Here is one of my new team composites featuring a local travel softball league. We offer these type of composites to smaller leagues (this league consists of 5 teams). All the girls were photographed individually with a 4 light set up on site (1 main, 2 grid strips - on left and right slightly behind the subject - and grid hair light). Background consists of 5 images.
Thanks everyone..these are fun to do and the parents and players love them.
@Fish on - good catch! The group that had the blending layers for the smoke/dust was turned off when i grabbed this image. I've updated the image.
@lhryshko & ericjones It is more work then your traditional T&I, but we also charge more for these composites. For composites like this, about 75 players is our limit.
We shot this under an ezup on the softball field with a neutral gray backdrop. We used 3 alienbees for the main and strip lights and a speedlight clamped on the back of the ezup for the hair. I take about 3 shots of each player, facing forward, left and right..that's it. As far as post, masking is probably the most time consuming part...but still isn't that bad when you have a solid background. There are all kinds of tricks that also help with the blending of the players that make it a lot easier - inner glow, brushes, smudge tool, defrnge, etc. Then I brush in a multiply layer and also use the burn tool to create shadow on the players.
The background composite of softball field, mountains, and sky was made before the shoot and was ready to go. Since this was a new template for our composites, the first team initially took a bit longer to get all the elements to blend, but the rest of the teams was just adding the players and shadows and changing text.
Charles - This looks awesome!! Great looking composite and thanks for breaking it down!! I've been meaning to give this a try and you just motivated me to finally get out there and just do it!
DPC1 wrote:
Charles - This looks awesome!! Great looking composite and thanks for breaking it down!! I've been meaning to give this a try and you just motivated me to finally get out there and just do it!
Thanks...I keep forgetting to get set up shots for these. I'll get some next time.
When doing these composites, make sure your camera height, aperture ( you want a large dof) and focal length of the subject matches the background or else it will look odd. These players were shot at 50mm, camera was waist high - about 3f off the ground. I shot the background on this one first and knew the height and distance I needed for the players when we photographed them.
One other thing, shoot wide enough so you don't have to move the camera or focal length and make sure the players all stand on the same spot. This will help to insure that you have the proper height of each player during post work.
They'd destroy the paper background with the cleats. No it was just a cloth background behind them. They were standing on the dirt, because I knew they were going to be on a dirt field in the composite so the lower legs where the backdrop ended didn't need to be a perfect mask and I would be able to blend it into the composite background. I also use fake grass If they are going to be on grass, it helps with blending of the cleats too.
Love it! I do the same on my team shoots. Yours looks more realistic. I may try your light setup for my next one since I now have enough lights to accomplish it.
Thanks for posting this!
sdalmado wrote:
You use a gray backdrop instead of a green screen? Do you find its easier in the cutout process?
It was ok, I should have used white with them. Using a lighter (white) backdrop with the lighter sky makes it easier to blend the hair on the composite. With these I had to add an inner glow to remove the darkness of the gray BG.
I don't worry about setting up anything for a background. I use www.clippingpathindia.com and they turn them around for me in about 24 hours and do them cheaper than the time it takes me to do them, and there is literally no setup time for anything except lighting. Check them out.
Matt OHarver wrote:
I don't worry about setting up anything for a background. I use www.clippingpathindia.com and they turn them around for me in about 24 hours and do them cheaper than the time it takes me to do them, and there is literally no setup time for anything except lighting. Check them out.
Matt
Thanks Matt..I heard about them a while back and never followed up. I just shot a girls soccer team and will check them out..
Ok, just checked out Clippingpathindia...$4 an image on a solid background, I think I'll pass. I can mask out an individual in about 2-3min so it's not worth it for me. Thanks for the info though.
