Painting with Light : Lighting & Photoshop Techniques for Photographers, 2nd Ed

Painting with light is a technique that allows photographers to work in areas with no (or very low) light and selectively apply 'pops' of light to their subject and setting using a variety of different light sources and modifiers. Author Eric Curry takes this approach to the extreme. Here, he walks the reader through the complete process Contents 3 About the Author 6 Preface 7 Introduction 8 About the Second Edition 8 My History 8 Real-World Clients and Jobs 11 Photography: A Brief History 13 Traditional Night Photography 14 Painting with Light: Single-Exposure Approaches 16 Painting with Light: Multiple-Exposure Approach 17 Create, Don’t Copy 20 1. Logistics: Cameras, Lights, and Other Tools 22 Cameras: Almost Any Digital Camera Will Work 22 Lenses: The Best Focal Length for the Job 23 Lights: Which Lights To Use 26 Snoots: Shielding the Light from Splashing Everywhere 28 Tripods: Stability Is Key 28 A Cable Release 29 Spare Batteries 30 Portable DVD Player or Laptop for Screen Display 30 Painter’s Poles for Holding Lights 31 Plugs, Switches, and Extension Cords 32 Plan for Comfort 32 Keep It Simple: A Final Thought on Logistics 33 2. Preparing for the Shoot 34 Scouting the Location in Advance 34 Qualities That Make a Good Subject and Scene 35 Ask Permission 39 3. The Shoot 42 Set Up in Daylight and Wait 42 Basic Camera Settings 42 Begin Shooting 47 Exposure 49 Shutter Operation 52 Light the Subject and Environment 53 The Mechanics of Exposing Everything 65 Include All Existing Light Sources 71 Get Physical, Stay Focused 73 A Funny (in Hindsight) Mistake: How Not to Paint With Light 73 4. Adding Human Subjects 76 People Move! 76 Design a Stable Pose 77 Light in a Single, Smooth Pass 78 Lighting People with Strobes 79 Postproduction 80 5. Postproduction 81 Image Editing and Management Software 81 Using Photoshop to Recombine the Images 83 Using Photoshop to Recombine People (Dr. Frankenstein) 87 Practical Examples 88 Corvette 89 Yellow Submarine 94 Airstream Trailer 98 Green T-Bird 100 6. Different Expressions of Creativity 102 Yellow Submarine 102 Ameriquest Airship 105 The Long Haul 108 7. Shooters Worldwide 110 Painting a Garage with Light 110 Desert Theater 112 1927 Cadillac 113 Faery Lights 114 Subterranean Sparks 115 Lady of the Lake 116 Dismembered B-52 117 Live Alligators 118 Elysian Fields 119 Stiltsville 120 No Ordinary Truck 121 A Childhood Memory 122 Primeval Dream 123 Conclusion 124 Appendix: A Quick-and-Dirty Review 125 Index 126 Throw your preconceptions about light-painting out the window and prepare for a creative journey that will revolutionize your photography. Light painting is a classic photography technique that involves selectively illuminating sections of a dark subject by moving a light source (like a flashlight) over the subject during the course of a seconds- or minutes-long exposure. This results in uniquely nuanced depictions with a high level of technical artistry. As Eric Curry shows, however, today's hardware and software allow you to produce light-painting images that are anything but traditional! In this book, you'll learn, step by step, how to plan and execute incredible, nuanced images using simple gear, a whole lot of imagination, and today's powerful postproduction software. With these techniques, your imagination is the only limit to what you can create! Exploring techniques that will work with the materials that photographers already have on hand, the author designs images through thorough planning and creativity that depict his subjects in breathtaking and unexpected ways that would be impossible without the approach detailed in this photography guide. In addition to the inspiration of the artistry itself, photographers will learn how to push digital imaging to