Page 25 - Cape-Camera-April-2025

Cape Camera April 2025

Step 2

Step 1

Step 3 Step 4

Step 1 shows the position of the first dancer I captured.
I applied noise reduction in Lightroom and made a few
adjustments to highlights and shadows. Using Select
and Mask in Photoshop I then cut her out from the back-
ground. I repeated this process for the subsequent posi-
tions I wanted to use in my composite.
Step 2: As taught by Martin Barber, I prepared a clean
stage in Photoshop by adding a transparent layer and
introduced a dark gradient fill to hide the lines and dirt
spots. I added the faint light at the top and more pro-
nounced spotlight by strategic application of white to
transparent layers and reducing the opacity significantly.
Step 3: I began placing the images of the dancer I had
cut out in the spotlight. The dancer's body, head and
arms were lined up so that the focus was on the legs
rotating at the top. I reduced the opacity of the layers Step 5
to 14% so that the previous layer remained visible.
Step 4: As I added more and more layers of the dancer Step 5: I copied the layer group and pasted it as another
with the leg moving over her head, I added slightly more layer. This layer was flipped horizontally and moved to fit
opacity to the layers — about 1% per layer— to add below the original layer group. The opacity was reduced
more definition, tone and luminescence. When I was to about 70% and motion blur applied to resemble a re-
satisfied I made a Group of the layers. alistic reflection.

Cape Town Photographic Society 25