Lesson 6
Composite Images
This lesson explores composite photography technique’s. These techniques can be done with your phone or high end DSLR camera. These techniques can give your portfolio a unique look.
Success Criteria:
By the end of these lessons, you will have used your phone or camera in manual mode to capture images.
Photoshop will have been used to edit images and create a composite image.
Answer’s to questions and image files will be uploaded to OneDrive and Shared with your teacher.
“Don’t be afraid of being different. Be afraid of being the same as everybody else”.
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REMINDER
When you see this icon with the question mark a response from you is required. These responses need to be uploaded to OneDrive and shared with me.
Don’t forget our deal with Adobe so that you can get Photoshop on your home computer for only a handful or two of dollars!
Composite Images
Composite images are the taking of multiple images or image components and combining them down into the one finished creation. I created the promotional image below for All Aces, a cleaning company. They wanted something artistic that showed their services off in an eye catching manner. What started as a photo of their vans in a car park ended up being an exaggerated storm setting. These ‘hero’ style images lend themselves to telling a story or suggesting a narrative.
Photographer’s Perspective:
So what goes into capturing an image like this?
With this type of work, the objective for me is not to create a super realistic image. I am wanting to create a hereo shot that is a bit like a movie poster. I want my audience to meet me half way with their imaginations.
They say that the devil is in the detail! There are lots of small elements in this photo. For instance, on the ground and roof of the vans, I have water splashes. The front facing van has had logos added to it. The windows reveal the setting behind and reflections have been added to the van’s sides.
Small details like reflections and the rain splatter help create dimension and depth within the composite image.
Composite’s as Portraits
Joel Grimes is an amazing Composite Portrait Photographer. Whether he is stacking bracketted photo’s together or using Photoshop to bump in entirely different backgrounds, his images are the epitome of the Hero Shot!
Joel Grimes is one of my favorite modern photographers. When I asked him about using some of his images on this website, he shot across some of his favorite portraits to share with you.
In 1984 Joel graduated from the University of Arizona with a BFA in Photography and soon established a commercial studio working out of Denver Colorado.
For over 35 years Joel has worked for many of the top advertising agencies and corporations across the globe for clients such as AARP, AES, Abbott Labs, Archer Daniels Midland, Arizona Office of Tourism, AT&T, Broncos, Comcast, Febreze, Goldman Sachs, Hewlett Packard, Hyatt, Kodak, Nikon, Pentax, Phillips 66, Philip Morris, Procter & Gamble, Pfizer, Qwest, Sony, Sturm Ruger & Co, United Global, USA Boxing, Visa, Volvo, Xcel Energy, and most recently Red Bull. Over the years his assignments have taken him to every state across the USA and to over fifty countries around the globe.
In 1990 Joel produced his first coffee table book, ‘Navajo, Portrait of a Nation’ which received a number of photographic and design awards and produce an eighteen-month solo exhibit at the Smithsonian American History museum.
Driven by the creative process, Joel views himself as an illusionist, creating portraits larger than life. “There is no face on the planet that is the same, and my vision as an artist is to capture that individual uniqueness through the creative photographic process.”
Joel is also an ambassador for this process by teaching workshops and lectures across the country. “I feel that by being an open book with my process I have an opportunity to inspire others to follow their dreams and passions to create”.
Joel currently works out of the Phoenix Arizona.
Watch the video above. Make a summary of Joel Grime’s technique
What were some of the industry terminologies that Joel used that you didn’t know the meaning of? Add these to your vocabulary list.
Make a list of the gear that you can see Joel using to make his images.
Visit Joel’s website: https://www.joelgrimes.com/portfolio
Use either words in dot for or sentences to describe Joel’s portraits.
What elements are consistent across his portfolio?
Phone Camera Composite
TASK – YOU YOU YOU
Ever wondered what it would be like to be a triplet? Let’s find out!
Set your camera up somewhere steady. Try not to let it move between shots. Take three images of yourself in the same setting. It is best if you do not overlap.
Using the editing process outlined in the video below, create one image from the three version of yourself.
Remember the Fruit Ninja Task from Lesson 3?
Combine the technique from the Fruit Ninja Task with the Composite image process above to create something really ‘out there’ and unique!!
