This is a great way to present a photo when you want to portray a broken or fragmented look. It uses the concepts used at one point by fine and modern artists like Andy Warhol by the assemblage of individual snap shots, all taken of the same model, at the same time. It can be quite dramatic.
Reader example #1
Another reader suggested this example
We're going to show you hot to do both methods, random and organized. We'll also show how layer styles can be used, stroking inside and outside, as well as how to get a jump start using the slice method. That way you can make decisions based on which method is best for the project you're working on.
First: The Slice Method
Here we put Photoshop's SLICE function to work to make even divisions of the image a quick snap. Use this one if you plan to build a border outside the image slices, or you don't mind losing a bit of the image when you stroke inside the image.
First, we'll set up the file. This is a photo of a little girl, perfect for our Thanksgiving card. We'll set up the card to print at 300dpi, at 4.25 x 5.5 inches -- which is a standard card. We will reduce the image size a bit to allow room for borders, shadows and a textured background -- so we'll add about 100 pixels to both dimensions, using the Image > Canvas Size menu item.
Begin the slice
Grab the Slice tool (tap 'K') and hover over the image. Right-Click for the popup context menu and select: "Divide Slice". A dialog will open where you can set "Divide Horizontally into 3 slices down..." and the same for vertically. Click Okay and it's done.
In order to actually assemble your project, you'll need all those split into layers. The fastest way to do that is to choose
File > Save for Web > and then set up your file attributes. I've set this one for "no optimization" and "BEST" quality, since I don't want to disturb the 300ppi, for printing.
When you click Okay, Photoshop will split the files apart and place them in a folder called "images" in the same directory you're working in. (I changed my name to "slice" and Photoshop auto numbered them for me.)
Bring slices together for your mosaic or collage
Now, simply select all those slice files and drag them over onto the Photoshop icon. They'll all open, one by one -- and you can quickly begin dragging each into the 300dpi work file using the MOVE tool. Don't bother about arranging them now, we'll do that later. After each drag, hit your keyboard command to close the slice file.
slices
Once you've brought all your files together, you'll see they've arrived on separate layers. Before arranging into your final grid, you'll want to set the layer style to get your photo border and drop shadow. This way, as you arrange the photos you can do so working with the shadows, etc.
setting the layer style
Since this is a large file, and the photo borders are only going to seal about 12 pixels from the edges of the photos, I'll go ahead and do an inside stroke to get the white border.
Open the STROKE Dialog now to see the settings. Notice the stroke is added to the inside of the layer image -- which effectively cuts off some image. Notice also it gives you a nice, sharp, cornet. (If we selected "outside" for the stroke, you would get a rounded corner -- not what we want here. I'll show you that one a little later.)
Now open the SHADOW Dialog to see my settings. Since these settings are dependant on your resolution settings, I'll not impose them on you. However, just adjust the settings until you get the effect you like.
Once your layer styles are perfect, you can replicate the same style to all the tile layers. There are various ways to do this -- however, I like to drag them one-by-one to watch as they affect each layer. Sometimes, after the second or third, I'll want to tweak it a bit, and bulk apply forces me to bulk remove.
Drag and drop the effect
Click the "Expand" arrow at the right of the layer in the Layers Palette to expand the styles. Now, simply hold in the Option key (Mac, Alt for Windows) click on the effect and drag the effect down to the next layer. You'll see it instantly applied. Repeat for each layer.
Add type and finish your photo mosaic card
Here's the finished card Finishing : at this point, I select all those layers and use the Layers menu to "group" the layers. This tucks them neatly away into a layer folder, getting them out of the way.
As you can see from this example, I've added a little Thanksgiving message, styled it, and also added a tan layer behind with the Texturizer filter set to a fine grain -- just for a little seasonal texture. Everything looks great, so I can save the file -- then flatten the file and save it again, using the Save As... to rename it and make it a TIF file for import into my awaiting Quark file.
At right, you can see my finished card.
Time elapsed: 20 minutes.
I've also provided you with the 300 dpi version, all ready for your Thanksgiving greeting, so you can have a little fun with it! (tgiving_card.jpg 1300 x 1650, 812K)
At this point, I must say that while this is by far the easiest and fastest method, I may not like the way the white borders cut into my image. I think I would also like a little more randomness to the tiles on the design.
Manual slicing for a mosaic or collage
As you saw before, slicing is fast and easy. It also divides the image perfectly, with Photoshop doing all the math necessary to split the image in as many cells or tiles as you want. We used the "Inside" method of stroking -- but it cut off parts of the image. In order to use the 'outside' method, the slice function won't work. We'll have to cut them out manually.
Not being particularly fond of math, I usually divide images using this little trick. It won't take but a minute.
Dividing the image
Draw a square shape into a new layer. Here I drew one, filled it, and then set the opacity for about 80% so I could still see my image. I used the Move tool to Option/drag (Alt/drag) the second, and third squares. Then I did the same to drag copies of each row until I created a grid of nine squares.
Pop open the grid.
Now, I will carefully select each tile, using this grid, but select outside the image rectangle to compensate for the width taken by the "Stroke Inside" layer style. This gets a little tedious.
Selecting oversized rectangle
Upon making the selection using the Marquee tool, I click the original image, and float a copy of that selection to its own layer. Float by hitting Command/J (Control/J). The tile on its new layer will be de-selected, so Command click its thumbnail in the layers palette, return to the original image, and still using the Marquee tool, move the selection alone (without image) to select the next tile.
Selecting oversized
After moving the selection rectangle to the next position, again, return to the original image layer and float a copy of that selection to its own layer. Walk your way through the file until you've picked up all nine tiles. If you view them all at the same time, you should see a seamless copy of the original image.
Once you have all nine tiles lifted to their own layers, you can turn of the view of the original, set layer styles and duplicate styles as described in the previous section.
This adds another 20 minutes or so to the time, but in my opinion, makes the finished piece better. The images look as if they would match up.
Now, if you don't mind rounded corners on your images, you can use the Slice method, and simply set the Stroke style to the outside rather than inside...
finished
Above, you can see the impact of rounded corners. If these are okay, then use the slice method and set the Stroke style to the outside. Notice here, I've also played with the layout a bit, slanting or tilting the images to give the presentation a more casual look. I think the rounded corners add to that as well. At this point, you know the technique -- it's just your call as to how to apply the stroke.Click to see an enlargement.
Barry Huggins writes...
resulting black and white photooriginal color photoBlack-and-white photography is as powerful today as it was when color photography was just a distant dream. A different set of skills is required when working with black and white, as the absence of color means the interplay of shape and contrast must work harder to tell the story or set the mood, but when it works, it's very effective.
Some cameras have a dedicated black-and-white mode, but even if yours doesn't, you can still work in black and white. In fact, it often works better to shoot in color and convert later on. Photoshop offers a breathtaking array of techniques for converting color to black and white (or more correctly, grayscale), and these enable you to control the process with a degree of finesse that would be difficult to match in the field.
NOTICE Method 1: Desaturation
This shot was taken early one winter's morning in New York. The sky had a dramatic quality and there was a fine haze rising to meet the colder air at higher altitudes. The image works well in color, but it also has potential for a striking black-and-white impression of the city.
The most obvious way of converting color to black and white is to convert the mode to grayscale (Image > Mode > Grayscale). This is okay, but there are better alternatives.
The first is desaturation -- removing the visible color information but maintaining the RGB status of the file. This means that if you wanted to add a tint later you could do so without having to change color mode again.
Go to Image > Adjustments > Desaturate (or press Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + U).
The problem with desaturation is that it often delivers a flat, uninspiring rendition. We can improve this, however. Analyzing the photo, we need to strengthen the texture in the sky by darkening the shadows and midtones, but the buildings below need a general increase in contrast to remove the haziness. It's best to treat the sky and the buildings as separate entities. Make a feathered selection of the sky, using the natural division of the rising dark haze as a guide.
dialogs histogram
Press Ctrl/Cmd + J to copy and paste the selection to a new layer, and rename it "sky."
Add a Levels Adjustment Layer to it, making sure the two layers are combined as a clipping mask.
To bring out the sky texture, drag the Black and Gray point markers to the right as shown.
Here are the BEFORE and AFTER images, which will pop open in a new browser window.
Depending on the amount of feathering and the position of your selection, you may see a dividing line after the Levels adjustment has been made. This is easily removed by adding a layer mask to the sky layer (set to Reveal All) and painting on the mask in black until the edge disappears. Work carefully with a soft brush at a low opacity and the result should look something like this.
dialogs
Curve dialog We could use a Levels adjustment layer to add contrast to the buildings, but there is an alternative route.
Go to Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves to add a Curves adjustment layer to the background layer.
Applying the curve shown increases midtone contrast, at slight expense to the highlights and shadows. This diminishes the haziness in the area of the buildings.
The final image is far more striking, and much closer to what the photographer originally envisioned.
Discuss this in the Photoshop forum
Here’s the spin on a very popular effect in Photoshop that adds perceived motion light to images. You’ll begin by using one of the extremely effective Distort filters—Polar Coordinates. This filter converts a selection from its rectangular to polar coordinates, or from its polar to rectangular coordinates. To create perceived motion, you’ll use both options. You’ll also use one of Photoshop’s Stylize filters—Wind. This filter creates tiny horizontal lines that simulate wind. Upon completion, you’ll add an Inner Shadow to the object and also make adjustments to color and intensity using the Hue/Saturation command. The end result takes a colorless, flat image and turns it into a special effect.
A liquidlibrary Tip
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http://www.graphics.com/sections/LL/08/oct/20/howto2_1.gif To work through this tutorial using the sample image, download motion.psd from the liquidlibrary collection and open it in Photoshop. Press D to set Default colors (black foreground, white background). Press F7 to show the Layers palette. Drag Layer 1 to the Create New Layer button to duplicate it.
http://www.graphics.com/sections/LL/08/oct/20/howto2_2.gif Choose Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates. Use the options in the resulting Polar Coordinates dialog box and click OK.
Choose Image > Rotate Canvas > 90º CW. Choose Filter > Stylize > Wind. Use the options in the resulting Wind dialog box (below, far left) and click OK. Choose Filter > Wind (Command + F).
http://www.graphics.com/sections/LL/08/oct/20/howto2_3.gif Choose Filter > Stylize > Wind. Use the options in the resulting Wind dialog box (left) and click OK. Choose Filter > Wind (Command + F).
http://www.graphics.com/sections/LL/08/oct/20/howto2_4.gif Choose Image > Rotate Canvas > 90º CCW. Choose Filter > Stylize > Wind. Use the options in the resulting Wind dialog box (below, far left) and click OK. Choose Filter > Wind (Command + F).
http://www.graphics.com/sections/LL/08/oct/20/howto2_4.gif Choose Filter > Stylize > Wind. Use the options in the resulting Wind dialog box (left) and click OK. Choose Filter > Wind (Command + F).
http://www.graphics.com/sections/LL/08/oct/20/howto2_5.gif Choose Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates. Use the options in the resulting Polar Coordinates dialog box and click OK.
http://www.graphics.com/sections/LL/08/oct/20/howto2_6.gif Drag Layer 1 to the top of the Layers palette. Press Option (Alt) + Shift + Delete to fill the image with Black.
Click the Add Layer Style button and select Inner Shadow from the drop-down menu. In the resulting Inner Shadow dialog box, use the options shown (left) and click the Color Swatch. In the resulting Color Picker dialog box, enter C:0; M:0; Y:0; K:0, and click OK. Click OK again to exit the Layer Style dialog box.
http://www.graphics.com/sections/LL/08/oct/20/howto2_7.gif Click the Create New Fill or Adjustment Layer button and select Hue/Saturation from the drop-down menu. In the resulting Hue/Saturation dialog box, click the Colorize button, use the options shown (below, left) and click OK.
http://www.graphics.com/sections/LL/08/oct/20/howto2_8small.gif Our finished effect is shown at left (click to enlarge).
By Ben Kessler of the Graphics.com Network
Dateline: October 23, 2008
Read more Insight articles
Despite the many, many sweet smiles on display in the portfolio of Cathy Yeulet—or Stockbroke, as she's known on Stockxpert—its overall effect is never saccharine. Cathy gives us triumphant, loving, even silly scenes in settings ranging from hospitals to nightclubs, but all the images and spaces radiate light and warmth. Similarly, her well-chosen camera subjects win us over with modest poses and unforced gestures. The secret to her success may reside in the way her models connect with the camera—and with us.
Ben Kessler: Who are you outside of Stockxpert?
Stockbroke: My name is Cathy Yeulet and I am based in Wallingford, Oxfordshire. My previous company was Bananastock, which was a successful royalty-free agency that I sold to Jupiterimages in 2006.
Do you have any formal training in photography? If so, where were you trained? If not, how did you hone your craft?
I started in this business as a picture researcher for a rights-managed agency. Doing research every day for clients and understanding what they used taught me the subjects and styles that clients like and most importantly the images they wanted but could never find.
You came from the world of traditional stock photography. What drew you to microstock?
When I launched Bananastock it was in the early days of royalty-free and the traditional world was rights-managed. I could see that over the coming years royalty-free was going to become the primary way in which clients would buy imagery. I can see many similarities between microstock now and the early days of royalty-free, and am sure that as the quality of imagery improves more and more professional users will make the switch.
Have you had to make any changes in the way you produce imagery for microstock versus traditional RF? If so, what are they? If not, why is that?
We apply the same principles to our shoots regardless of who we are producing for. Our belief is that clients will not compromise on quality, no matter where they are searching. Having earned a reputation based on creating aspirational images that are real and natural, we continue to achieve this under any conditions.
What technological tools do you use to make your images?
We shoot on Canon and Hasselblad cameras.
How long, on average, does it take you to complete an image, from conception to upload?
It depends on the nature of the shoot. If we have been on location and have several thousand captures the editing, post production and uploading process means that we can have the images to market within 4-6 weeks. However, we recently shot some material to highlight the credit crunch in our studio, which was for sale within 24 hours.
What would you say is your ratio of pictures captured to pictures uploaded?
We use about 10% of the pictures we shoot after technical and creative editing.
Your portfolio features an extremely wide range of camera subjects. How do you find your models?
A lot of people tell us that our images are very believable. We achieve this by using a mixture of friends and their families and being very careful to choose the right models when we use professionals.
The "extended family outdoors smiling" is quite believable. Are they a real family?
Not on this occasion, although we have used real families before. It's really difficult to create the ideal family, but over the years we have understood the blend of models that work well together. Occasionally, models you have selected will let you down on the morning of the shoot and to be honest I have been known to cancel a shoot if I can't get the models I want rather than compromise.
"Young man skiing" is an impressive example of microstock action photography. How was this image captured?
Shooting in snow is such a difficult environment with the glare from the snow, the bright sunshine and getting your equipment to the location—very often you have a tiny opportunity to get the right shot. It's really down to planning to give yourself the best chance to get that one classic image. On this occasion we also used locals as models, so they really knew the lie of the land and recommended some great places to shoot.
It can be hard to make food come across as appetizing on camera, but you pull it off marvelously. Do you have any techniques for shooting food that you can share?
We can't give away all our secrets because, as with many things, there really is a very thin line between a food shot that works and one that doesn't. If I had to sum it up, it's between ensuring that all the ingredients are freshly prepared, composition is well thought out and the lighting is just right. We were able to use a professional chef to prepare the food, and it's fair to say that everyone was eating very well when we were doing these shots and were disappointed when we finished this project.
Your hospital shots convey a reassuring atmosphere, which isn't easy to do in that environment. How did you create this mood?
It's very difficult to create hospital shots that are both realistic and reassuring. Of course, it's vital to get the right location and models and do your research to make sure that all the medical equipment is being used properly! We try to view the shoot sympathetically through the eyes of the patient and always remember that these images need to focus on the positives.
"Family walking through poppy field" is an idyllic scene. Where was this shot?
This was shot locally to our office in Oxfordshire on a rare UK day when it wasn't raining.
"Nightclub" photos in your portfolio feature realistic lighting. How was this effect achieved?
It's always tough to recreate a realistic nightclub scene. The lighting needs to be pretty carefully controlled, but often the real key to a great nightclub shoot is making the sure that the models look like they are genuinely enjoying themselves—even if it's mid-morning outside.
Do you have any advice for people starting out in the microstock industry?
Pick your subjects and develop your own style. You've mentioned several times that our images look natural and believable and it's something we try to bring out in all our shoots.
