UNCHARTED: Arshie’s Rebellion
Over Labor Day weekend I had the opportunity to shoot another collaboration with fellow photographer and good friend Justin Bettman. We came up the concept based off the trailer for Uncharted 3: Drake’s Deception meets Angelina Jolie – Tomb Raider. While shooting in the desert would have been ideal, we stayed local to the Greater Los Angeles area and shot everything in 1 day. To prepare for the shoot, we took a quick trip to Goodwill and scrounged together a $17 outfit (boots, pants, belt, shirt, & misc. props) for our model Arshaluis Hogikyan, who was an absolute pleasure to work with. We photographed Arshie on site with a basic dual octobox and a bare flash set-up, and wrapped around 3:00. From there we drove up to the north side of LA and shot the rest of our elements under natural sunlight.
At the end of the day, Justin and I parted ways to our respective studios to create our own composites, one entirely shot off Justin’d 5D Mark II and another off my 7D to compare. I was really happy with the way the conceptual video game/movie poster turned out.
Final Composite: 
Assets: 
*Justin’s original piece can be seen here.
Water Drops – High Speed Capture
I shot a mini-series today using an off-camera flash chord and a make-shift studio. Using a few household items and a little ingenuity (*see if you can spot the spatula) I was able to get some great results straight out of the camera.
Studio Items: 2 black bounce cards (project folders), ziplock bag, needle, electrical tape, cooking tray, water, tripod.
Flash unit: Cannon 430EXII Speedlite & Cannon OC-E3
Flash settings: 1/16th stop
Camera settings: ISO 100, F 8.0, shutter speed 1/250
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Rob Gregg Photography
Excited to officially launch my new freelance photography business:
New domains currently under development:
The new family:
- Canon 7D
- Canon Rebel T2i
- Canon 24-70mm f|2.8 L USM
- Canon 18-55mm f|3.5 EF-S
- Canon 50mm f|1.8 EF
- Canon Speedlite 430EX II
- Canon Speedite 270EX
- Canon BG-E7 Grip
- Silk U 9000
- Opteca MP 100
- Light Disc 42″
*For rates click here
Mike Williams – 2012 Congressional Candidate
I had the pleasure of meeting up with 2012 Congressional Candidate Mike Williams during his recent California fundraising stretch. Well educated and very personable, Mike is an outstanding individual and well worth investing in, if not simply just to strike up an insightful conversation. Here’s a few shots from before the evening fundraiser:
The Adventures of Danboard: Welcome To America
I first stumbled across this photogenic carboard robot in google images awhile back and decided to pick one up for myself to photograph a short mini-series. Just got this little guy fresh in the mail from Hong Kong.
Say hello to Danboard
Kinluv: Women’s Fashion/Apparel
A couple weekends ago I had the privilege of working with the incredibly talented Schoneweis sisters. Ashley (the designer) Amberlee (the makeup artist) and Lindsay (the talent) with special guest Eva were absolutely AMAZING to work with and I’m very excited for the anticipated launch of Kinluv, one of the hottest up-and-coming online Women’s Fashion/Apparel retail sites.
Photography: Lake House @ Arrowhead
Couple of shots I took @ the Lake House in Arrowhead over the past few weekends.
Urban Surfing: Composite Image PSD Tips & Tricks
Taking a page from the playbook of world-class photographer Dave Hill, my good friend Justin Bettman and I got together to collaborate on new surreal composite image. Essentially we shot a series of individual elements to combine or “composite” together in Photoshop to create an otherwise impossible image. Here’s a few basic steps/tricks we used.
Step 1 – Scouting A Location: Scouting a new location can be time consuming and difficult if you aren’t familiar with an area, but fortunately, thanks to Google Maps this process is easy to do from home or on the go with a wireless Internet connection. Once you’ve found the general location you want to shoot, zoom in and place the street view icon (little man) on the map and move him around until you find a spot that looks suitable. For this particular shoot, we wanted an off-road feel and found a great spot just north of Sunset Blvd.
Step 2 – Framing the Shot: The next step is to pick a background that defines the overall mood and frames the canvas in which to build the composite. For this project, we wanted to take something traditional (surfing) and put a non-traditional twist on it (urban surfing) by having the subject quite literally surfing on earth as opposed to water. We took a couple test shots to get the angle right and ended up shooting at a low angle to build tension/create a visual flow as if the ground were swelling behind the subject; similar to an ocean wave.
Step 3 – Creating a Realistic Canyon: Ideally we wanted to shoot in a narrow canyon with earth walls on either side to envelop the subject. However, at this particular location, we only had one canyon wall to shoot. The obvious solution would have been to simply mirror image the original shot and flip it to the other side to create the second wall in post-production. The problem with this however, is that the shot looks extremely fake if the content on one side exactly matches the other. Fortunately, there’s an easy remedy using a simple photo trick. Simply shot the background at your original point, walk about 50 yards down and re-shot the same background to vary up the visual content and make it appear as if it was a completely different wall. Then, mirror image the new shot, overlay it on top of the original, and erase away the edge with a soft brush to blend the two together.
[Background shot 1] 
[background shot 2] 
[background composite]
Step 4 – Capturing Composite Assets: For the actual composite, we built-up the background up with a wave of flying rocks and debris. In order to do so, we shot each element individually, maintaining the same key light while strategically selecting backdrops and making them easy to cut out as smart objects using the following techniques:
Improvised green-screen: For objects such as the flying rocks, in order to maintain the sharp, crisps edges, you’ll save yourself a lot of time editing in post if the background sharply contrasts the objects edges. If you don’t have a green-screen to shoot against, the natural blue sky is an incredibly effective alternative. To use the sky as a makeshift background, have a friend hold up the object you wish to shoot, set your focus, and have them toss the object into frame. This is also an effective technique with clusters of objects to save time editing interaction shadows in post.
Similar Backgrounds: Green-screening is effective for objects with clearly defined edges, however, when shooting objects such as water splashes, dust, fine debris, etc, it’s best to shoot against a similar background to make it look natural when adding back in to the composite. To create a natural spray, we tossed handfuls of dirt into frame using the road as a backdrop. While the color of the dirt didn’t quite match the road, it was an easy fix in post-production using color correction.
Overlay Elements: To further build the composite, we shot a number of extreme elements and cracks. There was one particular bit of road we found that would have been perfect had it not been for the harsh un-uniform shadows on the asphault. To remedy this, we set the blend mode to Multiply in post and utilized just the dark spots of the cracks.
Step 5 – The Subject: While it’s easiest to shoot the subject on-site, it may not always be possible due to transportation, timing, or equipment constraints. Through compositing, the subject can be shot almost anywhere and still be believable by keeping in mind a few key elements:
Lighting: Make sure the key light hits the subject in the same area as the original shot and composite elements.
Angle: Shoot the subject at the same camera angle as the background.
Background: To eliminate the need for re-creating ground shadows, shoot the subject on a similar surface to the original.
Step 6 – Compositing The Finished Shot: From here it’s all up to your creative mindset. Utilizing color correction adjustments, warp/liquify tools, and various other techniques, we were able to compose the following finished product. Composite progression below:
[final composite]
El Matador Beach – Sophia’s First Shoot
Last weekend I had the opportunity to shoot with my dear friend Amra Silajdzic and her daughter Sophia @ El Matador Beach. This was Sophia’s first ever shoot and I must say she did an incredible job! One of the most naturally photogenic individuals I’ve worked with, and we’re all so very proud of her! Here’s a selection of shots from the weekend:
Demon Matias – Series Part 5
Part 5 in the Series.
I used the standard burning/dodging technique from the previous series entries and took it a step further in this next project by replacing the subject’s eyes, giving the photo a dark twist. The process requires a little finesse but is simple to execute from a technical standpoint.
Original:
Step 1 – Remove the Eyes: First, duplicate the original image in a new layer. Using the high-res original .RAW (or .jpg) file, select a rough area outlining the eyes and use the “Refine Edge” tool in the “Select” dropdown menu. Stay away from the “Smooth” setting as this will round edges you might like to keep defined; rather, adjust the “Contract/Expand” “Radius” and “Feather” settings until the desired part of the eye is selected to your liking. Delete this new selection and you now have your mask cutout.
Step 2 – Human Eye Analogue: For this next step we’re looking for an eyeball analogue to fill the cutout space. I did a quick Google search for glass orbs/spheres and found a high-res shot that fit perfectly with a subtle catch light. *Note, It’s important to pick a shot that is of equal resolution to the image you’re editing, otherwise it will look unrealistic.
From here, remember that eyeballs are much larger than what we see visually, so size the two analogues accordingly. *Notes, to make this process easier, you can place the new objects in a layer behind the cutout mask and lineup/re-size the objects accordingly (not pictured below).
*Link to the high-res sphere image above.
Step 3 – Blending the Analogue Seamlessly: You might notice areas around the eye that seem off (odd highlights, misshapen corners, etc.), so here is where the finesse comes in. To reveal more of the eye, use a very fine soft brush and erase away the desired portion of the eyelid, being careful not to erase any important details that would make it obvious. As well, to alleviate highlighted areas that may stand out on the edges of the lid, use the burn tool set to “highlights” and darken problem areas/ erase away bits that seem unnatural.
Step 4 – Burning/Dodging: Similar to the other posts in the series, use the burn/dodge tool to burn the shadows/midtones and dodge the highlights to emphasize the lighting contrast. To create the dark, dramatic effect below, I overemphasized the burn areas and went lighter on the dodged highlights.
Post production:
Step 5 (Optional) – Demonizing the image: If you want to take your image a step further, duplicate the original cutout mask layer and set the Layer adjustment to “Pin Light” in the layers palette. You’ll notice a rich saturation of the face while the eyes remain untouched and ‘pop’ out from the image. Adjust the curves/levels if you want to go even further to create the demonic Freddy Krueger-eqsue images below.
Zombie Mark – Series Part 4
Part 4 in the Series.
By fan request for this next post, I “zombified” Mark using the same Burn/Dodge technique and taking it a step further by over exaggerating areas of emphasis.
Original:
Post-Production:
Nick – Series Part 3
Part 3 in the Series.
I realized it’s hard to catch all the subtleties between the original and post-production images without switching between the two as a direct overlay, so for this post I inserted a low-res .gif image to demonstrate the effects/stages of the Burn/Dodge process.
*If anybody knows how to create a higher resolution animated image sequence that’s able to be posted in a non-video format, please let me know and I’ll re-upload.
Original:
Post-Production:
Rambles the Vampire – Liquify Tool/ Burn & Dodge
Shot a series with co-photographer Justin Bettman before the holidays and finally found a moment of free time to do some editing. I’ll be posting up a full set with the 9 models we shot with over the next series of blog posts. Here’s the first shot of Will I edited into a Vampire using the liquify tool on his teeth and very light brushes to burn the shadows and dodge the highlights to really emphasize his natural lines and wrinkles.
Original:
Post-Production
Vintage Film Strip – Photography
Messed around with my Canon T2i over the weekend and went for a vintage look/feel shooting a series of over-exposed photographs. With a little post prodution using various grunge brushes, sepia adjustment layers, and a little burning/dodging, I picked out my four favorite shots from the day and created an old vintage style film strip.
Light Painting – Long Camera Exposure
If you’ve ever taken shaky handheld pictures with a digital camera at night you’ve probably already been exposed to the concept of “light panting” where lines, shapes and patterns appear to take form in strings of light across your photograph. Using this concept and taking it an intentional step further with a little inspiration from Freddy W’s Light Warfare, it’s easy to “paint” your own words, designs, and images with light.
For this next tutorial, all you’ll need is a tripod, a camera with a variable extended exposure (anywhere from 20 seconds to 1 min should be fine) and an LED flashlight or comparable light source.
Step 1 – The Set Up: The set-up is fairly straightforward and simple. Find a scene at night where you want your “light painting” to take place and set up your camera & tripod. It’s best to find a place with an artificial light source such as a street lamp, flood light, lit up building window, etc. This will give you a point on which to focus your lens as well as create a dynamic shot.
If you’re shooting a scene with no artificial light source, you’ll find it nearly impossible to set your auto-focus. To remedy this, set up a temporary light source or have a friend hold a light (a basic cell phone screen will do) at the point where your painting will take place and focus your lens on that point. Hold the focus here and remove the artificial light before shooting. Alternatively you can use a manual focus, but this might be a challenge given the lack of light to actually see where your lens is focused.
*For those of you still learning the basics in the DSLR realm, note that a low-light lens (f1.4 – f1.8) is not required for this concept.
Step 2 – Adjusting Your Settings: Now that your picture is framed and the focus set, it’s time to take a few test shots to get your settings dialed-in. Normally, when shooting moving subjects in low light with no flash, a low aperture with a higher ISO is recommended to utilize a higher shutter speed and produce a crisp photograph. However, when taking these types of long exposures with a fixed camera, you’ll want to open your aperture to around f6-f10+ and drop the ISO to 100 to avoid overexposure.
Depending on how much time you wish to have to “light paint,” your aperture settings and shutter speed will vary, but as a general rule of thumb, shorter exposures require a lower aperture setting and longer exposures require a higher aperture setting.
When adjusting your settings, most modern DSLR cameras will give you a visible exposure readout to help guide you. If you’re exposure readout is low, try lowering the shutter speed (i.e. increasing the exposure time) and/or lower the aperture. If the exposure readout is high, increase the shutter speed (shorter exposure) and /or increase the aperture.
Check if your settings are adjusted correctly by taking a test shot, review to see if the image is under or overexposed and tweak your settings accordingly. Once everything is set we are ready for step 3.
*Settings used: F10 / ISO 100 / 25″ exposure
Step 3 - Light Painting: This is where your creativity comes in to play. Any number of light sources can be used as each will produce its own unique effect (as demonstrated in the behind the scenes video of Hennessy’s 2009 “Blended with Talent” campaign shot by Atton Conrad, London). Brighter light sources such as LEDs will paint much sharper, crisper lines, whereas standard flashlights will create a more washed out, broad stroke look and feel. For this project I used a simple LED flashlight on the back of my phone.
When ready, start the camera exposure and walk to where you wish to start painting (make sure your “light brush” is covered or off until you are ready to paint). When you’re in place, switch on your light source and begin drawing with your light faced towards the camera. To create line breaks, switch your light source off/on and begin a new line segment. From here it’s a lot of trial and error. If your lines are undefined, try “painting” slower or using a brighter light source (as stated above, LED’s work best for rapid motions and clear, crisp lines).
If you stood in place, you’ll notice a ghost-like image around your feet and lower legs. To eliminate this if you so desire, try moving around more.
You can do this by yourself or add in a group of friends to paint larger, more elaborate pictures. Play around with different light sources, colors, sizes and shapes until you find something you like and you’re all set to start creating your own “light paintings.”
Punting Down The River Cam: Photography
Taking a trip to the archives, I dug up and old shot I took in Cambridge a few summers back with a standard Canon Powershot point-n-shoot and decided to revamp it as a Black and White using a few photoshop tricks. I’ve since been loving my upgraded Canon SLR EOS 5D Mark II and will be adding a lot of new photography to my blog in the coming months.
Original:
Black and White w/ Photoshop Retouching:
*The high-res can be seen in my “Photography” section by clicking the image below:
Tilt-Shift Photography – Miniature Optical Illusion
I was out shooting in Malibu the other day with my long lost friend Justin Bettman and he mentioned a technique called Tilt-Shift Photography. Essentially Tilt-Shift Photography is the process of taking a regular scale photo and tricking the eye to make the scene appear as if it were a miniature toy set by altering the depth of field. I did some reasearch and came across Tilt-Shift Photography and decided to take on a project of my own, so here are the steps for how I did it.
Step 1 – Photo Selection: In order to get the most out of this effect it’s best to use a high-angle shot to give the appearance as if we are looking down upon this miniature set. I chose a shot I found online of a football stadium fireworks show.
Step 2 - Quick Mask: This next step is fairly quick and easy. What we want to do is create an area of focus and blur out the rest to create a shallow depth of field. First, hit the “Q” key to create a quick mask and using the radial gradient tool, draw a new gradient centered on the point you want in focus.
Step 3 – Lense Blur: Next, hit Q to return to your original image view and go to Filter > Blur > Lense Blur. Your image should look something like the one below.
*Note, you can also use a large soft brush and draw in the blurred layer yourself using the blur tool.
Step 4 – Adding Vibrance: At this point the image looks alright but we want to really emphasize the miniature model aspect by making it appear as if it has been coated with vibrant model paint. To do this, simply go to Image > Adjustments > Hue/Saturation. I upped the saturation levels to achieve the desired effect without going over the top.
Step 5 – Lighting: The image was almost complete, however I wanted to increase the lighting a bit by adjusting the contrast. To do this go to Image > Adjustments > Curves and play around with it a bit until you reach the desired effect.
The high-res can be seen in my “Photoshop” section by clicking the image below:
Incredible Photography: Venaca Photography – Justin Bettman
I reconnected with an old friend of mine today and his work was too good not to share… He’s worked with everyone from T-Pain to Tech N9ne, 3OH!3 to DJ AM, Crystal Castles, Busta Ryhmes, Gym Class Heros and more. HUGE fan of his work.
Check him out on Facebook, Twitter, WordPress, & Venacaphogoraphy.com
Images are Copywrit 2009 Venaca Photography. All rights reserved.
