own shoot. 

Shersy Clothing Photoshoot:

The models for the shoot were Winnie Wong and Mara Javier. They were both great models to work with. Plus, both of them were my friends so they were easier to work with. For this shoot, I was using my Nikon D800 with either a 24-300mm f/3.5-5.6 and a 50mm f/1.4. I also used both of my Elinchrom D-Lite4’s with softboxes attached. Other than that, I had a circular reflector, which is essential when doing portraiture.

Nikon D800, Shutter Speed 1/320, Aperture f/3.5

I found it very difficult to direct the models at first because of my lack in experience. According to most professional photographers, this is one of the most difficult skills to learn in photography. It takes a lot of practice and observation. I agree completely. Practicing this skill of directing models will be most beneficial if you are planning to be a photographer. One tip I have is to create little stories for each shot, so that your model can understand what you are trying to achieve.

Nikon D800, Shutter Speed 1/250, Aperture f/4.5

Nikon D800, Shutter Speed 1/250, Aperture f/5.6

Nikon D800, Shutter Speed 1/500, Aperture f/4.5

Nikon D800, Shutter Speed 1/320, Aperture f/4

Make sure that you portray both the clothes and the model in a good light because at the end, you are trying to sell. Your priority is to sell and I am sorry to say this but if your style conflicts with that, you have no choice but to find a compromise. For this shoot, I was asked to keep the colors of the clothes as natural as possible. That limited my creative control over my pictures. A tip I can give you is to edit and create two separate sets of photos, one for your client and one for your portfolio.

Nikon D800, Shutter Speed 1/200, Aperture f/4.2

When doing locational shoots (outside the studio) there are a lot more factors involved that you have to take account. You have to be able to quickly adapt to a changing environment. That is why I always carry my strobe units (flashes) and my reflector, as it gives me more control of the environment.

I edited these photos mainly using Adobe Lightroom 4. I also used Portrait Professional Studio for retouching. If you have more questions on how I produced these images, feel free to comment here or post on my wall on facebook.

If you liked any of the clothes featured in this post, then check out Shersy Clothing’s facebook page.

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Super

In Rhode Island School of Design, there are two semesters. However, there is one additional time period in-between called Wintersession, where you can take classes of your choosing either for fun or for learning. I never took any formal photography classes before so for my freshman year, I took a class called Photo Intensive. This course really inspired me to take my photography to the next level.

I had a lot of time to experiment for this class and the result was a series I entitled “Super”. The idea for this series explores the power of photography. I wanted to create photos of surreal moments that portray me more than just human. I wanted to compel people to look twice and feel a sense of fear or confusion.

This series was mainly created using composites, combining two different images into one image. This was also my first attempt into this kind of photography. I made a lot of mistakes and took me a lot longer than it should have. I want to share my process so that you will have an easier time when you create your own composites.

I’ve given tips on composites on my previous post but I still have more to share. When making composites, it’s important that your subject fits the background seamlessly. This includes their sharpness and focus. Make sure that the subject fits the sharp parts of the photo. To make this easier, use a high aperture of about f/8 to make sure everything is in focus.

This image below is one of the photos in the series “Super” and it is entitled “Run”.

“Run”

Here are the RAW images that I used to create this composite:

Nikon D90, Shutter Speed 1/640, Aperture f/7.1

Nikon D90, Shutter Speed 1/3200, Aperture f/6.3

As I did not have any models around, I had to use myself. I used the timer shooting mode on my camera, enabling me to place myself in the photo. You have to be very patient when using the timer because it is hard to get the right shot right off the bat. I used the bench for what I call "placement prop". This is to ensure that the subject will be aligned with the inserted background.

Another very useful tip on making composites in to watch out for shadows. The shadows are always what gives it away for most composites. For this image above, it was very simple to incorporate an accurate shadow using photoshop. First you have to be aware of your light source and where the shadows are. To do this, look at other objects in the scene that cast a shadow and follow its direction.

I usually follow certain steps when creating shadows. First is to use the magic wand tool to select the space around the subject (when it is in a separate layer all by itself). Then inverse select and you can do this by right clicking and selecting inverse select. After that, create another layer then fill that selection with black. Then to make it more realistic, use the gaussian blur filter then decrease opacity, depending on the situation.

Like I mentioned in a previous blog post, always composite in RAW files. The secrete i to add the color correction and filters after you have finished the composite. This unifies the image and creates a more realistic composite.

Here is another composite piece in the series entitled "Unstoppable".

"Unstoppable"

I found the background in one of my previous folders and I thought it would make an amazing background.

Therefore, another tip I can give you when working with composites and photo manipulation is to keep all of your files. Store them in a safe external hard drive because you will never know when you will need it again for a future project. Also, always shoot in RAW because you always need that much information when working with composites.

Just make sure when you're putting images together that they have a similar light source. To make this image more realistic, I added dodging to the edges of the subject. This adds a rim light effect, which occurs when the light subject is between the light source and the camera.

Here's the last photo of the series:

"Take Flight"

I edited these photographs mainly using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom. If you have more questions on how I produced these images, feel free to comment here or post on my wall on facebook.

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System Loophole

This summer, I had the opportunity to work with aspiring singer and model Zoe O’sullivan, not only once but twice. Our first photo shoot together is entitled “System Loophole”. The theme and concept for the shoot is reality. Reality is relative. Therefore, there will always be a loophole.

For this series, I mainly used presets and textures to edit the photos and create the mood. Therefore in this post, I will focus on giving tips when using presets and textures.

This photo best explains what presets and textures can do as I used both of them to create this image. Here is the RAW file just to show you the difference.

Presets are used in the image editing software, Lightroom. They are the best way to edit photos as they are quick and versatile. Presets can help automate your workflow and bring creativity to your photos. You can use them to apply a specific style to one ore more images. They are just like the filters that you use in Instagram. I’ve always found this use of presets, the more “professional” Instagram. You can find many free presets online. They are very easy to install. After downloading, just simply double click and Lightroom will automatically add the preset.

One tip I can give you when using presets is to try combinations and use two or more presets together. This gives your image a unique look, making it an original. Also, try using the same presets when working in a series to pull the images together and to give it cohesiveness.

Textures on the other hand are a great way to add a lot of mood and drama. Unlike presets, textures are applied using Photoshop. However, just like presets, you can find many free textures online. To apply them to a photo, simply create a new layer in photoshop above the photo, then insert the texture. After that, simply choose the blending mode that suits your photo the best.

Here is the complete set of “System Loophole”

I edited these photos mainly using Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom 4. I also used Portrait Professional Studio for retouching. If you have more questions on how I produced these images, feel free to comment here or post on my wall on facebook.

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