Compositing with photos is one of my all-time favorite endeavors. I relish the opportunity to exercise my creative muscles while crafting a scene with cinematic qualities that might not be possible to create with only a camera. In today’s lesson, we’ll examine one of the techniques that is most essential to making a composite believable…wrapping light around the subject. I’ll show you the original way of doing this as well as a new way that I stumbled upon quite by accident.

(Note: Both photos used in this tutorial are courtesy of Shutterstock.)

Step 1: Select the Subject, Add a Mask, Refine the Mask, and Import into the Background
Since this lesson is not about making and refining selections, I’ve already selected and imported the subject into the background. At this point, however, the subject is not interacting with the background light.

Note: To learn more about making tricky selections and refining edges, check out my Dramatic Portrait Compositing video tutorial series.

Step 2: Wrap Light the Old-Fashioned Way
Before I show you the light-wrapping technique that I stumbled upon by accident, let’s take a look at another great method that often works, but not as well in this example. Activate the subject layer and choose Layer>Layer Style>Inner Glow. Ensure that the blend mode is set to Screen and click the glow color box.

Hover over an area of prevailing light in the photo and click once to sample.

This samples the light color and wraps it around the subject’s edges. In this example, the light is both warm and cool (rather than just warm), and that is why this particular technique falls short. Click OK. For the sake of education, let’s move forward as if this technique is working. Adjust the Size slider and the Opacity slider until the light wraps nicely.

Press OK. Notice how the wrapping light looks realistic in some areas, such as the hair on the right of the model’s face and her shoulder, but unrealistic on the top of her head and the hair on the left of her face. To overcome this issue, choose Layer>Layer Style>Create Layer. This turns the Inner Glow layer style into an actual pixel-bearing layer. Activate the Inner Glow layer and choose Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal All. Grab a soft-edged black brush at 100% opacity and flow and paint over areas where the light should not wrap.

Since we’re about to explore an even better method for this type of scene, grab the Inner Glow layer and drag it to the trash icon at the base of the Layers panel.

Step 3: Wrap Light the Cool New Way
Awhile ago, I learned a sweet little color balancing trick from Matt Kloskowski’s compositing book that involved duplicating the background layer, moving it above the subject layer, clipping it, and using Filter>Blur>Average to blur away detail. Then, to balance the color of the subject with the color of the background, change the blend mode to Color and reduce the layer’s opacity. I was applying this color balancing technique when it struck me that I could use a similar technique to wrap very realistic light around a subject. Here’s how. Activate the Background and press Command-J (PC: Control-J) to duplicate it. Drag the duplicate layer to the top of the layer stack. Choose Filter>Convert for Smart Filters. Choose Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur and drag the Radius slider to eliminate all detail.

Press OK. Activate the Move tool. While holding Shift, tap the + key to cycle through the blend modes. Look for a mode that covers the subject with a veil of light that is consistent with the background light. Usually, Multiply, Soft Light, or Hard Light mode will do the trick. In this example, Hard Light mode is ideal.

Choose Layer>Layer Mask>Hide All to add a black-filled mask. Command-click (PC: Control-click) on the layer mask thumbnail associated with the subject layer to load the mask as a selection.

Hide the selection by pressing Command-H (PC: Control-H). Grab a soft-edge white brush at 30% opacity and begin painting natural light around the edges of the subject. Paint over especially bright areas more than once to build up the light.

Wow! Here’s the completed result with realistic wrapping light!

Mark S. Johnson Photography
msjphotography.com

Tutorial Assets
1- HVD Comic Serif Pro font.
2- Bump Texture pattern (Created using Filter Forge’s True Carbon Filter by Betis).
3- Chrome Water texture by blacksheep.

Step 1
Create a new 1200 x 1000 px document, and fill the Background with the color #c7b29a. Then, create the text in All Caps using the font ” HVD Comic Serif Pro”, the color White, and the font Size 393 pt.(Don’t pack the scene with way too many letters – Five letters or less give the best result.)

Go to 3D -> New 3D Extrusion from Selected Layer. This will convert the text into a 3D mesh.

To access the 3D mesh settings and properties, you’ll need to open two panels: The 3D panel, and the Properties panel (both found under the Window menu).
The 3D panel has all the components of the 3D scene, and when you click the name of any of those, you’ll be able to access its settings in the Properties panel. So make sure to always select the name of the element you want to modify in the 3D panel before you change its settings in the Properties panel.

You can now see that the text layer is a 3D layer.

Step 2

Click the mesh name in the 3D panel. Then in the Properties panel, change the Texture Mapping to Tile, and the Depth to 70.

Click the Cap icon at the top of the Properties panel. Then, under Bevel, change the Width to 10%, the Angle to 45°, and choose the Half Round contour. Under Inflate, change the Angle to 90°, and the Strength to 10. This will inflate the front part of the mesh.

Select the Move Tool. You’ll notice some new 3D icons in the far right side of the Options bar. Those icons are the set of 3D Modes. When you choose one of them, you can click and drag to perform changes on the selected 3D element.

So you can click and drag in any empty area of the 3D scene to change the Camera View, but don’t rotate the 3D mesh yet.

Step 3

Select the Front Inflation Material in the 3D panel. Then, in the Properties panel, change the Diffuse color to #792500, the Specular to #bbb08c, the Illumination to #080808, and the Ambient to #000000. Also, change the Shine to 80% to create a smaller specular spot size, and the Reflection to 25% to create a reflective surface.

Click the Bump folder icon and choose Load Texture.

Browse for and open the BumpTexture.jpg image. This will apply the texture to the front material as a bump map. So the lighter areas of the texture will create raised surfaces, while the darker ones will create flatter surfaces.

The texture looks big on the mesh. To fix that, click the Bump texture icon and choose Edit UV Properties.

In the Texture Properties box, change the U Scale to 600%, which will repeat (tile) the pattern vertically, change the V Scale to 100%, and the U Offset and V Offset to 0%.

The texture looks much better now, but you can try other values if you like as well.

If you find the bump effect very strong, you can always decrease its value. Here, it is set to 5.

Step 4

Select the Front Bevel Material. Then, in the Properties panel, change the Diffuse color to #000000, the Specular to #c1c1c1, the Illumination to #080808, and the Ambient to #000000. Also, change the Shine to 95%, the Reflection to 16%, and the Refraction to 1.5.

To save the material and re-apply it instead of recreating it each time, click the material preview box arrow, then the pop-up menu arrow to the right, and choose New Material.

Type in a name for the material and click OK.

Press and hold the Ctrl key, then click both the Extrusion Material and the Back Bevel Material tabs, and release the Ctrl key. Then go ahead and scroll down the Material Picker to apply the saved material by clicking its icon.

Apply the same Front Inflation Material to the Back Inflation Material as well.

Step 5

This is how the text looks so far. Next, we are going to adjust the Lighting.

Click the Infinite Light 1 tab in the 3D panel, then change its Intensity to 90% and its Shadow Softness to 60% in the Properties panel.

Click the Coordinates icon at the top of the Properties panel, then change the Rotation values as shown below: (X = 10°, Y = -17°, Z = 20°).

Step 6

Click the “Add new Light to Scene” icon down the 3D panel, and choose New Infinite Light.

Change the Infinite Light 2 Intensity to 40% and un-check its Shadow box.

Click the Coordinates icon at the top of the Properties panel, then change the Rotation values as shown below: (X = 142.5°, Y = 59°, Z = -137.3°).

Step 7

Click the Environment tab in the 3D panel. In the Properties panel, under Shadows, change the Opacity to 60%, and under Reflections, change the Opacity to 20% and the Roughness to 10%.

Click the IBL folder icon and choose Load Texture. Browse for and open the Chrome Water texture image.

Lower the intensity to a value around 34%.

Step 8

The blue color in the texture adds blue illumination to the scene. So click the IBL folder icon and choose Edit Texture to open the texture file and edit it.

In the texture’s file, click the “Create new fill or adjustment layer” icon down the Layers panel and choose Hue/Saturation.

Change the Hue value to -145.

Save the file, close it, and go back to the original 3D scene document. If you still don’t like the result, you can go back to edit the file an try some other Hue values. Make sure you don’t want to change anything else in the 3D mesh or the scene before you continue.

Step 9

Click the 3D mesh group in the 3D panel, then go to 3D -> Split Extrusion.

You’ll get a dialog box telling you that you’ll lose any animation for the mesh. Click OK.

What this does, is that it splits the main text mesh into separate meshes, one for each letter.

Use the Move Tool to move, rotate, and place the letters in the Scene.

You can simply click the mesh in the 3D scene (or select its name in the 3D panel), and use the 3D axis to make any changes.

The arrows at the ends of the axis move the mesh, the part below them is used for rotation, and the cubes are used for scaling. The cube in the center is used to scale the object uniformly. All you need to do is click and drag the wanted part.

You can also click the Current View tab in the 3D panel, then change the camera view to check how the scene looks from different angles, and to make sure that the meshes are not overlapping.

Step 10
Finish positioning the meshes, and choose the final camera view (angle). One last thing you might need to check is that the meshes are not sunken in the Ground Plane or floating above it. So select the meshes and go to 3D -> Snap Object to Ground Plane.

Finally, go to 3D -> Render to render the final result. This might take some time, but you can stop the rendering anytime by clicking anywhere inside the document.

Conclusion

This is the final result. The color and lighting make the texture pop, while the sleek sides add an elegant touch and define the main texture. And the rough semi reflective ground plane finishes off the whole 3D scene.

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial and found it helpful.

So take a minute today and join NAPP president Scott Kelby and Photoshop Guy Matt Kloskowski as they cover everything you need to know about the beta with helpful video tutorials and tips.

The Photoshop Guys will:

• Talk you through the process of getting certified
• Answer common questions about certification
• Review the exam to show topics that are covered on the exam
• Go over the skills you need to be ready to take the ACE exam

Compositing wispy strands of hair is tricky business. In today’s tutorial, we’ll explore strategies for capturing and compositing models that make the process uncomplicated and fun.

Let’s begin with several recommendations for successfully capturing a subject:

• Light the model with three lights…a main light, and two edge lights with modifiers (such as egg crate grids) that create noticeable rim light along the edges of the subject.

• Use a seamless white backdrop.

• It’s best to shoot medium to dark-haired models on a white or very light gray background. To accomplish this, either move the model close to the seamless white backdrop and/or light the backdrop.

• It’s best to shoot light-haired models on a dark gray background. In this scenario, it’s crucial to add rim light along the edges of the hair. To achieve a dark gray background, move the subject farther away from the backdrop.

Let’s examine which blend modes are best to use based on the model’s hair color in relation to the density of the background:

• Best-case scenario –

If the hair is dark and the background is white or very light gray, Multiply blend mode works extremely well (as you’ll see in a moment).

• Other workable, but less-desirable scenarios –

If the hair is light and the background is medium to dark gray, Screen and Overlay blend modes have potential.

If the hair is dark and the background is medium to dark gray, Hard Light, Multiply, and Overlay blend modes have potential.

Now let’s explore how to put this knowledge to use in a real-world wispy-hair compositing situation.

(Note: Both images used in this tutorial are courtesy of Shutterstock).

Step 1: Select the Subject, Add a Mask, and Import into the Background
In this example, the subject was selected using the Quick Selection tool, a mask was added, and the subject was imported into the background scene with the mask intact. Notice how the edges of the model’s hair look like she received a haircut from a five-year old.

Step 2: Use Refine Mask to Begin Bringing Believability to the Hair
Activate the subject layer and press Command-J (PC: Control-J) to duplicate the layer. Name the duplicate layer “Refine Mask Hair.” Turn off visibility for the original subject layer.

Activate the “Refine Mask Hair” layer mask thumbnail and choose Select>Refine Mask. Set the View menu to On Layers (L). Drag the Radius slider far to the right (in this example, all the way) until small wisps of hair appear. Notice how the hair looks much better, but still not believable.

Set the Output To menu to Layer Mask and press OK.

Step 3: Use a Blend Mode to Further Tame the Wisps
Now is when we will put a blend mode to work to finish the process. Activate the subject layer. Press Command-J (PC: Control-J) to duplicate it. Name the duplicate layer “Blended Hair.” Turn on the layer’s visibility. Right-click on the “Blended Hair” layer mask and choose Delete Layer Mask.

Since this is a dark-haired model in front of a white backdrop, change the blend mode from Normal to Multiply. Wow! Notice how this immediately solves the hair edge problem and produces a completely believable blend.

Note: Keep in mind that different model/backdrop scenarios require different blend modes. For advice on which ones to use, see the introduction. In this scenario, the job is done, but in cases of other blend modes you may have to add a mask to the “Blended Hair” layer and paint away light gray areas. If masking alone does not work, consider opening the Layer Style dialog and using the Blend If sliders to blend away gray areas. Remember to hold Option (PC: Alt) while dragging the inner half of a Blend If slider to produce a smoother blend.

Step 4: Fix the Subject’s Hairless Edges
The original subject layer contains the best mask for the model’s hairless edges (e.g. arms, legs, and clothing). To put this mask to use where we need it, turn on visibility for the original subject layer. Activate its mask and grab a soft-edged black brush at 100% opacity. Using a large brush, paint over the hair so that only the “Blended Hair” and “Refine Mask Hair” layers are having an effect in this critical region.

Here’s the unrefined look…

…and here’s the finished look.

To learn all of the compositing secrets that lead up to this more advanced tutorial, take a peek at my Dramatic Portrait Compositing video tutorial series.

Mark S. Johnson Photography
msjphotography.com

I recently picked up a copy of the Michael Jordan biography, Driven from Within, and on p. 11 there is a striking photo of a tattooed palm that immediately grabbed my attention. I liked what I saw so much that today’s tutorial is dedicated to creating the same tattoo effect with less mess and a whole lot less pain. We’ll do it digitally using Photoshop’s amazing blend and distort tools.

(Readers may download the iStockPhoto files used in this tutorial by clicking here. The files are for personal use only.)

Step 1: Open a Skin Photo
Open a skin photo to which you’d like to apply a tattoo. Feel free to use the sample palm image.

Step 2: Open a Tattoo Photo or Illustration
Open a photo or illustration of a black tattoo on a white background. The provided sample file is part of the vast iStockPhoto collection. Since it’s a seamless pattern, it can be tiled to cover a photo of any dimension.

In order to tile the pattern seamlessly, we’ll first need to define it as a pattern. Choose Edit>Define Pattern. Name it “Tattoo” and press OK. Close the file.

Step 3: Apply the Tattoo
Return to the palm photo and choose Layer>New Fill Layer>Pattern. Name the layer “Tattoo” and press OK. Scale the pattern to 50%.

Press OK. To blend the tattoo with the palm, we’ll cycle through the blend modes. Activate the Move tool. While holding Shift, tap the + key repeatedly until the tattoo blends with the skin. Since the skin is light and the tattoo is dark, Multiply blend mode works best.

Note: In this example, the background and the tattoo are black. Therefore, the tattoo does not appear beyond the edges of the skin. If it did, you would need to make a selection of the hand, invert it, activate the “Tattoo” layer’s mask thumbnail and fill the area around the hand with black.

To add additional authenticity to the tattoo, we’ll allow some of the highlights and textures of the hand to pop partially through the tattoo using the Blend If sliders. Choose Layer>Layer Style>Blending Options. Since we’re trying to pop through highlights from the underlying hand layer, grab the Underlying Highlight slider and begin dragging inward. Notice how the tattoo tears away. To create a more natural blend, reset the Underlying Highlight slider, hold Option (PC: Alt) and drag the left half of the slider until the blend looks authentic.

Press OK.

Step 4: Add Distortion
To complete the look, we’ll bend the tattoo to the contours of the hand using a displacement map. To accomplish this, we need to create a duplicate of our document that will serve as the displacement map. Choose Image>Duplicate. Name the duplicate file “Displace” and press OK. In the Layers panel, drag the “Tattoo” layer to the trash icon at the base of the panel.

Since a displacement map must be comprised of shades of gray, choose Image>Adjustments>Desaturate. A slight boost in contrast will help the mapping feature. Choose Image>Adjustments>Levels. Drag the Input Highlight and Shadow sliders inward to add contrast to the palm.

Press OK. Since our goal is to realistically bend the tattoo into the major creases of the palm, but not to bend it into the fine texture of the skin, we’ll blur the displacement map enough to remove the fine texture. Choose Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur. In this example, a 2-pixel blur does the trick.

Press OK. Choose File>Save, place the file in a memorable location, and set the file format to Photoshop (.psd).

Press OK. Close the file. Now we’ll apply distortion to the tattoo. With the “Tattoo” layer active, choose Filter>Distort>Displace. When an alert dialog appears, press OK. The amount of scaling will vary based on several factors, so you may have to experiment, undo, and try again. In this example, Horizontal and Vertical Scale values of 5 work well. Set the Displacement Map option to Stretch to Fit and the Undefined Areas option to Repeat Edge Pixels.

Press OK. Locate the “Displace.psd” document that you saved a moment ago.

Press Open and watch as the tattoo bends naturally into the creases of the palm. Wow! To better see the result, tap Command-Z (PC: Control-Z) several times.

Mark S. Johnson Photography
msjphotography.com