Index

3D effects, 28

3D images, 441

3D layers, 249

3D Mode controls, 249

3ds Max, 28

8-bit images, 329

10 Channel Workflow (Varis), 327

16-bit images, 329

500px, 154

A

abstract painting, 5

Adams, Ansel, 138

Add blending mode, 340

Add layer Mask icon, 247

Add layer Style icon, 247

Add Noise filter, 439–440, 467–468

adjustment layers

adding highlights with, 282–283

adding shading with, 280–281

creating, 248

file-size considerations, 234

and layer masks, 274

modifying, 224

purpose of, 224

and textures, 408–409

Adobe

Bridge, 285, 385, 431

Camera Raw, 43, 236, 385

Illustrator, 437

Lightroom (See Lightroom)

Photoshop (See Photoshop)

Advanced Blending controls, 268–272

aerial viewpoint, 115–116

album cover photomontages, 15

Alias ImageStudio, 28

Align and Distribute Layers option, 249

alpha channels, 328–338. See also channels

alternate names for, 327

creating, 331–338

file-size considerations, 218, 328

loading, 217–218

maximum number of, 326

naming/renaming, 331, 335

refining details in, 336–337

saving selections as, 193

steps for mastering, 338

vs. image channels, 326

alpha masks, 328–331

adding shadows to, 346–347

creating, 340–341

including hard-edge areas in, 343–344

managing, 331

refining, 342–343, 344–345

vs. layer masks, 329–331

when to use, 328–329

alternative processes, 22

anchor points, 177, 178, 279

Andersson, Mats, 18

animation, composite, 21

Anti-alias option

Magic Wand tool, 173

Magnetic Lasso tool, 177

Apple Computer, 12

Apply Image command, 338–339, 341

Apply Layer Mask command, 309

architecture shots, 398

artifacts

cleaning up, in composite files, 43

and Color Range tool, 106

and greenscreen technique, 106

as inspiration for composites, 394

in JPEGs, 437

in light sources, 101

and Liquify filter, 472

painting over, 186, 435

preventing, 334

“Artist in First Person” sidebars

Beckelman, Mark, 386–387

Behrens, Giselle, 138–139

Carnochen, Brigitte, 232–233

Forman, Fran, 40–41

Huibregste, Jim, 96–97

Ingberg, Tommy, 170–171

Julian, David, 320–321

Koen, Viktor, 348–349

Kost, Julieanne, 416–417

Kwon, Bojune, 202–203

Lemkowitz, Laura, 60–61

Morrison, Michael, 452–453

Uelsmann, Jerry, 10–11

Wexler, Glen, 15–16

artists, 4

artist’s notebook, 31

assemblage, 23

atmospheric effects, 446–447

Auto Enhance option, 373

Auto Select option, 249

B

backdrop kits, 383

backdrops, 358–362. See also backgrounds

black, 368–371

and blending modes, 358

bluescreen/greenscreen, 381, 382, 383, 385

changing opacity for, 414

gray, 361–367

nonreflective, 388

painted, 40

seamless, 361

white, 358–360

background images, 91–92, 98–101

Background layer, 221–222

applying changes to, 30, 222

and blending modes, 236

converting to standard layer, 221

duplicating, 222

and layer masks, 274

vs. other types, 221

backgrounds. See also backdrops

black, 104–105

for bluescreen photography, 106, 382

blurring, 372, 425

experimenting with, 372, 373

gray, 103–104

for greenscreen photography, 106, 382

neutral, 358

in photorealistic composites, 441–444

replacing, 358, 375–377

white, 102–103, 358–360

backups, file, 30, 42–43, 235, 319

battle scenes, 20–21

Beckelman, Mark, 17, 20, 386–387, 396

Behrens, Giselle, 18, 138–139, 469

big data, 192

Bishop, Lyn, 16, 397

black backgrounds, 104–105

black line effect, 463

Black & White adjustment layers, 426–427

Black & White sliders, 352

Black & White view

Edge Detection, 207–208

Refine Edge, 206

Refine mask, 313

Blalock, Lucas, 8

Blend Clipped Layers as Group option, 272

Blend If sliders, 263, 265, 266–268

blending, 268–272

with Advanced Blending controls, 268–272

with Blend If sliders, 263, 265, 266–268

with General Blending controls, 268

modes (See blending modes)

Pass Through, 271

blending modes, 236–243

adding textures with, 408

alternatives to, 266

combining gradient masks with, 290–291

emphasizing dark areas with, 403–404

emphasizing light areas with, 405

and exposure, 358

and Fill layers, 224–225

for layer groups, 323–324

layering light with, 458–461

list of, 339–340

and neutral colors, 236

purpose of, 236

refining details in alpha channels with, 336–337

shortcuts, 242–243

using specific

Color, 242, 407

Color Burn, 238

Color Dodge, 239

Comparative, 241

Contrast, 239

Darken, 237–238, 403–404

Darker Color, 238

Difference, 241

Dissolve, 237

Exclusion, 241

Hard Light, 240, 340, 361–362, 406

Hard Mix, 240

Hue, 242, 407

Image Component, 242

Lighten, 238–239, 405

Lighter Color, 239

Linear Burn, 238

Linear Dodge, 239

Linear Light, 240

Luminosity, 242, 407

Multiply, 339, 358–359, 403

Normal, 237

Overlay, 239, 340, 361, 406

Pen Light, 240

Pin Light, 240

Saturation, 242, 407

Screen, 238, 291, 339, 368–369, 388, 459–461

Soft Light, 239, 406

Vivid Light, 240

ways of accessing, 242

Blending Modes menu, 236

Blend Interior Effects as Group option, 272

bluescreen technique, 21, 106, 381–382

blurring. See also Gaussian Blur filter

backgrounds, 425

image backgrounds, 372

layer masks, 318–319

layers, 372

and shutter speed, 113

body of work, 427

Bolliger, Daniel, 18

border selections, 213

brainstorming, 33–34

Bridge, Adobe, 285, 385, 431

Brown, Russell, 14

brushes

editing gradient masks with, 288

masking fine detail with, 378–380

rotating, 379

saving, 380

Brush Size slider, 209

Brush tool, 188, 190, 280, 282, 288

budgets, 55–56

Buelow, Alicia, 16

Buñuel, Luis, 8

Burn tool, 333

C

Calculate commands, 339–340

camera lenses, 108–112

and background relationships, 111

and depth of field, 111–112

focal length of, 108, 109

how scenes are rendered by, 109–110

telephoto, 109–110

wide-angle, 108–109, 112, 441–442

Camera Raw, Adobe, 43, 236, 385

cameras. See also digital cameras

carrying at all times, 31, 39

and depth of field, 108

resolution of, 466–467

white balance feature, 89

Campau, Mike, 28

candlelight, 75, 89

Canvas Size dialog, 399, 400

Caponigro, JP, 14

Carnochan, Brigitte, 232–233, 394

Cartier-Bresson, Henri, 138

casting models, 58

Center for Creative Imaging (CCI), 14

channel operations, 338

Channel Options dialog, 331

channels. See also alpha channels

creating, 331–335

and digital darkroom work, 350

inspecting/viewing, 327

loading, 217–218

maximum number of, 326

naming, 331

refining, 336–337

restricting blending to certain, 268, 269

Channel Shortcuts preferences, 326

Channels panel, 264, 331

chops, 338

chroma key, 21

Cinematte, Nova Design, 383

clipping masks, 260

Clone Stamp tool, 43, 283

clouds. See also skies

differentiating between sky and, 5

emphasizing light areas in, 405

hiding hard edges in, 403–404

and layer masks, 307

and light quality, 74, 79

painting in/out of images, 360

photographing, 39, 74

CMYK image channels, 327

Cocteau, Jean, 8

collages, 4, 23, 394, 401–402, 403, 418

color

balancing contrast and, 444–445

best way to learn about, 427

correcting (See color correction)

matching, 95–98, 101, 371

selections, 151, 152, 169, 177, 194–204

in shadows, 451

temperature, 89–90

too much vs. too little, 427

unbalanced, 472

Color blending mode, 242, 407

Color Burn blending mode, 238, 339

color composites, 12

color correction

with gels, 90–91

with gradient masks, 294

when to apply, 43–44

Color Decontamination control, 373

Color Dodge blending mode, 239, 339

Color Range dialog, 196–204

accessing, 316

and alpha channels, 333

color/tonal presets, 200–201

eyedroppers, 195, 301–302

Fuzziness setting, 197

and layer masks, 204, 301, 316

Localized Color Clusters check box, 197–198

preview options, 196, 198–200

Color Range selections, 194–204

Combination blending modes, 340

command keys. See also shortcuts

alpha/image channel, 326, 336

layer positioning, 246

Comparative blending modes, 241, 340

composite animation, 21

composites. See also compositing

adding dimensionality to, 456–458

adding texture to, 408–411

choosing background for elements in, 102–106

cut-and-paste, 49

keys to successful, 49–50

layering light in, 458–461

lighting considerations (See lighting)

organizing files for, 42

preparing files for, 43–45

reverse-engineering, 68–71

role of layer masks in, 273–274, 324 (See also layer masks)

signs of poor, 472

sources of inspiration for, 34

as story-telling devices, 418

traditional photographic, 5–6

transitions in, 470–471

when to use, 56

working with layers in, 220–221 (See also layers)

compositing

in color darkroom, 12

creative, 393–428 (See also creative compositing)

digital, 4, 421

glass objects, 463–464

history of, 3–18

images and inspiration for, 394–397

photography for, 59–71

photorealistic, 429–474 (See also photorealistic compositing)

rough, 431–437 (See also rough composites)

terminology, 22–28

traditional methods of, 22–25

composition guidelines, 421–427

comps, 50

computer systems, 234–235

concept development, 33–34

conceptual illustrative composites, 26

Connell, Kelli, 16

contact shadows, 455

Contiguous option, Magic Wand, 173

contrast

balancing color and, 444–445

blending modes, 239, 339, 340

color, 185, 188, 331, 427

controlling, 101, 426, 447, 474

and detail blending, 406

edge, 103, 105, 159, 177, 178, 370

and image channels, 327, 334, 335

increasing, 406

and Magnetic Lasso tool, 279

in shadows, 260

Contrast slider, 210–211, 388

controlling factor, 63

copyright, 4, 36, 39

Cordes, Joshua, 18

Cornell, Joseph, 4, 40

Cottingley Fairies, 6

CPS, 329

CPU, 234

creative compositing, 393–428

with blending modes, 403–407

with effects, 412–415

image composition guidelines, 421–427

images/inspiration for, 394–397

with mirrored images, 397–402

role of Photoshop in, 397

story/characters for, 418–419

with textures, 408–411

vs. photorealistic compositing, 429–430

creative playtime, 397

creative process, 29–45

addictive nature of, 393

file preparation tasks, 43–45

image-making journey, 30–42

inspiration for, 394–397

key components of, 30

removing roadblocks in, 30

role of Photoshop in, 29

crew, 57

cropping images, 400–401

CTB gels, 90–91

CTO gels, 90–91

Cubism, 5, 23

Curves command, 317, 335

D

Dadaists, 7–8, 23

Dali, Salvador, 24, 27

dancing ants, 150. See also marching ants

Darken blending modes, 237–238, 339, 403–404

Darker Color blending mode, 238, 339

darkroom masters, 8–9

darkroom process, 12

Davis, Paul, 14

Dayton, Linnea, 14

deathbed photograph, 5–6

Decontaminate Colors option, 211–212

decoupage, 23

deleting

anchor points, 178

layer groups, 230

layers, 231, 248

pixels, 212, 249, 309

Density slider, 310–311

depth dimension, 59, 441–442

depth of field

and aperture setting, 112

and camera lenses, 108, 112

defined, 111

experimenting with, 113

and fine-detail images, 153

and photorealistic composites, 259, 467

using shallow, 112, 153, 467

Deselect command, 192, 193

Deselect Layers command, 194

design principles, 421

desktop publishing, 14

detail blending, 406

details, 471–472

Detect Faces check box, 197, 201

Difference blending mode, 241, 340

differences selections, 151, 154

Digital Anarchy, 383

digital camera format, 108, 109

digital cameras

carrying at all times, 31, 39

and depth of field, 108

and film grain, 366

and focal length, 108

and greenscreen technique, 381

and hi-bit files, 329

image proportions for, 159

matching textures from different, 365

organizing files from, 42

resolution of, 466–467

types of, 31

viewing images on, 113

white balance feature, 89

digital compositing, 4, 421. See also compositing

digital darkroom work, 350

digital photography workshops, 14

digitizing images, 42

dimensionality, 107, 357, 448, 456–458

dimensional shading, 350–354

disks, scratch, 234

disk space, 430

Displacement Filter, 412–414

displacement maps, 412–414

Dissolve blending mode, 237

Distort command, 251, 252, 253

distortion

constraining, 252

correcting, 203

and focal length, 109

perspective, 130, 131–132, 215, 253

of selections, 215

undoing, 438

Wave, 440

and wide-angle lenses, 125

Divide blending mode, 340

Dixon, Vincent, 17

Dobro, Candace, 387

documents. See also files

cleaning up, 43

moving layers between, 249–251

as source of inspiration, 394

Dodge tool, 333

doodling, 34

double exposure, 23

Drop Shadow settings, 302

Duchamp, Marcel, 4

Dune Grass brush, 378

dust spots, 43, 333

E

Eastman Kodak, 14

Edge Contrast setting, Magnetic Lasso, 177

Edge Detection controls, 207–210, 313, 373

edges

contracting, 214

expanding, 214

feathering, 210

selecting, 151, 153

smoothing, 214

effect layers, 221

effects

3D, 28

atmospheric, 446–447

black line, 463

filter, 412–415 (See also filters)

visual, 20–21, 22, 28

Eismann, Carol, 4, 5

Elliptical Marquee tool, 154–159, 181–182, 193

empty layers, 222–223, 248

empty space, 425–426

encaustic, 24

Epson printers, 10

equipment

cost considerations, 57

lighting, 57, 77, 359

photography, 108

and preproduction stage, 55

Erase command, 249

Erase Refinements tool, 209

Eraser tool, 327

estimates, 57

Exclusion blending mode, 241, 340

exposure

adjusting/correcting, 224, 333, 370, 385, 424

and blending modes, 358

combining one with another, 223

controlling, 31, 202, 358

for different backdrops, 358

double, 23

and shutter speed, 113

and traditional photographic composites, 5

Expressionism, 5

eyedroppers, Color Range, 195

Eyedropper tool

as alternative to Color Range dialog, 194

Sample Size setting, 169, 174

sampling colors with, 301, 371, 450

eye-level viewpoint, 115

F

Fairies, Cottingley, 6

fashion photography, 452

Feather command, 214

feathering

edges, 210

layer masks, 311

selections, 177, 183, 204

shadows, 260

Fenster, Diane, 16, 40, 219

files. See also documents

8-bit vs. 16-bit, 329

backing up, 30, 42–43, 235, 319

Fill layers, 224, 234, 248

fill light, 81–84, 85

Fill Opacity slider, 244, 268, 269

Film Grain filter, 367

filters

Add Noise, 439–440, 467–468

applying textures with, 319

Displacement, 412–414

Gaussian Blur (See Gaussian Blur filter)

grain, 367, 468, 469

and hi-bit files, 329

Iris Blur, 372

layer, 230–231

Liquify, 414–415, 472

modifying masks with, 318–319

Ocean Ripple, 319

Smart, 437, 439–441

sources of, 469

Wave, 439–440

fine art photography, 5

fine-detail selections, 151, 153

flash projects, 37

Flatten command, 249

Flickr, 154

Flip commands, 251

focal length, 109. See also lenses

focus, 424–425, 466, 467

foreground

dividing into layers, 446

in photorealistic composites, 441–444

Forman, Fran, 40–41

form selections, 151–152

found objects

creating artwork from, 4, 24

as source of inspiration, 30–31, 32, 394

Free Transform command, 251

Frequency setting, Magnetic Lasso, 177

friskets, 327

Fuzziness setting, Color Range, 197

G

galleries, 396

Gaussian Blur filter

and displacement maps, 412

and layer masks, 318–319

and layer transparency, 244

and photorealistic composites, 468

Gearon, Tierney, 23

gels, 90–91, 95–98

General Blending controls, 268

Gest, Ben, 16

Glaser, Milton, 14

glass objects, 463–464

glowing objects, 461

Goodman, Aaron, 17

gradient masks, 284–294

combining with blending modes, 290–291

editing with Brush tool, 289

image blending with, 285–287

making tonal adjustments with, 294

Gradient Picker, 284

Gradient tool, 284–289

editing layer masks with, 287

experimenting with, 288–289

how it works, 284

Options bar for, 284, 294

purpose of, 284

style options for, 294

using with other tools, 285

grain filters, 468, 469

gray backgrounds, 103–104, 361–367

Green channel, 352

greenscreen technique, 21, 106, 381–385

grids, 427

Gris, Juan, 23

Gross, Alex, 40

ground-level viewpoint, 117

groups. See layer groups

Grow command, 214

H

hair masks

background considerations, 102

correcting problems with, 472

and spread & choke technique, 370

using brushes for, 378–380

Halliburton, Kevin, 385

halos, 190, 334, 336, 354

Han, Johnny, 18

hard drives, 234

hard light, 74

Hard Light blending mode, 240, 340, 361–362, 406

Hard Mix blending mode, 240, 340

hard shadows, 447–453

hardware requirements, 234–235

Hausman, Raoul, 7

Healing Brush tool, 43, 283

Heartfield, John, 7, 8, 23

Herbrich, Thomas, 17

Herzfeld, Helmut, 7

Herzfeld, Wieland, 7

hi-bit images, 329

highlight masks, 350–351

highlights

adding with adjustment layers, 282–283

in dimensional spheres, 456

on glass objects, 463

and point light sources, 74

in smoke images, 388

and spotlights, 75

and tone/color selections, 200

Highlights setting, Dodge tool, 333, 355

Hill, Dave, 17

Hipgnosis, 15

History panel, 264, 265

Höch, Hannah, 7, 23

Holbert, Mac, 14

Hollywood, learning from, 18–22

horizon line, 119

Horowitz, Ryzard, 27

hue, 427

Hue blending mode, 242, 350–351, 407

Huibregtse, Jim, 96–97

I

Ice Imaging, 385

idea notebooks, 31

illustrative composites, 26

Illustrator, 437

illustrators, 49

ILM, 14

Image Calculation commands, 338

image channels

creating alpha channels from, 334–335

types of, 326–327

vs. alpha channels, 326

Image Component blending modes, 242

image composites. See also composites

defined, 23

importance of layers in, 220 (See also layers)

making work print of, 45

refining, 45

reverse-engineering, 68–71

sources of inspiration for, 34

image composition, 421–427

image edges, 192, 213, 342, 345. See also edges

image layers, 221. See also layers

image-making journey, 30–43

Image menu, 338

image mirrors, 397–402

images. See also photographs

adding depth to, 301, 423, 441–442

adding texture to, 424 (See also textures)

blending, 284, 285–287 (See also blending modes)

checking color/tonality of, 426–427

controlling factor for, 63

copyright issues, 39

creating body of work, 427

digitizing, 42

dividing into grids, 427

finessing final, 473–474

flattening of, 350

hi-bit, 329

how our eyes look at, 421

inspiration for, 394–397

lighting considerations (See lighting)

mirrored, 397–402

planning, 49–51

positioning elements in, 421

sizing elements in, 423

sources of inspiration for, 30–33

visual relationships in, 421–427

working on series of, 38

Impact backdrop/lighting kits, 383

Impressionism, 5, 427

Industrial Light & Magic, 14

Ingberg, Tommy, 170–171

inkjet prints, large-format, 10

inspiration, 30–33, 34, 40

interpolation methods, 251

Inverse command, 192, 194

Invert button, 276, 317

Invert command, 316

iPad drawing apps, 34

iPhone, 31, 34, 35

Iris Blur filter, 372

J

Johan, Simen, 16

Johnson, Stephen, 14

JPEG format, 249, 385

Julian, David, 16, 320–321

K

Kazanjian, Jim, 16

keyboard shortcuts. See shortcuts

Kivlon, Alice Meliere, 396

Knockout options, 268–270

Knoll, John, 14

Knoll, Thomas, 14

Kodak

cameras, 12

Center for Creative Imaging, 14

Koen, Viktor, 16, 23, 348–349

Kost, Julieanne, 16, 30, 416–417

Kothari, Sanjay, 17, 28

Krause, Dorothy Simpson, 16, 24

Kwon, Bojune, 202–203

L

Lab channels, 326, 327

landscapes, 5, 398

large-format inkjet prints, 10

Lasso tools

Magnetic Lasso, 159, 177–180

Polygonal Lasso, 159–166

layer attribute icons, 244–245

layer blending modes, 224–225

layer groups

color coding, 230, 443

creating, 248

default blending mode for, 271, 323

defined, 229

deleting, 230

labeling, 443

masking with, 322–324

purpose of, 246

Layer Mask Hides Effects option, 272

layer masks, 273–324

adding, 230, 247

applying, 309

and Color Range dialog, 204

controlling density of, 310–311

copying and pasting, 307–308

copying to another layer, 305

disabling/enabling, 305

duplicating, 371

and Edge Refine dialog, 212

importance of, 272, 303, 324

inverting tones in, 276, 316, 317, 371

and Layers panel, 247

linking/unlinking, 306–307

mnemonic for working with, 274

modifying

with filters, 318–319

with levels/curves, 317–318

moving to another layer, 287–288, 305

painting directly on, 276

purpose of, 273, 274, 303

refining, 309–319, 355

turning into selections, 304

types of, 274

undoing changes to, 319

using with layer groups, 322

viewing, 303–304

vs. alpha masks, 329–331

working with specific types

gradient, 284–294

pixel-based, 274–294

selection-based, 274–276

vector-based, 295–303

layers, 219–272

3D, 249

adjusting opacity of, 243–244

adjustment (See adjustment layers)

aligning, 249

background (See Background layer)

blending, 236–243, 266–272 (See also blending modes)

blurring/softening, 372

changing order of, 245–246

color coding, 131, 230, 443

common pitfalls, 264–265

copying and pasting, 251

creating, 248

deleting, 231, 248

dragging between documents, 250

empty, 222–223, 248

file-size considerations, 234

Fill, 224, 234, 248

filtering, 230–231

flattening, 249

grouping, 229, 246, 248, 271, 322–324

hiding/showing, 235

importance of, 219, 220, 227, 272

labeling, 443

linking/unlinking, 246–247

locking, 244–245

making active/inactive, 194, 246, 249, 264

merging, 231, 248–249

moving, 249–251

naming, 228

neutral, 224–225

organizing, 131, 227–231

partial, 223

and Photoshop performance, 234

positioning, 254

protecting, 244–245

rotating, 252

safety-feature factor, 220

scaling, 254

selecting/deselecting, 246

Smart Object, 226–227, 234, 437–441

transforming, 249, 251–265, 300

Type, 225–226, 248, 274

types of, 221–227

video, 227

layer sets, 229–230

Layers panel

Blending Modes menu, 236

creating layer groups in, 229–230

filtering layers in, 230–231

Flatten command, 249

hiding/showing layers in, 235

layer attribute icons, 244–245

linking layers in, 246–247

making layers active/inactive in, 192

Merge commands, 248–249

optimizing, 227

shortcuts, 247–248

viewing images in, 220

visibility column, 235

Layers Panel Options dialog, 235

Layer Style dialog, 263, 266, 302

layer styles, 225, 244, 247, 272, 301–302

layouts, 50

Leach, Bobby, 6, 7

Lee, Hye-Jung, 18, 22

Lee Filters gels, 98

Lemkowitz, Laura, 60–61

lenses, 108–112

and background relationships, 111

and depth of field, 111–112

focal length of, 108, 109

how scenes are rendered by, 109–110

telephoto, 109–110

wide-angle, 108–109, 112, 441–442

Levels adjustment layers

adding shading/shadows with, 259

adjusting settings for, 310, 317, 355

and color/tone selections, 200

creating realistic edge transitions with, 370

and displacement maps, 412

lightening/darkening background with, 364

and photorealistic composites, 444

setting black and white points with, 342

Levels slider, 259

light. See also lighting

direction, 93, 101

layering, 458–461

matching, 472

quality (See light quality)

selections, 151, 153

sources (See light sources)

Lighten blending modes, 238–239, 339–340, 405

Lighter Color blending mode, 239, 340

lighting, 73–102. See also light

for bluescreen photography, 382

building your own, 97

and color temperature, 89–91

directional diffuse source, 78–79

fill, 81–84, 85

for greenscreen photography, 382

importance of, 73

kits, 383

large diffuse source, 79–80

matching, 91–102

point light sources, 74–75

for product shots, 97

for still-life photography, 96–97

lighting gels, 90–91, 95–98

light quality

image gallery, 85

matching, 95, 101

size/distance relationships, 80–81

Lightroom

brightening highlights in, 388

cleaning up images in, 43, 222

Collections, 42

and greenscreen backgrounds, 385

sharpening images in, 385

and Smart Objects, 438

working with multiple images in, 285

light sources

directional diffuse, 78–79

large diffuse, 79–80

matching, 91–102

point light, 74–75

Linear Burn blending mode, 238, 339

Linear Dodge blending mode, 239, 339

Linear Light blending mode, 240, 340

lines

creating with Polygonal Lasso tool, 159, 160, 165

as graphical/typographic elements, 427

increasing thickness of, 463

one-point perspective, 119–120

parallel, 127, 131

three-point perspective, 125

two-point perspective, 122–123

Line tool, 128, 131, 135

linking/unlinking

layer masks, 306–307

layers, 246–247

Link Layers button, 246, 247

Liquify filter, 414–415, 472

Load Selection command, 217–218

location

expenses, 57

scouting, 57, 58

shooting on, 56–58

Lock All icon, 244–245

Lock Image Pixels icon, 244

Lock Position icon, 244

Lock Transparent Pixels icon, 244

Lord of the Rings trilogy, 381

Lucas, George, 14

luminosity, 364, 427

Luminosity blending mode, 242, 407

M

Macintosh, 234

MacPaint, 14

Magic Wand tool, 169–174

controlling, 172–174

and Eyedropper Sample Size, 174

pros and cons of, 169

Tolerance setting, 169–172, 214

Magnetic Lasso tool, 159, 177–180

Magritte, René, 24

Maisel, Jay, 14, 31

marching ants, 150, 184, 205, 216, 264

Marching Ants view, Refine Edge, 205

Margulis, Dan, 327

Marquee tools

Elliptical, 154–159, 181–182, 193

Rectangular, 154–159, 181, 193, 196, 223, 301

Mask Edge button, 311, 312, 313

masking. See also masks

on black backgrounds, 368–372

challenges/solutions, 355

fine detail, 378–380

on gray backgrounds, 361–367

how Photoshop approaches, 328

human hair, 102, 357

with layer groups, 322–324

mnemonic, 274

smoke, 388, 446–447

transparency, 388

on white backgrounds, 358–360

masks, 325–356. See also alpha channels; masking

alpha (See alpha masks)

alternate names for, 327

clipping, 260

combining, 292–294

evaluating/correcting, 472

gradient (See gradient masks)

highlight, 350–351

layer (See layer masks)

modifying, 317–319

pixel-based, 274–294

purpose of, 327

transforming layers separately from, 300

types of, 327

vector-based, 274

matching

color, 95–98, 101, 371

light, 472

lighting, 91–102

light quality, 95, 101

light sources, 91–102

perspective, 129–137, 215, 464, 472

resolution, 472

scale, 140–142, 472

textures, 365

mattes, 327

Maya, 28

McGiver, Sean Basil, 18

McKenzie, Jim, 18

Meatyard, Ralph Eugene, 40

megapixels, 466–467

memory. See RAM

Merge commands

destructive nature of, 249

Merge Down, 231, 248

Merge Visible, 248–249

metaphors, 4, 418

Michals, Duane, 8–9, 33, 40

midground layers, 441–443

Miller, Lee, 8

Min, Hye-Roung, 18, 23

mirrored images, 397–402

mixed media, 24, 25

model releases, 39, 58

models, 57, 58

Modify menu, 213–214

Monet, Claude, 427

montage artists, 8–9, 24

montages, 4, 7, 24

Morrison, Michael, 25, 452–453

motion

blurring, 113, 153

freezing, 63, 113

and reflective surfaces, 365

visualizing, 20

Motion Blur filter, 467

Move tool, 249, 344

movie industry, learning from, 18–22

Multiply blending mode, 339, 358–360, 403

museums, 396

N

naming/renaming

alpha channels, 331, 335

layers, 228

Nash, Graham, 14

natural forms, 395–396

natural scenes, 398

negative space, 425–426

Neleman, Hans, 23

neutral backgrounds, 358

neutral layers, 224–225

Nevelson, Louise, 4

New Channel dialog, 331–332

Newton, Sir Isaac, 3

noise, 333, 439, 467–468

nondestructive editing, 30, 212, 438

nonphotographic collages, 4

non sequitur elements, 26–27

Normal blending mode, 237, 339

notebooks, idea, 31

Nova Design Cinematte, 383

numeric transformations, 253–354

O

observing nature, 33

Ocean Ripple filter, 319

On Black view, Refine Edge, 205–206

one-point perspective, 119–121, 129–133

On Layers view, Refine Edge, 206, 207

online pin boards, 31, 32

On White view, Refine Edge, 206

opacity

backdrop, 414

fill, 244, 268, 269

layer, 243–244

Opacity slider, 243–244, 268, 269

Oppenheim, Méret, 8

opposites selections, 151, 154

Overlay blending mode, 239, 340, 361, 406

Overlay view

Refine Edge, 205

Refine Mask, 313

P

PageMaker, 14

painted layer masks, 276

painting

on layer/channel masks, 370

photography as liberator of, 5

use of metaphor in, 4

use of symbolism in, 4

Palmer, Wayne, 387

Panter, Gary, 14

partial layers, 223

Pass Through blending, 271, 323–324

Paste Around command, 308

Paste in Place command, 308

Paste Into command, 307–308

Paste Special menu, 307–308

paths

converting to vector masks, 298

creating, 295–297

Pen tool, 40, 44, 132, 329, 432, 449

Pen Light blending mode, 240

Pen Pressure option, Magnetic Lasso, 177

Pen tool

adding/subtracting selections with, 168

and atmospheric effects, 446

and hard-edge areas, 343, 344

intersecting selections with, 168

masks, 136, 446

paths, 40, 44, 132, 329, 432, 449

and shape/form selections, 151, 152, 165

and vector masks, 274, 295, 298

vs. Magnetic Lasso tool, 180, 295

vs. Quick Selection tool, 182

vs. Shape tools, 297

web-based chapter on, 132, 154

perception, visual, 421

Performance settings, 234

Permuth, Jaime, 18

personal stories, 394, 418

perspective, 119–137

defined, 119

determining, 127–129

distortion, 253

fixing in Photoshop, 129–130

harmonizing scale and, 144–145

matching, 129–137, 215, 464, 472

one-point, 119–121

in paintings, 119

in photography, 119

in photorealistic composites, 107–108, 464–466

three-point, 125–126, 134–137

two-point, 122–124, 134–137

Perspective command, 251

perspective guides, 127–129. See also perspective

Peterson, Grant, 14

photographers, 49. See also “Artist in First Person” sidebars

photographic composites

traditional, 5–6

types of, 25–28

photographic series, 36–38

photographs. See also images

blending together, 274

bringing depth to, 107

cropping, 400–401

flattening of images in, 350

spontaneous vs. planned, 38–39

as visual metaphors, 418

photography

for compositing, 59–71

father of fine art, 5

as liberator of painting, 5

lighting principles (See lighting)

overcoming limitations of, 4, 5, 7

production considerations, 54–59

as state of mind, 138

photomontages, 7, 15

photorealistic compositing, 429–474

and atmospheric effects, 446–447

and balancing of contrast/color, 444–445

and dimensionality, 456–458

essential issues/requirements for, 28, 429–430, 444, 471–474

finessing final image, 473–474

and image textures, 467–471

and layering of light, 458–461

and lighting, 91–102

and matching of key attributes, 441, 466–467

and perspective, 107–108, 464–466

putting the parts together, 430–437

and shadows, 447–455

signs of poor, 472

and Smart Objects, 437–441

and suspension of disbelief, 20, 28

and transitions, 470–471

vs. creative compositing, 429–430

photo release app, 39

Photoshop

3D functionality, 249

artists who use, 16–17

as conduit for your imagination, 29

as “digital sandbox,” 397

first version of, 14

most destructive functions in, 249

system requirements, 234–235

Photoshop LAB Color (Margulis), 327

Picasso, Pablo, 4, 23

Pin Light blending mode, 240, 340

Pinterest, 31, 32

pixel-based masks

combining with vector masks, 299–300

vs. vector masks, 274

pixels

abbreviation for, 159

adding transitions between, 158

applying layer mask to, 248, 309

deleting, 212, 249, 309

locking, 244

rogue, 174

selecting, 150, 175, 197

pixels per inch, 466

point light sources, 74–75, 454

point of view, 114–117

Polygonal Lasso tool, 159–166, 181, 182

Pop Art, 4

portfolio websites, 154

Porto, Jim, 28

positioning elements, 421

postproduction, 54, 71, 138–139

preferences

Channel Shortcuts, 326

History States, 265

interpolation, 251

performance, 234

preproduction, 54, 55–59, 71

Primatte Chromakeyer, 383

production considerations, 54, 60–61, 71

projects. See also images

backing up, 42–43

flash vs. long-term, 36–38

sources of inspiration for, 30–33

proof of concept, 38

Properties panel, 276, 309–317

Puppet Warp Transform, 472

Q

Quick Mask, 184–190

adding depth with, 457–458

checking selections in, 186–187

default settings for, 184

purpose of, 184

separating image elements in, 184–185

starting without a selection in, 188–190

using in painting mode, 188

Quick Selection tool, 174–177, 373

quilting, 4

R

Radius slider, Edge Detection, 207

RAM, 234, 235, 329

Range, Lisette, 33

Rasterize command, 249

Rauschenberg, Robert, 4, 40

Ray, Man, 8

rayographs, 8

Rectangular Marquee tool, 154–159, 181, 193, 196, 223, 301

reference point, transformation, 253

Refine Edge dialog, 204–213

Adjust Edge sliders, 210–211

best files to use with, 374

Edge Detection controls, 207–210

high-fidelity compositing with, 375–377

Output section, 211–212

Remember Settings check box, 212

View Mode, 205–207

Refine Mask dialog, 311–315, 336–337, 371

Refine Radius tool, 208–209, 313

reflections, 365, 398

Rejlander, Oscar Gustave, 5

Reselect command, 192, 193

resolution, 430, 466–467, 472

return on investment, 354

Reveal Layer view, Refine Edge, 207

Revert command, 265

RGB color mode, 327

Robinson, Henry Peach, 5–6

ROI, 354

Rotate command, 251

rotating selections, 215

Rothko, Mark, 40

rough composites, 430–437

creating, 431–433

experimenting with, 437

finalizing, 436–437

purpose of, 430–431, 434

redirecting, 434–436

resizing elements in, 435

resolution for, 430

S

Sample Size setting, Eyedropper tool, 174

saturation, 427

Saturation blending mode, 242, 350–351, 407

Save Selection command, 216–217

scale, 137–145

exaggerated, 142–143

harmonizing perspective and, 144–145

matching, 140–142, 472

in photorealistic composites, 464

realistic, 137–142

Scale command, 251

scaling selections, 215

scanning images, 42

scanography, 25

Scatter brush, 378, 380

Schewe, Jeff, 14

Schwitters, Kurt, 7

scouting locations, 57

scrapbooking, 4

scratch disks, 234

Screen blending mode, 238, 291, 339, 368–369, 388, 459–461

Select All command, 192

Select All Layers command, 194

selection-based layer masks, 274–276

selections, 149–190. See also Select menu

adding to, 163–164, 167

border, 213

and brush size, 175

checking in Quick Mask mode, 186–187

color, 151, 152, 169, 177

Color Range, 194–204

with color/tonal presets, 200–201

combining, 165–166

contracting, 214

defined, 150

deselecting, 193

distorting, 215

expanding, 214

feathering, 177, 183, 204

fine-edged, 357–358 (See also Refine Edge dialog)

freeform, 159

how Photoshop “sees,” 150

importance of making good, 190

intersecting with, 168

inversing, 192, 194

loading, 217–218

refining, 212–213

reselecting, 193

rotating, 215

saving, 44, 216–217

scaling, 215

skewing, 215

smoothing edges of, 214

subtracting from, 163–164, 167–168

tools for making, 154–190 (See also selection tools)

transforming, 215

turning layer masks into, 304

types of, 150–154 (See also specific types)

viewing/editing, 184

warping, 215

selection tools, 154–190

combining, 181–183

Elliptical Marquee, 154–159, 181–182, 193

Magic Wand, 169–174

Magnetic Lasso, 159, 177–180

Polygonal Lasso, 159–166, 181, 182

Quick Selection, 174–177

Rectangular Marquee, 154–159, 181, 193, 196, 223, 301

Select menu, 191–218

Color Range command, 194–204

importance of, 218

introduction to, 192–194

Load Selection command, 217–218

Modify options, 213–214

Refine Edge command, 204–213

Save Selection command, 216–217

shortcuts, 192

Transform Selection command, 215

sensor dust spots, 43

serendipity, 8

series, photographic, 36–38

shading, 280–281, 350–354

shadows

adding to alpha masks, 346–347

characteristics of, 455

controlling color in, 451

creating/modifying, 447–448, 451, 472

darkening, 353

feathering, 260

in photorealistic composites, 447–455

using specific types

contact, 455

directional diffuse source, 79

drop, 302

hard, 446–451

large diffuse source, 79–80

point light source, 75–77, 454

soft, 454

Shallow option, 270

shape selections, 151–152

Shape tools, 295, 297

sharpening

in Adobe Camera Raw, 385

in Adobe Lightroom, 385

and color modes, 327

eyes, 150

with layers/layer masks, 421

and neutral layers, 225

shadows, 75

sharpness, 466

Shift Edge slider, 211

shooting

glass objects, 463–464

on greenscreen background, 385

on location, 56–58

to match, 64–65

in the studio, 58

shortcuts

blending mode, 242–243

channel, 326

Color Range eyedroppers, 196

for filling selections, 334

for inverting layer masks, 276

layer positioning, 246

Layers panel, 247–248

Quick Selection tool, 175

Refine Edge dialog, 205–206

Select menu, 192

for speeding up masking workflow, 334

transformation, 251

Show Radius check box, 207

Show Transform Controls option, 249

shutter speed, 113

Silvy, Camille, 5

Similar command, 214

sizing elements, 423

sketching, 34, 50

Skew control, 251, 252, 254

skewing selections, 215

skies, 5, 39, 89, 260, 350, 445. See also clouds

skin tones, 200–201

Smart Filters, 437, 439–441

Smart Objects, 437–441

applying Smart Filters to, 437, 439–441

creating, 226, 437–438

defined, 437

editing, 437

and file size, 234, 438

and Liquify filter, 415

pros and cons of, 438

purpose of, 226, 227

and transformations, 438–439

Smart Radius option, 207, 374

smoke images, 388, 446–447

Smooth command, 214

Smooth slider, 210

Soft Light blending mode, 239, 340, 406

soft shadows, 454

Solid Color layer, 371, 451

Sony, 12

special effects, 14, 327, 340, 365, 381. See also effects

spirit photographs, 6, 7

spot colors, 331

spotlights, 75

spread & choke technique, 370

SSD, 234

stacking order, 244

Steuer, Sharon, 14

still-life photography, 96–97

stock images, 39

stories

as inspiration for images, 394, 418

using composites to tell, 418

studio

expenses, 57

lighting in, 82

shooting in, 58

styling, 58–59

subjective-creative approach, 25

Subtract blending mode, 340

superimposing, 25

SuperPaint, 14

surrealism, 8, 24, 26–27, 40

suspension of disbelief, 20, 28

symbolism, 4, 321

system requirements, 234–235

T

Tabard, Maurice, 8

Taylor, Maggie, 10, 11, 16, 21, 25, 418–419

telephoto lenses, 109–110

textures

concealing differences in, 365

experimenting with, 408–411

matching, 365

modifying to fit image contours, 412–415

photographing, 408

and photorealistic compositing, 467–471

sources of, 408

using filters to apply, 319

three-point perspective, 125–126, 134–137

TIFFs, 249, 385

“Time Flies” composite, 258–265

Tolerance setting, Magic Wand, 169–172, 214

tonal adjustments, 294

tone selections, 151, 152, 169, 177

transformations

duplicating, 253

interpolation methods for, 251

numeric, 253–254

and Smart Objects, 438–439

Transform commands, 251–257

Transform menu, 251

Transform Selection command, 215

transitions, 470–471

translucency, 151, 153

transparency

layer, 243, 244

masking, 388

Transparency Shapes Layer option, 272

transversals, 127

trick photography, 6

tripods, 134, 463

two-point perspective, 122–124, 134–137

Type layers, 225–226, 248, 274

U

Uelsmann, Jerry, 8–9, 10–11, 40, 45

uncanny valley, 22

Undo command, 345

Unsharp Mask dialog, 354

Use All Layers option, 173

V

vanishing point, 119–120, 122–125

Varis, Lee, 17, 327

Vector Mask Hides Effects option, 272

vector masks, 295–303

combining with pixel masks, 299–300

creating, 295–297

editing, 298–299

fine-tuning with layer styles, 301–302

vs. pixel-based masks, 274

when to use, 274, 295

Vedros, Nick, 17, 26, 28

video layers, 227

visual effects, 20–21, 22, 28

visual metaphors, 4, 418

visual perception, 421

visual tension, 421

Vivid Light blending mode, 240, 340

W

Walstrom, Rick, 28

Warp command, 251, 254–257, 258

warping selections, 215

Wave filter, 439–440

weather forecasters, 381

website(s)

portfolio, 154

this book’s companion, 152, 154

Weinman, Lynda, 14

Westcott backdrop/lighting kits, 383

Weta Digital, 381

Wexler, Glen, 15, 17

white backgrounds, 102–103, 358–360, 375–377

wide-angle lenses, 108–109, 112, 441–442

willing suspension of disbelief, 20, 28

Windows systems, 234

X

Xerox PARC, 12

Z

Z dimension, 59, 108

zippernecking, 20

Zomb, Ilya, 40