Digital Diversity

I previously wrote an article on basic exposure blending. This was a basic guide on how to create multiple exposures using either exposure bracketing or a single RAW file and then blending them together. This tutorial is a more advanced version of this technique where you take one RAW shot that is exposed correctly for the land and then sky is recovered afterwards and saved as a second file. These 2 files can then be blended together using masks. To finish off, this tutorial will show you how to use photo filters to alter the light in your image.

For this tutorial it will help if you already now the following:
• Layers and Masks
• Photo Filters

This shot was taken from the top of the Scottish history museum. Its just a throw away shot really, not sharp and not that interesting but will be a good example to show off this technique.

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My latest creation “Eat with caution” was created using Photoshop CS4. It is possible to create this image in Photoshop Elements as well, you will just have to use the alternative masking method which you can learn on the layers and their masks tutorial on this website.

Other tutorials that may help you are cloning and healing, Texture blending, The liquify filter (contained within the tutorial linked) and adjustment layers (contained within the tutorial linked).

If you already have an understanding of these tools / techniques then carry on reading.

I have seen images created using food and giving then mouths before but I wanted a slight twist. I wanted to have someone actually holding the food. This would make it more of a challenge to find the right starting image but would give the image more impact. The final image has 2 ravenous cherries being held a safe distance at arms length. You wouldn’t want to get to close to these guys after all.

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Texture blending in Photoshop is when you use the layer blending modes to give an image or part of an image a texture. In this tutorial I will show you how to create the bellow image to give a person a stony/cracked appearance. This is a very clever technique to learn and it opened a lot of doors for me in my digital art.

You will need to understand how masks work, as well as adjustment layers, so it’s a good idea to read my tutorials that involve these beforehand.

The image we are going to create is of a man with a textured face.

The images I used for this tutorial are taken from a free stock library called stock.xchng.  You will need to download them both (or you can find your own to use)
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