NZPhotographer Issue 61, November 2022

Apostasy
Nikon D810, 24-70mm lens @ F4, 1/800s, ISO200
The final image consists of six main images; the model,
the sky, the railway lines, the old shed and some
white clouds. I often use my brush tool to drop in a
brighter circle of light on a separate layer behind my
model. By altering the position of the layers and their
opacity, they start to blend into one another and take
on an altered reality. For me, composites should be
believable and have the viewer believe what they
see is reality. Like all my images, the final composite
was run through Nik Filters to finesse, and then a
couple of texture layers were added at the end of
post-processing.
A texture layer is designed to enhance your work
and not obscure it; that is where the blending modes
come into play in the layers menu. When working on
an image like this, it is important to piece together
the images in your composite before applying the
final editing techniques to it; that way, it will result in a
cohesive image. Be very aware of blending the edges
of your different layers – you may not see them initially
until you place another three or four layers over the
top and end up with some funny lines in odd places!
Our imagination knows no bounds with composites,
and we can have so much fun. I find that composites
can be a great side project to work on as you can
keep adding more as your mind expands on ideas.
Just note that the file size can become huge when
working on composites due to the number of layers.
I highly recommend saving the file regularly as you
make changes in case Photoshop should decide to
crash or there is a power outage, as you can lose
hours and hours of work.
CONCLUSION
Having finally found a medium to express my creativity,
I hope my mini-series on fine art portraiture inspires your
creative journey too. To learn more with me, come
along on one of my intimate weekend workshops on the
beautiful shores of Lake Benmore, Twizel. All 2023 dates
for both my Fine Art Nude and Imagination and Creation
Workshops are available to view on my website.
shelleyharveyphotography.com
NZPhotographer
November 2022
41