The Canon Magazine 49
CREATIVE COMPOSITE PROJECT
PROJECT 1
VIDEO ALSO ONLINE
http://bit.ly/pp_156_101 TRIPOD
We need to take a series of shots for this
effect and it’s vital that the camera stays
still throughout so that they’re all in
alignment. As such, a tripod is a must. It’s
best to shoot on an overcast day so that
the lighting stays similar during the shoot.02 CAMERA EXPOSURE
The exposure and focus point should be
consistent over several frames. So after
focusing, we switch to manual focus to
lock it. We need to work out a manual
exposure, we settled on 1/200 sec, f/2.8,
ISO800 for our project.03 CHAIRS
Our chairs are kept to one side, ready to be
substituted for the ladder once we’ve shot
our model. At no point does she balance
on them, that’s where the Photoshop
trickery comes in. Try different kind of
stacks, but make sure you stay safe.06 SUBJECT
We asked our model to safely balance on
the ladder with legs dangling out. This way,
we know there’s only one point of contact
between her and the scene. A side-on
pose emphasizes the position and makes
it easier to separate her from the ladder.05 STEP LADDER
A step-ladder provides a solid platform for
our subject to perch on. Crucially, it’s thin
legs don’t cast too much of a shadow on
our scene. Helpfully, it’s roughly the same
height as our stack of chairs, which makes
it easier to combine our shots later in post.04 LOW ANGLE
A low camera angle emphasizes the height
of our subject, pushing her upwards in the
frame. It also strengthens the depth of the
scene here by allowing us to blur the road
in the foreground and frame our subject
against the treetops in the distance.ON LOCATION GET SET UP
Here’s what’s going on behind the scenes of our trick balancing act portrait
050102(^04 03)
06
VIEW^ TH
E^ VIDEO