Topics Covered:
- The Concept
- Creating the Set Beforehand
- Bringing in the Talent
- Matching the Light and Angles
- Merging the Two Images
Lighting Equipment
The Concept |
Creating the Set Beforehand |
Figure 3 |
Bringing in the Talent |
I thought it might be helpful to rig a "horn prop" that Aidan could grasp while pretending to ride the triceratops, so I simply mounted a LiteDisc Holder to a LiteStand and angled it in front of Aidan's saddle. [figures 6 & 7] |
Figure 9 |
In reviewing the images in the back of the camera, I was pleased with the soft, wrap-around quality of light from the umbrella and the subtle bounce fill from the LitePanel Kit, and thought that it would tie in well with the same basic lighting setup I'd use when photographing the triceratops. |
Figure 11 |
Matching the Light and Angles |
I reviewed the final shot of Aidan and did my best to match the camera angles and light quality. I repositioned the Umbrella and LitePanel kit slightly and took a series of close-up shots of the toy triceratops. This one ended up being our favorite in terms of the positioning and lighting. [figure 14] |
Figure 14 |
Merging the Two Images |
Figure 15 |
After showing Aidan the final result, I asked him what he thought. He told me he liked this version, but wondered if we could make it "a little more scary." |
Figure 16 |
By matching the lighting in both shots, it made combining the two very easy. Had each of the shots been taken under different lighting conditions, the results would not have come out nearly as seamless as this one did. Written and photographed by Ben Clay, contributing lesson writer for WebPhotoSchool.com and Photoflex.com. |