Teresa Kenney's Blog

Isolating Subjects from White Backgrounds, Part 1

Mon, 9 Feb 2009 18:16:20 -0500

There are many ways to isolate a subject onto a white background. This tutorial will showcase 2 examples using my own techniques that I have learned. The images in the examples are my own that I have available for purchase through Dreamstime.com.

Though I cannot provide you with the files used in these examples, you can still follow along with your own images. First, make sure your lighting is good, then photograph your own money and bunch of bananas. Be sure to photograph in RAW format, as post-processing from the RAW file provides the best results.

These are just 2 of the many examples yet to come. If you have a specific situation you would like help with that my tutorials do not cover, I will do my best to assist you if you send me an email. You can contact me via the Contact Us page on my website: http://www.kenneystudios.com/contact_us.html

For viewing ease, the tutorials are available as a PDF file. If you do not have Adobe Acrobat Reader, download a free copy here: http://get.adobe.com/reader/.

TUTORIALS:

Isolating Money Example: http://kenneystudios.com/Isolation_Blog_-_Money_Image.pdf

Isolating a Bunch of Bananas Example: http://kenneystudios.com/Isolation_Blog_-_Bananas.pdf

Paintable Piggy Banks

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 22:41:31 -0500

I find piggy banks to be adorable, as well as a well-known symbol. However, locating a piggy bank where I reside has been difficult.

Local retail stores carry them from time to time, but they are often adorned in designs or are a shiny metallic silver color. While these can be nice, they are limited in their usefulness as far as photography. Searching online is an option, but you have to pay for shipping, which isn’t always worth it if the piggy bank you want is only 5 or so dollars.

So what have I done to remedy my situation? I have come across three sizes of solid white piggy banks at Michael’s Craft Store. This craft store chain is pretty wide spred, so there may be one near you. These guys are awesome because they are PAINTABLE!!!

You can see in the image at the beginning of this blog that the largest piggy bank in the middle back row is the original white color. This is how they come. The other two rows and sizes of banks surrounding the largest are ones that I finished painting today. I have many uses in mind for these, but I shall keep them a secret until they go up for sale. =)

Painting these little guys is fairly easy. All you need is a few paintbrushes, paints, and something to mix colors in if you so choose. I chose acrylic paints, as I find them to be a well-rounded paint and easy to clean up afterwards. For the medium-sized banks, I used a half-inch wide paintbrush to coat the body. I used an average of 2 to 3 coats of paint per pig, allowing each coat to dry between applications. How long you have to wait between coats depends on how thick each coat is – the thinner the paint, the faster it dries. The number of coats you will need to paint depends on the desired outcome. Try to keep your brush strokes all going in one direction, especially the final coat, so as to be more appealing to the eye after it dries.

After getting the body thoroughly painted to my heart’s desire, I repainted eyes on some and designs on the sides of others. Some of it was freehand while some was with the assistance of a couple of stencils. When using stencils, I have found that using a self-adhesive stencil frees up the other hand and will not remove paint like some tapes can. Michael’s has them as low as $1.99. The best part? They’re reusable!

Once I have exhausted by ideas with these newly painted pigs, I will rub them down with paint remover and start all over again. Not only are these adorable little guys inexpensive, they are also indefinitely reusable and help to further stimulate the artist’s creative drive.

Welcome!

Sat, 13 Dec 2008 17:47:00 -0500

Welcome to the photographer's blog! Here you will find tips, tricks, techniques, ideas, and the photographer's personal experiences. Please check back often, and feel free to leave comments!