Senior Pictures are always fun, and sometimes you get the requested photo that they would like. When I talked with this client, one thing that they would want is a picture with some Graffiti. This was a challenge for us; we live in an area where there is no graffiti on the walls. Train cars were about it. After driving around the city, I really could not find anything that they had in mind.
Next was a suggestion that I make in Photoshop. I would do a composite, and that is what we agreed to. I went to Adobe Stock and started to look at some images of graffiti. The reason I did this is to make a composite realistic; lighting has everything to do with it. You want the same lighting patterns as if you took the picture at the scene. Now to have some fun.
This senior picture, we were in the woods. At the end of our wood session. It was time to take the photos for the composite. You can name a studio anywhere and yes, even in the woods. With the help of my wife, I made the studio in woods and, most important, set up the lights to make a real composite. You can see the two lights I used for the backlight. My key light was an Octa with a grid that lit him from the from. We did several poses, and I got what I wanted.
Studio in the Woods
Now it was time to make the composite. The first thing was to cut out my Senior in the background. With the use of the backlight, this made it pretty simple to do. Next was using the image that I had in mind with Adobe Stock. The neat thing with Adobe Stock, you can use the image and see if it works. As you see, it has the watermark on it, but it’s nice to know if it works. If you like it, you can license it and then have a high res photo. I placed the image together and now time to make it look like I was there. The first was to make the image the size as if I took the picture at the scene. Not too small and not too big. Next, I added shadows where I thought the shadows would be. The last thing I did, was to make the color of the image the same color as the background to make it again, look like I was there. I liked what I came up with. While I am not a composite expert, I believe I have something that would sell that the person was there and make money.
Making a Composite
I enjoy making composites, and the advantage is getting a client what they would like, but you don’t have the opportunity — just another idea in a photographer's heads. I learn every day from great composite photographers and how to make it realistic. Remember, the first thing is the light direction to sell it. If the light is off, the composite will be off. With that said, time to have some more fun.