Photoshop Compositing Secrets - Matt Kloskowski [58]
STEP 20:
For the main title, I selected the Horizontal Type tool (T) and in the Character panel (choose Window>Character), I set the Font pop-up menu to Times New Roman. You can see that all the letters in the word “THE” are the same point size. But, for the words “FIRST SAMURAI,” I typed the word first and then selected the first letter and made it a little larger than the rest of the word. I used the same font for the actors’ (well, fake actors) names below the title, as well as the movie’s tagline at the top of the image (and I lowered the Opacity of the tagline’s layer before I merged and rasterized the text layers).
STEP 21:
For the credit block text, I used a font called Univers 39 Thin Ultra Condensed (it’s available for purchase on several websites). While movie titles use hundreds of different fonts, I’ve found the credit blocks tend to only use a few, and Univers is one of the most popular ones. The only trick here is that the actual names of any people or companies are slightly larger than the words and titles (“AND,” “DIRECTED BY,” etc.) that go between them.
STEP 22:
Just drag the layer with the text on it into the composite image and place it at the top of the layer stack. If you press-and-hold the Shift key while dragging the layer into the document, Photoshop will automatically place it in the exact middle of the image, so it should fit right in. I also added a blank layer right below the text and used the gradient trick from Step 12 to darken the top of the image, behind the text.
STEP 23:
And, of course, we need to finish the image off with a little sharpening and extra contrast. So, press Command-Option-Shift E (PC: Ctrl-Alt-Shift-E) to merge all the layers into one new one at the top of the layer stack. I covered the High Pass sharpening/contrasty look you can achieve with just Photoshop at the end of Chapter 8, but my favorite way is with the Tonal Contrast filter in Color Efex Pro. I leave the settings at their defaults and usually add a layer mask afterward to paint that edgy look away from the clouds and wherever it looks too strong.
Final Image
11. Ultra-Grungy/Edgy HDR Background
Whew! What a chapter name, huh? This one shows one of the most popular portrait compositing styles today. The style was pioneered by photographer, lighting pro, and Photoshop artist, Joel Grimes. He’s a true pro when it comes to this stuff. His vision behind the camera and in the studio, along with what he can do in Photoshop, really makes him one of the best compositors out there today. Make sure you head over to his website at www.joelgrimes.com for some inspiration and training. Now, one of the common themes in Joel’s composites is that many of the backgrounds he uses are HDR photos. This really takes the feeling of the image to a different level. When you combine that with the dramatic lighting and some edgy Photoshop portrait techniques, you’ve got the makings of a very cool-looking image.
Creating the Background
The background for this style of compositing is usually really dark and grungy. There are lots of things we can do to make a photo look this way, but one of the best ways is to use the HDR feature that’s right within Photoshop.
STEP ONE:
Let’s take a quick look at the original parking garage photos in Bridge. HDR photos start from taking several photos of the same thing, but using different exposures. For example, you’ll typically set your camera on a tripod and choose an aperture for the photo. Then, by varying shutter speeds, you’re able to get over- and underexposed versions of the image. Most DSLRs have a feature called Auto Exposure Bracketing that does it automatically for us, so make sure to look up AEB in your camera’s manual to see how to turn it on. When you put the