Digital Photographer - UK (2020-01)

Difficulty level: Intermediate

Time taken: 2 hours

Learn how to make clean, simple and eye-catching surreal images

If you don’t have expensive

equipment or a lot of shooting

options, you can still create dramatic

images that tell a story. Utilising a blank

backdrop and some compositing techniques,

you can fill a blank space and pack it with as

much meaning, symbolism and story as you

need to communicate your message. The

images shown here are self-portraits shot

outside of my house with a camera and tripod,

and then edited in Photoshop.

Less is often more, and this tutorial will

show you how to create images that pack a

big thematic punch. Using simple techniques

throughout shooting and editing, we will take

a look at how planning an image and knowing

just a few versatile tools can take you from a

blank space to a surreal image.

What you’ll need

DSLR or mirroless camera

Tripod

Bedsheet or blank wall

Photoshop

Simplified

Surrealism

ShooTIng SkILLS

Difficultylevel:Intermediate

Timetaken: 2 hours

Learnhowtomakeclean,simpleandeye-catchingsurrealimages

Ifyoudon’thaveexpensive

equipmentoralotofshooting

options,youcanstillcreatedramatic

imagesthattellastory.Utilisingablank

backdropandsomecompositingtechniques,

youcanfillablankspaceandpackitwithas

muchmeaning,symbolismandstoryasyou

needtocommunicateyourmessage.The

imagesshownhereareself-portraitsshot

outsideofmyhousewithacameraandtripod,

andtheneditedinPhotoshop.

Lessisoftenmore,andthistutorialwill

showyouhowtocreateimagesthatpacka

bigthematicpunch.Usingsimpletechniques

throughoutshootingandediting,wewilltake

alookathowplanninganimageandknowing

justafewversatiletoolscantakeyoufroma

blankspacetoasurrealimage.

Whatyou’llneed

DSLRormirrolesscamera

Tripod

Bedsheetorblankwall

Photoshop

Simplified

Surrealism

ShooTIngSkILLS