Research Exercise
Advanced Image Editing
In the above image it is obvious that advanced image editing has been used in order for the shadow of the car to look as though it is an alligator aka to make the car be portrayed as fierce.
To achieve this I feel the car and background have been shot separately as the car looks slightly unrealistically lit compared to the shadow as the shadow would imply that the light should be coming from underneath the car almost.
Overall the image looks very animated and although I feel that advanced editing has taken place I think it could have been done more successfully.
I feel this is a more successful use of advanced photo editing as it looks very realistic and cinematic. It shows what the advertising is trying to portray that the van is so strong that it breaks through concrete and still sits unscathed.
I think colour grading has taken place here to allow the image to take a very cinematic feel. There are already very few colours within this image apart from greys and yellow only enforcing the colour grading.
It is obvious that the van background and components to form the rubble have all been shot separately and placed in to the image. such as the hole in the roof will have been photoshopped out and then a separate image of the the building and traffic lights will have been added and been made to match in colour.
The above image is heavily photoshopped. The models face has been heavily airbrushed to give the pore-less flawless skin look to try and highlight what the product can supposedly do. I also wouldn’t be surprised if the models face itself has been manipulated to look slimmer or more smoothed. The models eyes also look very white so any imperfections on the model have been rectified in editing.
Also, the background has clearly been added separately as no detailed background really exists, a bokah style background and a giant rose feature to show softness like how your skin should be. This whole image is about softness and purity. Which I feel has been done successfully to an extent however it’s very obvious what their intentions are from this ad.
The area of most editing has been done on the models face and also the placing of the models face in the mirror as this is a very strange angle of the models face. Also, to try and get this shot in one would be very difficult to keep the models features within such a small mirror. So the models face has been shot separately and then placed into where the mirror of this compact would be in order for it to look as though the model is simply looking at herself.
Furthermore, the models face has been heavily edited also as once again the pore-less, flawless skin features so this has most definitely been achieved in post production.
The model and background have both been shot separately as the light, although it has been tried to be recreated, doesn’t really match up well. Also once again we can see an example of the perfect skin editing on the model as her skin is flawless again.
The model will have been shot in a studio and then in photoshop I assume a magic pen or selection tool has been used to cut the model out of the studio setting and placed into a desert.
Colour matching will have taken place also as the desert takes on a pink tone to it in order to resemble the colouration of the models outfit and tone.
So many components of this image have been shot separately. The bottle firstly has been shot in studio with a black background and lit accordingly with the light coming from the right hand-side.
Then the glass itself has been shot separately once again, I think when the glass has been shot its had liquid in but in editing has been modified so it looks more animated.
Then the liquid has been shot using high speed flash and all the limes and mint will have been shot separately too. All lit separately also.
In post editing all the images will have been placed together and very advanced editing I feel will have taken place. The bottle and glass placed together then having to layer the liquid in also and masking will have also taken place majorly here.
Once again like many other alcohol advertisements, the bottle, glass and liquid has all been shot at different times from each other. The bottle has had a lot of advanced editing to make it look neon orange almost but also the bottle itself has been edited to make it look extremely full and also accentuate the features of the bottle such as the unique shape.
The glass and background I believe have been shot together and that the glass was empty when shot. Most of the advanced editing in this image has taken place in the whisky forming a tree in the glass as this is most certainly all done in post production, possibly by using an image taken of the whisky liquid and cutting it and forming it to make a tree.
A lot of masking and layering has taken place in this image. All/most of these models have been shot at different times. This can be seen by the change in light on the models when there would be no light source near them yet somehow they are still lit equally.
Therefore, layering and masking has taken place I believe. A fairly simple technique but when used to this extent can be tricky as nearly everything has had to have been separately placed in to this final image. Simple as having the camera in the exact same spot for every model and taking the image then layer and masking them in.
As with all fashion/cosmetics advertisements the poreless skin features again however I feel in this instance it has been more naturally as the image has a slightly hazey feel to it. The extent of the advanced editing on this will be the apples and perfume all being shot in studio and lit to highlight the product so the model doesn’t overpower the product. This image of the perfume was then placed on top of the image of the model taken outside i assume as the light looks very natural and a reflector may have been used?
Most of the advanced editing in this image will have taken place on the models skin and face and on the product itself. As a reflection of New York can also be seen in the product that also will have had to have been layered on top of the image and the opacity possibly turned down slightly.
I believe the model and her dress have been shot in the studio on this occasion as this control over the dress shape would have been highly unlikely on a busy city street. Therefore I feel two images have been used here. The studio image of the model and a city scene with the people.
I think then after both have been shot that the studio model shot would have been cut out using a selection tool and simply placing her into the scene and also placing shadows accordingly to create a more realistic composite.