Taiko drummer

[leek]

What do people think of this? I can't make my mind up...

[Michael]

Did you cut him out and add a black background?

thats what it looks like on my monitor, it's a good photo I might try to blend in the leg a bit more though if anything.

[leek]

Did you cut him out and add a black background

Damn... That obvious eh!!! Guilty!!!

I used this shot for some Photoshop practice and also used my Wacom tablet for a serious job for the first time...
A very tricky etching job (as you will see from the original image below)... and, for the record, it's not easy to trace the edge of an object with motion blur (the drumstick)

It needs a little cleaning up, but I quite liked the result... I'd love to hear any suggestions for how it could be improved...

Here's the original image:

[leek]

no-one else gonna comment? Is it really that bad?

Any ideas how I could introduce a little more depth between the subject and the black background to make it look a little less like a cutout? I was contemplating using some Photoshop lighting effects on the black background, but would be interested to hear any other alternatives...

[Michael]

I would suggest feathering the selection a little more, to creat more of a gradual transition between the subject and the background. its not a bad shot!

[Ordinary K]

Not at all bad for a first effort - don't be discouraged, you'll get there.

Any ideas how I could introduce a little more depth between the subject and the black background to make it look a little less like a cutout?

Okay, I'll give it a go - no promises that I can answer your question tho' 8D

I reckon the problem is that the flat black background is giving us no depth cues - top left seems just as close to the viewer as bottom right, so the drummer seems to float in front of the backdrop.

I can think of two reasonably easy ways of adding depth - faked perspective and faked depth-of-field.

Here's one I prepared earlier:

(FWIW the figure, sword and sheath are real - all else is 14 hours in Photoshop...)

How to do it (roughly)

Perspective:
The closer something is to us the bigger it seems - hold a 5c piece straight in front of your eye and it'll block out the sun, at arm's length it won't (erm... I think).

Present us with two flat images of the same shape but one is smaller and we'll assume the smaller one is further away.

So...
1. Start a new image about three times wider than your main image and the same height.
2. Fill it with a chessboard pattern of (say) black-and-white squares - you'll want about 20-30 squares across the width. (PS hint: turn on the grid, specify the grid size via PS preferences, turn on snap-to-grid, use the rectangular marquee to define your chessboard and then fill the selection with the alternate colour.
3. Select the entire image, then select Edit -> Transform -> Perspective. Grab the top left or right handle and drag inwards so the width of the top edge is a third of what it was (ie slightly wider than your main image). Confirm the transform.
4. Select the entire image, then select Edit -> Transform -> Distort. Grab the top centre handle and drag downwards to make the height (say) a third of what it was. Confirm the transform.
5. Select your new (coughs) tiled floor and copy it. Paste it into your main image on a layer *behind* the drummer. Move it so the top edge sits behind (say) his knees.

Voila. Not-so-instant perspective (TM)

Depth-of-Field:
1. Use quickmask mode and a linear gradient to select your tiled floor (still on its own layer) from just above (say) the drummer's shins.
2. Exit Quickmask and apply a blur. Because you've used a feathered selection you get a gentle transition from sharp focus to out-of-focus.
(Take a look at the swordsman's shadow in my example - same effect applied downwards)

Sit back. Admire your handiwork. I'm guessing it doesn't look quite right? That's because this is a back-of-the-envelope recipe and you haven't done the next 13 hours and 40 minutes of post processing yet... Have fun playing

HTH

Keith

[big pix]

I like the shot but the background is too sharp......... have you tried a soft blur just on the background so your drummer and drum stand out...