masking

Today, I unveil a series of three sequential contests that I'm calling Deke's Techniques: The Challenge, in which I invite you to create a training movie for me. The first contest, which begins today, July 17, and lasts for two weeks (ending Tuesday, July 31) is the Photoshop Challenge. So, naturally, I'm asking for a technique created, at least in part, in Photoshop. (You can use other programs as well if you like.) Two finalists and one Grand Prize winner will receive a buttload of prizes.

Your movie has to reference, however obliquely, at least three of my existing Deke's Techniques. And so, by way of a proof of concept, I present you with my submission, in which I transform a little lemon of a Yugo into a fiery hot rod. And I do so using, not three Deke's Techniques, but five!

No movie can be longer than 10 minutes, so I burn through the process very quickly, possibly more quickly than even an adept Photoshop user will be able to follow. But that's okay for two reasons: First, I give you permission to move quickly through your technique as well. (You may need to!) And second, I include six follow-up movies, available for free at lynda.com/dt, that explain the entire process at a reasonable and followable speed.

Here's the official description from lynda.com: Read more » 

It's one thing to impeccably mask an image into a new scene. But it's another to get the masked image to interact with its new environment. And oftentimes what that masked image needs is a shadow.

In this week's technique, I show you how to capture and cast a shadow from one scene into another.

Garsh, this is a yummy one. Here's the official description from lynda.com: Read more » 

Hello everyone. Happy New Year, and welcome to the first anniversary of Deke's Techniques. I began this weekly video series on January 4 of 2011, and I am assured by the good folks at lynda.com that it will last well into the future.

What better way to celebrate the outset of 2012 than with a wedding photo? And not just any photo, but a candid shot with a bunch of unwanted people in the background. My friend, Mary (the bride), asked me to remove those interlopers so that she and her groom, Billy, can enjoy some much-needed time alone. Which is exactly what I do in this video.

Here's the official description from lynda.com: Read more »