Faking an HDR Portrait
Submitted by deke on 8 October 2008 - 2:39am.
Episode 007: Well, friends, it's getting to be Halloween, that bestest of holidays, the one made famous by Linus and Jamie Lee Curtis. And you know what that means: Another traditional early-October Halloween episode of dekePod. (Well, the first one, but you have to start somewhere.) This year, I celebrate the spookiness of the season by showing you how to fake an HDR portrait in Photoshop. Perhaps you've seen others demo fake HDR. Now see me do it. Here's the official marketing description:
Think nothing can scare you? Enter dekePod, that thing that is not even slightly scary and yet, be honest, gives you the heebie jeebies. In this episode, Deke investigates how to simulate an extreme-detail HDR portrait -- which would otherwise require you to shoot multiple exposures of a person locked down in a body brace -- using flimflam and forgery. And a shrunken skull. These are the depths of scariness we go to. Here at dekePod.
Keep an eye out for Reeky, the tiny skull whose eye pops out. Fun fact: Reeky's head is filled with bloody houseflies that leap into his protruding eyeball when you squish him. (Fake ones, but nonetheless icky.) Plus, he's made of that weird plastic that makes your hands stink. Doesn't he sound great? If you're interested in downloading it (the video, not the skull), try one of these links:
- For a high-quality QuickTime movie, right-click here and choose Save Target or Download Link or the equivalent.
- For an M4V file that you can play on an iPod, right-click here and choose one of those same commands.
- Or you can subscribe to dekePod via RSS or iTunes.
You can also check out the page at my book publisher O'Reilly Media.
Oh hey, and keep an eye peeled (not filled with bloody flies, peeled) for a few frames of a photo of Thom Yorke and David Byrne. Captured and enhanced by James Day for Wired mag, this was the inspiration for my piece. James gave me permission to use his image. For which I say: Thanks, James -- you, Thom, and David rock.
(And lest that sound like a platitude, not so. If I was half so cool as the three of you put together, I'd be 150% as cool as any one of you. And really, as much as it might surprise you, I'd settle for that.)
The scientist image comes from photographer Aleksandra Alexis. Amazing, she.
Comments
Deke's best comment
" Except I'm running Win Vista on 17' Macbook Pro" that was hilarious. So I'm questioned myself why? Perhaps because there is not good enough soft to capture screen as Sorenson. Could this be the answer? I'm not sure. Deke, can you comment why? Also can you compare the speed and reaction running PS CS4 on Vista compare to Mac. I guess you are running Boot Camp. Right?
CS4 Turorials
As a rank beginner, I like to view the tutorials offered on the Creative Suite 4 disc.
Reference is made to an 'Examples' folder. Where is it ? I can't find it on the Learning disc or on the CS4 disc or in any CS4 folders on my computer.
Thanks
Hmm
answer from tech support from adobe
Adobe: We have not released training products for CS4 versions.
Adobe: However, you'll receive free user guide with all features along with the purchase.
Adobe Okay, ask him ( meaning you) to look for the help files in the software.
Adobe: Or if he purchased download version software, he would've received a .PDF file as user guide.
Btw. Adobe.tv has many tutorials including Deke's podcast + many more. Lynda.com offers 7 day trial but even without you can get some sneak peak preview. There are many tutorials on the web if you don't have any money. Even the devil UTUBE.
Helpppppppppppppppppppp
I`m Using Action Record in my projects but still have a problem, why action can not record the movement of the object, for example my photo in my scene located in X=234 and Y=456 and I want to change this location and recode it as an action but the action can not find it !!!! what can i do?
Provide sample and give more details
Here is what are common mistakes with actions and movement
a) people do not record selecting the right layer
b) if the layers are with different names the action will not work if you switch between multiple layer
c) original size is different from the one in target composition - logically this is one of the most common problems people want to move object on composition with completely different proportions
d) people are trying to move adjustment layers and mask
you should provide the link the project and the action so we can have a look at it. Be more specific.
Awesome tech support, Archee!
You're exactly right -- those are the most likely problems.
I have an entire 18-hour series devoted to Actions and Automation at lynda.com. And it is very detailed on the topics of best practices and troubleshooting. It's called Photoshop CS2 Actions and Automaton, but most of its still applies to the never versions of the software. Especially the sections about actions and JavaScript. (JavaScript, which is not that hard, is intensely useful in Photoshop.)
Go to lynda.com/deke. Sign up for the free 7-day trial. Check it (and a million other things) out.
Actions and Automatios
BTW. For those who go through Deke's older stuff like actions and automation CS2 and using Deke's shortcuts after doing some CS4 and CS3 tutorials with Deke's magic tweaking make sure you set PS to default. or create new workspace, menu etc the same way Deke did in the old video. Here is the example why? Deke Action Yin an yang. Step 7 Gaussian Blur and PS replies the command Gaussian Blur is not currently available. . Well it's simple Deke hates adding layer mask by default. HE TOLD YOU THAT HUNDRED TIMES ALREADY AND HE TOLD YOU TO DISABLE IT TO SAVE SPACE RIGHT? AND HERE YOU GO IT WON'T WORK. PS can't apply filter on adjustment layer without the mask. So save yourself hustle and turn the layer mask back on or add layer mask manually each time you get the warning like this, then replay that step were you were warned. Repeat if that is going to happened again. Yes there are many actions on the web but each creator has his own presets including you. Don't get discouraged. Find the bug.
Using 'save' in actions
I definitely have to seek out Deke's Actions and Automations tutorials. The one thing that always trips me up when I create an action is saving the file as part of the action. I did a real estate shoot not so long ago - beautiful million dollar property at Lake Tarawera, and took a gazillion photos of the house and it's gorgeous location, all shot in RAW. After I'd selected the best 30-odd pics and processed them - I was to save them as jpegs to send through to the agency. So I created an action that included flattening, converting back to RGB, resizing and saving to jpeg. Everything worked except the saving - as each new file was saved as the first file name and so after all that, I had precisely one jpeg file. Luckily I still had the original psds and raw images, so I just deleted the save function in the action and did that manually for each one. It really made me feel like an idiot! :-/
I think I understand now
Maybe.
I can't save a file as part of an action. I have to create the action - sans save - and then batch process, using the batch process dialogue box to choose a save destination and file naming protocol.
Also, you were quite right about the Real World Actioneering chapter in your chapter intro; and because my mother never, ever said I could always eat ice-cream for breakfast, I feel at a disadvantage. This has caused my head to explode in one very messy action all over my desk. I now need therapy.
Re:I think I understand now new
You could create an action to save not save as as it won't ask you for name but even though actions will always ask you for give name to a layer or give name to a file. You could duplicate all your original photos and give them different names let say Original name + Mod and let PS to the magic on those and save them without save as. The new Bridge CS4 can also handle good auto saving and converting from raw in batch.