Whether making small fixes or building entire scenes, I really enjoy the challenge of this art form. Professional retouching relies on strong attention to detail (working at 600 magnification helps!), an understanding of light, sheen, and shadow. It also requires consideration of the final output device, an in-depth knowledge of the capabilities of photo editing software, strong organizational skills and a willingness to go the extra mile. And, real-world budgets rely on doing all of that expediently.
Viola Product Line Images
Step 1:
First, I shot fronts and backs of neutral colored violas with different string configurations to use as my base art. (To add a little difficulty to this project, the checkboard pattern that is an inherent part of this carbon-fiber is inconsistent. So, before moving on from this stage, the client required that all the little squares be manicured to make them look consistent.)
Step 2:
I cut up the base photos to create metallic & carbon-fiber body fills, front & back modals, and 4 string & 5 string component overlays. I also created shadow, reflection, and highlight overlays.
Step 3:
I combined a set of parts for a 5 string front, then adjusted body colors to produce the full line of colors for review.
Step 4:
With colors approved, I made all fronts and backs in both 4 and 5 string configurations and in all the available colors (64 images).
Email Blast Campaign
For this award-wining 7 year email campaign, I did all the photography (I did combine my original shots with stock in some editions), concepting, photo-manipulation and design.
For this particular edition of the campaign, I shot my client wearing an Avs jersey, a bicycle helmet, tennis shoes and holding a long dowel (shown below). Then, I went to the Superior skating rink where they were kind enough to loan me some skates, a hockey stick, and a puck for a couple hours. I photographed those items positioned to the portait I’d already shot and built the whole ad in Photoshop.
“Steampunk” Map
My client asked me to make cool steampunk-ish map and use an old compass.
In this map, I created the streets and distorted type in Illustrator, then brought it into Photoshop as vector smart objects. I combined those elements with the above graphics to design and build this map. I used a warm brown/tan color pallet to harmonize with the website that I also built.
