50 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
PROJECT 1
VIDEO ALSO ONLINE
http://bit.ly/pp_156_1IN AN effect like this
it’s the contact points
between the objects that
can give the game away,
so pay attention to these
areas. Here we ensure that
there’s a clean line where
the bottom meets the
ladder, so that it’s easier to
substitute the ladder for
the chairs afterwards.CONSIDER how props
and posing can help to
enhance the shot. We
asked our model to hold a
cup to make it look as if
she’s enjoying a quiet
moment with a relaxing
cup of tea, just to contrast
with the precarious posing
and add to the surreal
narrative of the shot.TOP TIPS SELLING THE EFFECT
Pay close attention to the details, shadows and joining seams in your composite images
STEP BY STEP THE SHOT LIST
To make our balancing effect we need four shots – here are the frames you need to create this trick photo
CREATE A
SENSE OF
DEPTH
We used a Tamron
100mm f/2.8 prime lens
for our series of photos,
and by using a longer
focal length, we’re able
to compress the scene
and emphasize the blur
in the background. A
wide aper ture of f / 2.8
ensures depth of field is
limited. This, combined
with a low camera angle,
helps to create a sense of
depth, as well as nicely
blurring the trees in the
background and the road
in the foreground. If you
want to create a similar
sense of depth, take a
few steps back and zoom
in or use a longer lens to
compress the scene.
01 SHOT ONE
For our first frame, we place the ladder and ask the
subject to climb up and perch on the top. At this point,
we focus on her with auto-focus then switch to manual
focus to lock it in place. We experiment with poses to
give ourselves plenty of options.03 SHOT THREE
We need this third frame for the section where the
chairs meet the ladder in frame two. This way, we can
copy in the bottom part of the chair leg. Our model
holds the chairs in place. This frame is also useful for
the shadows falling on the road, as there’s no ladder.02 SHOT TWO
Next, we ask our subject to get down from the ladder
and bring in our stack of chairs. We balance the chairs
against the ladder so that it looks like they’re teetering
on two legs. We check the frames to make sure the
top of the ladder matches with the top of the chairs.04 SHOTS FOUR AND FIVE
We bring back the chairs and ask our model to perch
on one like so. This gives us the connection between
her and the chair that we can copy into the composite.
For our final shot, we remove everything and shoot- so we can fill in any obscured parts of the backdrop.
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