I always demonstrate lots of creative techniques during my semi-annual Photoshop workshop in my home, and one of them is how to make a silhouette and then composite that with a beautiful background. This image is the example I used yesterday. I took a tree in midday sunlight and a shot of a leopard in diffused light, and then turned them into silhouettes by selecting them and using Edit > fill to make them black. I then put the two silhouettes together and added the background and added some noise (only a small amount using Filter > noise > add noise) to the silhouette so it looked real (when you fill an area with a solid color, it doesn’t have any noise and all digital images have noise). Finally, I used the plug-in Flood, made by flamingpear.com, to add the reflection as if there had been a body of water in front of the tree. Some nature photographers object to this kind of manipulation with wildlife, but I simply tell them you have to decide whether you are a 'photo journalist' or a 'photo artist'. I'm the latter.
7 Comments
Nov 18, 2019, 3:24:03 PM
sadara Smith - Hello! I am doing a comparative study in class about art that inspires me, and want to use this photo, What is the title of this piece and do you mind telling me the purpose and meaning of this? (if there is one) thank you!
Nov 11, 2016, 6:15:24 PM
Jim - Most of us do that, Bob -- begin capturing reality and then experiment with other types of visions.
Nov 1, 2016, 7:06:47 PM
Jim - Hi Sylvia, Yes, it is. Thank you for the compliment. I'm in Brazil now.
Nov 1, 2016, 6:06:03 PM
Sylvia Rourke - Hi Jim,
Is that the Botswana cat?? I'm the latter too! love what you've created.
Nov 1, 2016, 10:09:37 AM
Jim - Thanks, Daniel.
And thank you, too, Bob. I think most of us begin as a photo journalist, and then some of us expand our horizons. Mine was first expanded 6 months after I had purchased in my first 35mm camera in 1968. I tell you about it when we are on the tour together.
Nov 1, 2016, 3:30:38 AM
Bob Vestal - You are convincing me, Jim. There is a place for this kind of creative use of Photoshop.. Your example is truly stunning. Maybe we can begin as 'photo journalists' and become 'photo artists'.
Nov 1, 2016, 1:22:03 AM
Daniel Reynaud - A beautiful composition, as always !! You have us spoiled :)