fmethorst
Command Sergeant Major
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2008
- Messages
- 2,436
Re: Battle for the Barrikady Gun Factory, Nov.'42
Thanks for the positive comments guys.
To answer some of the questions regarding how I did some of the effects.
The background:
This first picture shows the setup I used to take the pictures in this series. I can't overemphasize the importance of good lighting.
Note that I have used a blue sceen as a background. Any solid color will do but it is important that it isn't too dark or too light as this affects the light meter in the camera and by extension this affects the exposure of the items in the foreground.
The reason I use a solid color is it makes it easier for Photoshop Elements to digitally extract the foreground from the background. This is not unlike the green screens you see used in the movie industry.
Once the foreground is extracted it can be combined with background elements of your choice. In the case of this picture I have added a horizon and a sky element. The red arrows in the following picture highlight the various layers in this composition. The image is flattened and the "Clone Stamp" tool is used to blend the various elements together (if required).
Smoke/Dust
This is easier than you might think with Photoshop Elements.
The arrows in the following picture point to the "Lasso" tool and the foreground and background color selector. In order to create smoke I have selected two shades of grey. I have chosen dark greys but you can choose any colors you like to suit your needs. For dust I use the "Eyedropper" tool to sample an area of the ground to match the color exactly.
You now need to select the "Lasso" tool and draw the shape of the smoke/dust cloud you want. Once this is complete click on the the "Select" menu and choose Feather.
You need to specify the amount of feathering you want in pixels. Basically this is what gives your smoke or dust cloud a soft edge. In this sample i have chosen 200 pixels.
From the "Filter" menu select Render\Clouds
Voila, Smoke
Now the real trick is to experiment. While you may only need a single dense cloud which you can do in one go it is just as likely you will need to do several smaller "clouds" layered over top of each other. The smaller clouds are useful because the are more translucent than a snigle larger cloud and allow a more patchy application. This is what I did with the dust cloud.
Thanks for the positive comments guys.
To answer some of the questions regarding how I did some of the effects.
The background:
This first picture shows the setup I used to take the pictures in this series. I can't overemphasize the importance of good lighting.
Note that I have used a blue sceen as a background. Any solid color will do but it is important that it isn't too dark or too light as this affects the light meter in the camera and by extension this affects the exposure of the items in the foreground.
The reason I use a solid color is it makes it easier for Photoshop Elements to digitally extract the foreground from the background. This is not unlike the green screens you see used in the movie industry.
Once the foreground is extracted it can be combined with background elements of your choice. In the case of this picture I have added a horizon and a sky element. The red arrows in the following picture highlight the various layers in this composition. The image is flattened and the "Clone Stamp" tool is used to blend the various elements together (if required).
Smoke/Dust
This is easier than you might think with Photoshop Elements.
The arrows in the following picture point to the "Lasso" tool and the foreground and background color selector. In order to create smoke I have selected two shades of grey. I have chosen dark greys but you can choose any colors you like to suit your needs. For dust I use the "Eyedropper" tool to sample an area of the ground to match the color exactly.
You now need to select the "Lasso" tool and draw the shape of the smoke/dust cloud you want. Once this is complete click on the the "Select" menu and choose Feather.
You need to specify the amount of feathering you want in pixels. Basically this is what gives your smoke or dust cloud a soft edge. In this sample i have chosen 200 pixels.
From the "Filter" menu select Render\Clouds
Voila, Smoke
Now the real trick is to experiment. While you may only need a single dense cloud which you can do in one go it is just as likely you will need to do several smaller "clouds" layered over top of each other. The smaller clouds are useful because the are more translucent than a snigle larger cloud and allow a more patchy application. This is what I did with the dust cloud.
Frank , thanks for sharing your Great photo's with us , IMO this is some of your best work . After viewing these , can there really be any doubt as to who is producing the most realistic products on the market today .I don't think you can find better WWII products at any price . First Legion just keep pulling farther and farther away from the pack leaving them in the dust (pun intended ) WOW , Thanks again Gebhard
